Five Keys for Florida to Win Another National Championship
For the first time in program history, Florida is a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament in back-to-back years.
At the start of this rollercoaster season, earning a No. 1 seed seemed nearly impossible after the Gators suffered four non-conference losses. From November to March, sentiment has shifted from can the Gators survive against good teams to can the Gators win it all again?
Florida was playing its best brand of basketball until a 91-74 loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday snapped a 12-game winning streak. Now the Gators head into the tournament with its most lopsided loss of the season.
While it is hard to turn a 17-point loss into a positive, the Gators have shown resiliency in the way it responds to losses. Florida faces arguably its most important stretch in coach Todd Golden’s young career, where getting back in the right direction is imperative.
“When you do lose, you can really drill down on some areas that you need to improve on,” Golden said. “When you’re winning, I think that’s more difficult. It’s more difficult to teach. It’s more difficult to be held accountable. But now we don’t have that issue off a loss and hopefully we respond the same way that we did after we lost to Auburn on January 24th.”
So how do the Gators bounce back from Vanderbilt and return to the style of basketball that earned them a 12-game win streak. Here are five of the biggest points of emphasis to bring another Naismith Trophy to Gainesville:
1. 3-Point Consistency
What plagued the Gators the most in non-conference play was its inability to hit 3s. Heading into conference play, Florida shot only 29% from distance. There were multiple games where starting guards Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland shot 0% with over four 3-point attempts. Good teams capitalized on Florida’s shooting slump, like Auburn triple-teaming the paint and daring the Florida backcourt to beat them from distance.
From Feb. 1 until SEC tournament play, the Gators improved to 37% from 3. But against Vanderbilt, Florida returned to that 29% clip (5 of17). Walter Clayton Jr. blessed Florida fans with jaw-dropping clutch performances in the tournament. The biggest question heading into this year’s tournament is who can take the winning shot for Florida. Right now, it could be Lee, who hit multiple step-backs off the dribble against Kentucky in the SEC quarterfinals.
Loading ...2. Haugh Gets Groove Back
Thomas Haugh has been the heart of the Gators offense all year, earning First TeamAll-SEC honors to show for it. The junior forward is a mocked lottery pick in this year’s NBA draft, but his efficiency has been plummeting recently.
Haugh shot just 2-for-9 against Kentucky and 5-for-14 against Vanderbilt. Florida doesn’t need Haugh’s shooting from beyond the arc, although he has been the second-best shooter from distance behind Urban Klavzar. Haugh leverages his 6-foot-9 frame beautifully when he attacks the rim with his right, but the pull-up jumpers and finishing has not been there. Haugh has to be that Clayton Jr. figure come tournament time. His 17.1 points per game are far too important.
3. An Aggressive Condon
Alex Condon was the brightest piece of optimism coming after the Vanderbilt loss. He hit sixpost-up moves against the Commodores with 13 efficient points, owning the paint offensively and adding seven rebounds.
The preseason First Team All-American was the biggest lowlight at the beginning of the year. Condon admitted to struggling with his confidence and let the high expectations for his junior season get the best of him. But Condon has played his best brand of basketball in the past month, not forcing 3s, limiting his turnovers at the top of the key, and taking advantage of mismatches down low. Like Haugh, his upward trajectory is imperative for another national championship.
4. Limiting NBA Talent
Florida has quietly done a strong job all season limiting elite individual scorers, and that becomes even more important in March when tournament games often come down to one player taking over late.
The Gators have not completely shut stars down, like Jaden Bradley or Koa Peat early in the season, but they have consistently forced high-level guards into tougher shots and uncomfortable possessions. Players like Darius Acuff, Nijel Pack, Labaron Philon and Silas Demary all came in as offensive focal points, yet Fland’s on-ball defense made those players work for everything.
In the tournament, Florida does not need to erase the opposing star, but must keep that player from controlling the final five minutes. It’s easy for a player to get hot in March Madness, just like Clayton Jr. did. If Florida has to face a Kingston Flemmings (Houston) or Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt) down the road, it has to mitigate the damage these NBA-level guards can do.
5. Winning Turnover Battle
Florida wins when it takes care of the basketball. The Gators averaged just over 11 turnovers per game this season, and during the 12-game winning streak, clean possessions were a huge reason the offense looked so efficient.
The Vanderbilt loss showed how quickly things unravel when 14 possessions are wasted. Empty trips led to 24 points off turnovers the other way, and Florida never found its normal offensive flow. In games like Alabama (only two turnovers), Florida controlled for 40 minutes. The more possessions, the more unstoppable this offense becomes.
In March, possessions tighten. Florida does not need to play perfect, but staying near its season average in turnovers gives it a much better chance to control tempo and close games late.
Category: College Basketball, Feature Sports News, Gators Men's Basketball, NCAA Tournament
