Florida Gator men’s basketball in Jacksonville Monday; Wilbekin Back

Sitting at 4-1 on the season and riding a three game win streak, the Florida Gator men’s basketball team will head to Jacksonville Monday night to take on the Dolphins. The 16th ranked Gators received the news recently that they will have a true point guard as senior Scottie Wilbekin has officially been reinstated to the team after serving a suspension.

This is huge for a team that has looked lost in many aspects the past couple of games without a true point guard to take the ball up the court. This was most evident Thursday night where the Gators couldn’t manage much offense in the first half against Middle Tennessee.

On Monday expect to see the Gators improve greatly with the addition of not only their best ball handler, but their best on ball defender as well. Wilbekin is the kind of player that will shut down any guard for an opposing team and he will help a perimeter defense that has struggled.

Expect the senior to get normal playing time Monday night against the Dolphins.

With Wilbekin on the court, the Gators can run the kind of offense head coach Billy Donovan envisions. More post production from seniors Patric Young and Will Yeguete, an improved pick and roll game that can open up the three ball, and with a true point guard, red shirt sophomore Dorian Finney-Smith can be used in a variety of ways with the skill set he has shown in the few games he has played.

On Monday, the Gators will face a 2-3 Jacksonville squad that is coming off a 76-72 victory over the Florida A&M Rattlers. For the Gators to find success against the Dolphins they will need to shut down JU sophomore guard Jarvis Haywood who is averaging just over 15 points a game.

This will be the 35th meeting between the two schools with the Gators taking all but five of these contests. This will be the first meeting since this exact day in 2011 where the Gators came away with the victory 107-62.

The Gators will look to repeat that same success against JU Monday night but all eyes will be on the senior point guard as he steps on the court for the first time this season.

The Gators average just 11 assists per game and that ranks them 242nd in the NCAA. On Thursday night against Middle Tennessee the Gators finished with just 10 assists, eight of them coming in the second half. Without a true point guard, many of the Gator playmakers made it their duty to create their own offense, instead of creating it for their teammates.

Wilbekin will only increase these numbers for the Gators, and as the floor general he will be able to not only create the offense, but run it as well.

 

About Kyle Logan

Check Also

Orange & Blue Sports Network

Catch the student-led broadcasts from the College of Journalism and Communications right here.

LIVE THREAD: National Signing Day

Here’s an updated thread of all the recruits who picked the Gator hat today! RB …

AFC Divisional Round Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers

During last weekend’s NFL Wild Card round, the Steelers made a statement by handing the Dolphins a …

Houston Looking For an Upset in Foxborough

The saying has always been “it’s hard to beat a good team twice,” and in …

Blue Jackets vs. Lightning Tonight

The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Tampa Bay Lightning will be facing each other once …

Possible Additions to McElwain’s Recruiting Class Visiting this Weekend

With National Signing Day less than three weeks away, the Gators are hosting several talented …

Florida Gymnastics Prepares for Season Opener

https://vimeo.com/198372157 GAINESVILLE, FL – The Florida Gator gymnastics team will kick off their season this …

Surprised Gators Promote Randy Shannon To Defensive Coordinator? You Shouldn’t Be

Florida’s head coach, Jim McElwain, announced Friday morning that Randy Shannon would be making the …

Quarterbacks in Spotlight for NFL Wild Card Weekend

The NFL Wild Card kicks off Saturday and the quarterback situations could not be any more different. On …

College Football Playoff Shakes Up Schedule

The College Football Playoff was a success in its first year. Yet, that doesn’t stop …

Michael Jordan Speaks out about Shootings, Police Officers

NBA great Michael Jordan opened up about his thoughts about shootings of African-Americans and the …

Treon Harris to Transfer

With the college football season approaching, the Florida Gators have announced that former starting QB …

USA Basketball Wins Second Exhibition Game

Just a few short days after their big win over Argentina, team USA won its …

Charlotte Is No Longer The Home Of The 2017 NBA All-Star Game

The House Bill 2 came between Charlotte, North Carolina and the 2017 All-Star Game. The …

Tampa Bay Rays Continue Series Against Oakland

The Tampa Bay Rays are continuing their three-game winning streak. The Rays defeated the Oakland …

MLB Preview Tonight

It’s summer time—the best time to go to a baseball game and experience the atmosphere. …

Braves Begin Series With Rockies

The Atlanta Braves (33-62) open up a four-game road series with the Rockies (43-51) tonight …

Marlins To Close Out Series With The Phillies

The Miami Marlins are in the middle of a crucial ten game span against NL East …

Rays Crush Rockies 11-3, Face A’s Next

In the midst of a terrible season that has seen the Tampa Bay Rays (37-57) …

American League Second Half Outlook

The second half of the baseball season is in full swing which translates to? Pennant races. Teams …

National League Evening Preview

Tonight is a busy night for the National League in the MLB. Starting with the …

Big 12 Looks To Expand

Following a Tuesday meeting between Big 12 presidents, Oklahoma president David Boren announced that the …

LSU Looks To Capitalize On Its Opportunity

The Louisiana State University Tigers will enter the 2016 college football season with high expectations, …

Muschamp Helps Close Out SEC Media Days 2016

It wasn’t Will Muschamps first SEC Media Days experience, but 2016 marked the first time …

Phil Mickelson Leads British Open After First Day

The 145th annual 2016 British Open is underway at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. The …

Missouri’s Football Crisis: Rebuilding A Program

On the final day of SEC Media Days, Barry Odom took the stand as Missouri’s head …

Second Half Of MLB Season Begins

The All-Star Break is a good time for teams to rest up and reform themselves …

British Open Underway

The 145th Open Championship is already underway at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. Welcome …

Buchholz Boys Basketball To Tip Off Season

By Isabella Ruiz and Jalyn Garcia The Buchholz High School boys basketball season tips off …