Bumbling Gators mail it in again, lose to Loyola-Chicago

TLB

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I said this in the box last night, but something psychological happened to these guys late in the Duke game and they haven't recovered yet. I've never seen an entire team of REALLY good shooters go cold like this.

This. We were hitting on most cylinders in the PK80, and I can't fathom what switch got flipped so we aren't playing well. Yeah, the coach can change the lineup, but you still need to see the heart and effort from the kids on the court unless they simply don't believe what the coach is telling them to do - that 'not buying in'. This is nuts.

On the plus side, I'd been planning to take the family to the Cinci game, kids have never been to one. Looks like I'll be saving some money by not going.
 

ATXGator

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I didn't get to see the game last night. I recorded it, but I am not going to watch it because it will just piss me off...

What happened? White has to get this team more mentally focused. Is this a case of teams watching film and figuring out how to shut us down?
 

Jbossgator8

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We couldn't hit 3s once again. We were only 2-19 so if we are 6-19 then we win. That is how it goes sometimes. Lebron hit a bunch of 3s last night and the Cavs won. Kansas and Vandy both lost at home last night. We have to hit shots and we just aren't right now. You have to hit the wide open shots we are shooting. Same plays and shots we ran and hit vs Stanford and Gonzaga.
 

rogdochar

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In post-game presser White seemed tamped down. He took the blame saying it all starts with him. He recognizes we have to develope an inside presence that scores and defensively blocks easy makes by our opponent.

So if White makes on-court personell changes, it seems he's thinking more minutes for our younger guys = getting more aggressive inside with Keith Stone, Chase Johnson, Gak, even Ballard.
Now Stone has good height, solid weight, and excellent shooting touch. Johnson is 6'9" 205 lbs, and shooter's touch.

Gotta change from the style of play where players only look for 3s. Gotta get it inside to Hayes, Johnson, Stone, or Gak, once White's practices prepare our insiders to not let opposing defenders deter their shot. This is the way this team needs to gel.

BTW what is Stokes status? He's a real heavyweight. Hope we get him and Egbunu back with plenty of games to become "well-oiled machines" within our lineup. Both should be watching films of our play with a coach emphasizing exactly where and how their presence should improve plays both O & D.

BTW what illness keeps hitting Chase Johnson to take him out of any practice, out of games? Weird.
Anyway, training those inside guys to be agressive sucessfully is the missing link for this Gator team. Have a numerical rotation such that they can bang with little hamperance-worry about getting into foul trouble. There's always a thin line between a foul and a fine O or D play. Our "bigs" have to opperate right on that line to learn it.

Again anyone got any word on Egbunu and Stokes progress?
 
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g8tr72

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I didn't get to see the game last night. I recorded it, but I am not going to watch it because it will just piss me off...

What happened? White has to get this team more mentally focused. Is this a case of teams watching film and figuring out how to shut us down?

Close. It seems this is a case of us watching film and failing to execute the game strategy.
 

cover2

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I appreciate White's honesty. It is something I like about him, putting blame in himself and not avoiding questions or giving some reply that doesn't answer questions. I hope he figures it out quickly.
Concur. The question, I'm sure, that a lot have right now is why didn't you take measures to better prevent these last two losses? I'd guess that the answer is that in the back of Coach's mind, he knew that we might have propensity to be soft on D, but the picture thus far showed a team that was fast, somewhat athletic, and accurate, against some pretty good early season competition no less. Likely, the thinking was that the confidence that should be swelling (but tempered, key thought here) from those wins would inspire the team to grow and mature in deficit areas to seek the level of what the offense was early on and expand to meet it.

I can't know this for sure, but my instinct tells me that the maturity level of this group is not near where it needs to be in order to properly process the required thinking and assimilation to be a consistent team. Having to sit key members of the line-up (Allen, Hayes, etc.) for periods seems to support this. Also, only one senior, Chiozza, who doesn't seem to overtly display a lot of leadership on the court, has to be a factor. It's easy for good, young players to mishandle successes early. Getting too full of themselves when the resume is incomplete, if you will.

Without getting into the X's and O's (though I think we could either be a little more functional offensively in terms of sets and intentions and a whole lot more hard-nose in our defensive approach), it looks like Coach has to force the players who are and should start and get the most minutes to better buy what he's selling. Currently, it looks like they have become more independent contractors than a team. Otherwise, his only tool will be to play the newbie's more than they need to or really deserve at this stage. If they were better, it would be a great thing, but they aren't...yet, and it can further complicate things when they are displacing those who should be in the game more and at crucial junctures. Still, he's got to do it if he's not getting the response he needs. Two thrashings would do it for me. It'll be interesting to see what transpires against Cincinnati. Banking on the coach to get the attention he needs.
 

rogdochar

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Keeping the opponent from getting to the rim = practise-teach the art of creating a charge, since the refs seem biased towards calling blocking fouls. Show our opponents that inside on us is turnover town.

We've got to apply the hurry-harass on defense even if it requires running youngsters in and out for energetic harassment. Disintegrate opponent's thinking, their plays by worrying them with two arms becoming octopus-arms.

3-pt shooters must stabilize their bodies to square up for a smooth stroke. Offensive positioning should alot us the rebounds needed for put-backs, tip-ins, such that that added typicality makes our 3-shooters more relaxed. But alas, I describe a team that White has not created yet? Seems White and staff have let all 8 games pass without our-his guys practicing the best developmental Bball for grooming our inside game, developing our inside bodies. Sure, we wouldn't have had those 100+ games, but we'd be a much tougher team = tuffer to beat.
 

GatorStud

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I never have been a fan so to speak of teams that rely on the long ball... it’s orgasmic when you’re draining it at will but the inevitable stroke mechanic slump seems to happen at the wrong time or game... hence give me some bangers of an interior game until the finesse string players find there tune again, just saying, Go Gators!
 

MatthewM.

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The last two losses are inexcusable. The coach should be fired and the players asked to transfer.
 

Durfish

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The last two losses are inexcusable. The coach should be fired and the players asked to transfer.
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lagator

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Heard that dreaded word for the first time nationally on the radio coming in after last nights loss to Loyola-Chicago: "Overrated." I don't believe that but Coach White has to be careful that doesn't become the national meme for tournament seeding purposes.
No question we are over-rated. We are Ranked 5-6 until the next poll and just lost 3 in a row. If we lose the next one we will drop out of the top 25. We are the definition of over-rated.

Shooting is our main problem right now. It's one of the longest cold streaks I've seen. The defense definitely is not great, but a lot of that comes from so many missed shots. It's much easier to set your defense off a make than a miss, not the mention the energy from teammates and fans when you hit a couple 2-3 treys in a row which we haven't done in what feels like an eternity. If the shots start falling everything will right itself pretty quickly.

The most surprising thing is Egor's shooting. He's not just missing, he tossing brick after brick. I think I'd bench him for awhile to see if that gets him right because something is really off there. Give the freshman more playing time then bring in Egor maybe late in the first half to see if making him hungry for minutes gets his head straight.
 

NVGator

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No question we are over-rated. We are Ranked 5-6 until the next poll and just lost 3 in a row. If we lose the next one we will drop out of the top 25. We are the definition of over-rated.
We'll be out of the Top 25 regardless of the game against Cincy. CBS fluid poll already has us out of their top 30.
 

lagator

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We'll be out of the Top 25 regardless of the game against Cincy. CBS fluid poll already has us out of their top 30.
30 huh?, that actually sounds about right, but a road win at, what are they, 11? That would probably let us sneak back in at low 20's maybe. What's the line on the Cincy game? Might be worth taking a shot on us as dogs, maybe moneyline. Shooting percentage will move back toward the mean eventually.
 

T REX

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Disappointing for sure but it is way too early to give up.

If we're talking like this in Feb then uh-oh.

Go Gators!
 

TheDouglas78

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Maybe us going back to the hunter instead of the hunted is needed, these kids might not know yet how to handle success.
 

NVGator

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30 huh?, that actually sounds about right, but a road win at, what are they, 11? That would probably let us sneak back in at low 20's maybe. What's the line on the Cincy game? Might be worth taking a shot on us as dogs, maybe moneyline. Shooting percentage will move back toward the mean eventually.
No line yet. Those won't come out till Friday.
 

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