Gator Basketball Selection Sunday: Who do we get and who don't we want

lagator

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So looking ahead to the NCAA's it looks like the Gators will be somewhere between and 4-6 seed with 5 or 6 most likely according to most projections. Which teams with a similar or lower seed would you like to avoid in the first two rounds. After that all bets are off and getting in as a 5-6 you assume you will be playing a 1-2 in the Sweet 16 and later rounds, but who would you rather side step early?

The teams I hope to avoid in the first 2 rounds include some we've already played.

I'd start with Gonzaga. I see them projected as a 4 seed which seems pretty low actually considering their AP rank and winning streak but means we could meet them in the second round. There's the fact that they were a play or two away from last years Natty and are for some reason a sleeper to make another deep run. And we were playing our best offensively last game, and it still took OT to get out with the win. Since then they've been hot as hell and we've been, well wildly inconsistent. Plus the zags have a helluva coach and ours is still cutting his teeth.

Second is FSU. For whatever reason they play out of their minds recently when we play them, and we seem to really struggle against their size. If they drop to a 11 seed it's possible the wise-asses on the committee could match us up in the first round. I'd rather not. I do think their coach is pretty weak though, so at least we wouldn't feel over-matched in that dept, and it would be sweet to end their dance in a hurry.

WVU. Joe Lunardi has us meeting them in the second round as the 4-5 matchup. I hope he's wrong because I don't think we would matchup that well against them. They can match our speed and intensity and beat us in the toughness dept. If the refs let it get physical they can knock you around like a pinball which leads to a lot of turnovers. And they have good guard play and rim protectors. They also have an experienced coach even if he looks drunk or hungover most of the time and like he just woke up and threw on his dirty windbreaker pullover and headed to work.

Who you got?
 

ATXGator

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My first thought was FSU. I don't want to play them because I think their length will definitely bother us.

I'd prefer not to play UK either (includes SEC)... they always play better in the tourney and I like have beat them twice this year.
 

Captain Sasquatch

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Right now we’ve been matched up against Buffalo or Louisiana-Lafayette in the first round if we’re a 5. Both are up tempo offenses and could be dangerous.
 

lagator

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Actually I'd love to play them again. It would be a complete blowout. We played our worst offensive game of the year shooting 10% from 3, they shot 50%. They are slow and not athletic, exact type of team we want and the type we will beat by 20 pulling away if we can get that matchup.
 

-THE DUDE-

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Actually I'd love to play them again. It would be a complete blowout. We played our worst offensive game of the year shooting 10% from 3, they shot 50%. They are slow and not athletic, exact type of team we want and the type we will beat by 20 pulling away if we can get that matchup.
Yeah i was sort of joking
 

InstiGATOR1

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My list is:

1. Any team that this team might take for granted. I worry more about the first game than any other game. It some ways I do not want them to a better seed and face a less name opponent.

2. Any team that UF has already beaten who this group might take for granted. I would much rather face Duke or FSU who they own pay back than the Zags who they might assume they can beat again.

3. Any non-power conference opponent.

4. Any SEC oppnent.

As I said in another thread, how UF does this year seems to depend much more on UF than who they are playing and UF only seems to play well when they respect their opponent.
 

MertzJay26

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We don’t turn the ball over, and that’s the only way WVU wins games. I think we’d handle them like the last time we played them.

For me I’d say FSU as well. Would be sweet to knock them out, but Hamilton gives White fits. I’d then say TAMU and Va Tech.

Tamu because of their size inside, and Va Tech cuz they can light up the scoreboard fast.
 

InstiGATOR1

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Let's turn this into the NCAA waiting thread now. Maybe the original poster can edit the name to reflect that. I will start with two provocative points:

1. Probably it is a good thing that UF lost to UAR. This group can not stand success. I would much rather they enter the NCAA tourney off a loss than a win. Plus the better "name" team they play each round the greater chance they will come to play. As I have said several times in the last few days, this UF team winning or losing has much more to do with them including the "name" of who they play, than it does how the opponent plays.

2. Did White throw the UAR game? Did he just not care whether UF won or lost so that Gak who played 5 minutes could rest his knee? So that Bassett who played 4 minutes would not take another shot to the head? So that Chiozza and other guys who have piled up minutes this year could rest up at a minimum of 5 days and maybe 6 days before the next game.

3. It will be very interesting to see where UF is seeded in the end. I think a 5 would be a pretty good seed for this group. Then they are playing a 4 IF they can win the first game and that should have their attention. Of course a 6 would mean they get an 11 which might help them focus more for the first game and the second game likely against a 3.

4. I am wonder if there is an upset opposite UF in the first round if that would be a bad or a good thing? Where these guys facing a bracket like in 1999, these guys would more likely beat UNC than Weber State, if I remember that bracket correctly.
 

InstiGATOR1

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The team that fell on its face last night against Arky.

If they fell on their face, I could accept that. What I find more troubling is for UF to lose a game by 8 when Koulechov missed a layup, Chiozza failed to control a steal that led to a basket for them at least once, Allen and Hudson go 1-5 from the FT line.

Still what matter is what happens this coming week. I hope UF's players play with passion since it now become lose and your season is over.
 

fairfaxgator

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Lunardi has us as a 6 playing the Bonnies and if we win playing Meatchicken...Meatchicken owns us...
 

InstiGATOR1

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Well selection Sunday is here. The Bracket matrix, Lunardi and Palm all have UF as a 6 seed. So I am going to guess UF will be a 5 seed.

Lunardi has UF playing the winner of 'Cuse v. Marquette
Palm has UF playing St. Bonaventure

Probably neither of those come to pass, but which is better for UF?
 

Gator Fever

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Lunardi has us as a 6 playing the Bonnies and if we win playing Meatchicken...Meatchicken owns us...

Yep most places think we will get a # 6 seed in the East and maybe playing Michigan or Michigan State if we win that first game.
 

Jbossgator8

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Michigan has been the hottest team in the nation the last month of the season or so...
 

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