Gator Basketball 2019 basketball season around the corner
- Thread starter Musclepug
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- Aug 4, 2018
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Mine was tri-pod,
- Jul 24, 2014
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Founding Member
- Oct 9, 2014
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I'm looking forward to seeing what Mike White can do with this lineup. Blackshear is a game changer. Could be a special year.
- Jun 11, 2014
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Our roster is LOADED with talent but it will be interesting to see how they all gel together. How they play early is not really indicative of how we will play all year in the ebb and flow over the course of a 30+ game season. The offense should be high flying and we will definitely see a bunch of different lineups early to see who all works well with each other. I am certainly excited for the season to start.
- Aug 17, 2018
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This offseason feels different. 3 5* guys coming in; 3 of our top 6 scorers from last year; a grad transfer who's one of the top bigs in the country from last year...that's quality depth, experience, and raw talent everywhere on the court.
We can legitimately play 8-10 people this year. Coach White has the option of playing small or playing big. And even our "small" lineups have guys who are all 6'5. While our offensive firepower is impressive...it should be mentioned we had one of the top defenses in the country last year and White usually does well there.
Very excited for basketball season this year.
We can legitimately play 8-10 people this year. Coach White has the option of playing small or playing big. And even our "small" lineups have guys who are all 6'5. While our offensive firepower is impressive...it should be mentioned we had one of the top defenses in the country last year and White usually does well there.
Very excited for basketball season this year.
- Aug 29, 2015
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Think they’ll hang a banner from the rafters if we make it to the NIT finals?Dare to dream, Gators.
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- Jun 14, 2014
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So right rev. Something new coming to a court near you. We will have towering arms to contest shots & passes & to accept scoring passes inward & to get more rebounds. Now that adds to Gators' already tenacious defense. Talls may give us more outlet passes for more fast breaks scoring. All that will give us, players and fans better access to momentum.
- Jan 6, 2015
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Florida Basketball: 5 reasons why Gators can win 2020 national championship
1) Special backcourt
Quality guard play might be the single most important thing in college basketball, especially when it comes to the NCAA Tournament. Guards have the greatest impact on the game and, when it comes to dealing with the inconsistencies that make up college basketball – different talent levels, various stages of player development, stadium atmospheres, the general hot-and-coldness of teenagers, etc – you need to be able to rely on the players that have the ball in their hands the most.
Florida’s backcourt isn’t laden with seniors, but it is filled with special players. That starts with sophomore point guard Andrew Nembhard, who is one of the country’s best playmakers and is primed for a breakout season. His head coach agrees.
Nembhard may be the leader, but he’s far from the only one who will make an impact on the perimeter.
Noah Locke, Florida’s second-leading scorer a year ago, also returns for his sophomore season and gives them a reliable three-point shooter. Keyontae Johnson will likely see some time on the perimeter as well but may have a bigger role with the frontcourt. Five-star freshmen Tre Mann and Scottie Lewis will also make very significant impacts as well. Mann is a combo guard who can also fill it up from distance, while Lewis is the kind of athletic freak that allows him to be a lockdown defender and a menace in transition.
All these players give Florida a deep, well-rounded backcourt that can also play together and give the Gators multiple looks.
2) Depth
Speaking of depth, Florida has it everywhere – not just in the backcourt. They’re expected to go nine or 10 players deep in the rotation on a nightly basis, and everyone can contribute. Everyone has also proven themselves even though the roster has nine new players.
Nembhard, Locke, and Johnson all return after ranking among UF’s top six scorers a year ago. Blackshear (more on him next) is the SEC Preseason Player of the Year, for crying out loud. Lewis and Mann were both five-star prospects, and freshman center Omar Payne was also ranked in the top 50. Gorjok Gak has proven he can be a quality rim protector when healthy, and Dontay Basset is a quality all-around big man off the bench.
The really exciting thing about this roster, too, is how versatile all of those players are. White will be able to play big, play small, play fast, or play in the half-court depending on the opponent.
Very few teams have this much quality depth, and even fewer are able to play different styles because of it. Florida’s ability to maintain a high level of play when going to their bench, and their ability to adapt and exploit any weakness an opponent has, gives them the chance to be great.
3) Kerry Blackshear Jr.
Let’s talk more about Kerry Blackshear because he provides so much to this Florida team and may end up being their most impactful player.
We already talked about the backcourt and, while that may still be this team’s biggest strength, Blackshear gives them a legitimate threat down low to balance that out. He averaged 14.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game at Virginia Tech a year ago while earning All-ACC honors for his efforts.
At Media Day, White raved about all the things Blackshear adds to the lineup.
Blackshear will serve as Florida’s best (and perhaps only) interior scoring threat and, because he’s so good down low, he’ll create a ton of open looks on the perimeter for Florida’s shooters. On the other end, he’s an effective defender in the post that can adequately switch out and guard on the perimeter. And, not to be overlooked, he adds needed experience to a lineup that would’ve relied almost exclusively on underclassmen.
Blackshear is going to do many different things for the Gators, and that projected level of impact is why he was the easy choice to win SEC Preseason Player of the Year.
4) Elite defense
A lot of what we’ve talked about already has to deal with Florida’s ability to score, but there’s no doubt they’re going to be able to defend, too.
Since White became Florida’s head coach prior to the 2015-16 season, they have ranked in the top 25 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency every year. Prior to joining the Gators, White had Louisiana Tech ranked in the top 35 during two of his four seasons there. He has a proven track record of producing elite defensive teams, and this group has the potential to be his best yet.
It starts with the size they’ll have all over the court. Mann is 6-4 while Nembhard and Lewis are 6-5, giving all three the length to bother opposing guards and the capability to aggressively switch everything on the perimeter. Inside, Florida has five players that are 6-10 or taller, which will help deter opponents around the rim.
We’ve seen the increased importance of being great on this end of the court in recent years. Virginia and Texas Tech rode their defenses to the national championship game, while Michigan State used theirs to make a surprise Final Four run. The defense also powered Oregon’s Sweet 16 run and, well, you get the picture.
The old saying is that “defense travels” and Florida looks like they will be shutting down opponents no matter where they play this season.
5) Weaknesses of other contenders
So we’ve covered the fact that Florida is really good, but there are a handful of other really good teams out there. The difference is that the Gators don’t have one big glaring weakness like the rest of those considered contenders.
Michigan State, the presumptive preseason No. 1, has a significant lack of size and depth in the frontcourt. Kentucky’s frontcourt is filled with question marks and they’re not expected to be a good perimeter shooting team (again) (DISCLAIMER: this guy has bad intel apparently LOL -mal). Kansas lacks its usual top-end talent. Duke is replacing four starters from last year’s team and we still don’t know if they can shoot.
Other teams like Louisville and Maryland are good but may not have the top-end talent, while even more like Gonzaga, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas Tech, and Virginia are replacing virtually all of their starting lineups.
1) Special backcourt
Quality guard play might be the single most important thing in college basketball, especially when it comes to the NCAA Tournament. Guards have the greatest impact on the game and, when it comes to dealing with the inconsistencies that make up college basketball – different talent levels, various stages of player development, stadium atmospheres, the general hot-and-coldness of teenagers, etc – you need to be able to rely on the players that have the ball in their hands the most.
Florida’s backcourt isn’t laden with seniors, but it is filled with special players. That starts with sophomore point guard Andrew Nembhard, who is one of the country’s best playmakers and is primed for a breakout season. His head coach agrees.
Nembhard may be the leader, but he’s far from the only one who will make an impact on the perimeter.
Noah Locke, Florida’s second-leading scorer a year ago, also returns for his sophomore season and gives them a reliable three-point shooter. Keyontae Johnson will likely see some time on the perimeter as well but may have a bigger role with the frontcourt. Five-star freshmen Tre Mann and Scottie Lewis will also make very significant impacts as well. Mann is a combo guard who can also fill it up from distance, while Lewis is the kind of athletic freak that allows him to be a lockdown defender and a menace in transition.
All these players give Florida a deep, well-rounded backcourt that can also play together and give the Gators multiple looks.
2) Depth
Speaking of depth, Florida has it everywhere – not just in the backcourt. They’re expected to go nine or 10 players deep in the rotation on a nightly basis, and everyone can contribute. Everyone has also proven themselves even though the roster has nine new players.
Nembhard, Locke, and Johnson all return after ranking among UF’s top six scorers a year ago. Blackshear (more on him next) is the SEC Preseason Player of the Year, for crying out loud. Lewis and Mann were both five-star prospects, and freshman center Omar Payne was also ranked in the top 50. Gorjok Gak has proven he can be a quality rim protector when healthy, and Dontay Basset is a quality all-around big man off the bench.
The really exciting thing about this roster, too, is how versatile all of those players are. White will be able to play big, play small, play fast, or play in the half-court depending on the opponent.
Very few teams have this much quality depth, and even fewer are able to play different styles because of it. Florida’s ability to maintain a high level of play when going to their bench, and their ability to adapt and exploit any weakness an opponent has, gives them the chance to be great.
3) Kerry Blackshear Jr.
Let’s talk more about Kerry Blackshear because he provides so much to this Florida team and may end up being their most impactful player.
We already talked about the backcourt and, while that may still be this team’s biggest strength, Blackshear gives them a legitimate threat down low to balance that out. He averaged 14.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game at Virginia Tech a year ago while earning All-ACC honors for his efforts.
At Media Day, White raved about all the things Blackshear adds to the lineup.
Blackshear will serve as Florida’s best (and perhaps only) interior scoring threat and, because he’s so good down low, he’ll create a ton of open looks on the perimeter for Florida’s shooters. On the other end, he’s an effective defender in the post that can adequately switch out and guard on the perimeter. And, not to be overlooked, he adds needed experience to a lineup that would’ve relied almost exclusively on underclassmen.
Blackshear is going to do many different things for the Gators, and that projected level of impact is why he was the easy choice to win SEC Preseason Player of the Year.
4) Elite defense
A lot of what we’ve talked about already has to deal with Florida’s ability to score, but there’s no doubt they’re going to be able to defend, too.
Since White became Florida’s head coach prior to the 2015-16 season, they have ranked in the top 25 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency every year. Prior to joining the Gators, White had Louisiana Tech ranked in the top 35 during two of his four seasons there. He has a proven track record of producing elite defensive teams, and this group has the potential to be his best yet.
It starts with the size they’ll have all over the court. Mann is 6-4 while Nembhard and Lewis are 6-5, giving all three the length to bother opposing guards and the capability to aggressively switch everything on the perimeter. Inside, Florida has five players that are 6-10 or taller, which will help deter opponents around the rim.
We’ve seen the increased importance of being great on this end of the court in recent years. Virginia and Texas Tech rode their defenses to the national championship game, while Michigan State used theirs to make a surprise Final Four run. The defense also powered Oregon’s Sweet 16 run and, well, you get the picture.
The old saying is that “defense travels” and Florida looks like they will be shutting down opponents no matter where they play this season.
5) Weaknesses of other contenders
So we’ve covered the fact that Florida is really good, but there are a handful of other really good teams out there. The difference is that the Gators don’t have one big glaring weakness like the rest of those considered contenders.
Michigan State, the presumptive preseason No. 1, has a significant lack of size and depth in the frontcourt. Kentucky’s frontcourt is filled with question marks and they’re not expected to be a good perimeter shooting team (again) (DISCLAIMER: this guy has bad intel apparently LOL -mal). Kansas lacks its usual top-end talent. Duke is replacing four starters from last year’s team and we still don’t know if they can shoot.
Other teams like Louisville and Maryland are good but may not have the top-end talent, while even more like Gonzaga, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas Tech, and Virginia are replacing virtually all of their starting lineups.
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