Gator Basketball ***Official Game Thread BBALL*** SEC Tourney - UF vs AU

[Born2beagator]

Hopefully the team is watching the selection show and subsequent bracketology show on ESPN. Not a single one picking us to go anywhere and most picking us to lose to Colorado in the first round. Unfortunately I expect they are busy worrying about their teammate. Plenty of time to let the disrespect set in all week.

I get their thinking. This team is inconsistent. But they seem to be ignoring that when they are on they can beat anyone.

 

[lagator]

I get their thinking. This team is inconsistent. But they seem to be ignoring that when they are on they can beat anyone.

There’s still the unknown about what is going on with Kugel. He makes a lot of boneheaded plays but is a big athletic defender who can get hot offensively. Now that we are down a man we really can’t afford to lose another member of the rotation. I’m hoping it was a discipline issue that is behind them and not that he’s not playing going forward. I think this might be a good time to get Szymcyk or whatever his name is off the shelf even if it’s only 5 minutes a game. I assume he’s been practicing so should have the conditioning to at least play limited minutes.

 

[MJMGator]

I like the physical play. This ain’t the NBA.

 

[Silverback Gator]

I like the physical play. This ain’t the NBA.

Except when it feels they get to hack, we do not. I’m not so disappointed because it seemed we weren’t sure midway if we would make the tourney, now we have a decent seed. So it’s going well. We just didn’t have it today. Shots didn’t land, the injury, the officiating. Hope the team can “rebound”.

 

[jdh5484]

I like the physical play. This ain’t the NBA.

or UF football.

 

[NVGator]

Hopefully the team is watching the selection show and subsequent bracketology show on ESPN. Not a single one picking us to go anywhere and most picking us to lose to Boise State in the first round. Unfortunately I expect they are busy worrying about their teammate. Plenty of time to let the disrespect set in all week.

FIFY

 

[TLB]

Why is it stupid to move the tournament up so you aren't playing a championship game at 1pm on selection sunday? Was actually asking a real question

Ah. Not sure why I didn't know that. Well I think that's dumb anyways. >_< all the major conferences should be prime time games. Jmho

The major conferences have all held their championships on Sunday forever, in part because they'd have all eyes on them to make a last minute 'hey look at our teams' for the selections being made Sunday afternoon. Smaller conferences held their championships on Saturday in hopes someone might see them since they aren't up against the majors.

As for having them all at prime time - again, they need to all wrap up before the selection starts, and we don't need the selections going on until the wee hours of the night. They all want eyeballs, so they stagger them a bit on Sunday rather than fight one another for attention.

=====

For those bitching how we played 4 games in 4 days compared to AU only playing 3, I have a few thoughts for you to pound into your head. First, don't lose stupid games like Vandy and we can earn a higher seed in the SEC tourney and get that extra day of rest - bottom line, it's earned over the course of the season. You want an extra day, you have to earn it. AU did, we didn't. This is a reward for the higher seeds - which all got blown out in their opening games. For a lower seed to go deep, they will have to grind, for days. Our league scheduled games up through Saturday, March 9th, with the expectation that the tournament would start Wednesday night. Note, day one winners (ARK & UGA) both lost their very next game. They had a chance to win the tournament, but it would have required 5 wins in 5 days. By the SEC tourney scheduling, top 4 seeds got an extra 2 days rest, seeds 5-10 (we were a 6) got 1 extra day of rest. The big picture is ALL teams got a break for Sunday-Tuesday, and only the lowest seeds had to start on Wednesday, everyone else got rewarded an extra day or two based on how they did over the regular season. I have no issue with this - it's what SEC, and most other major conferences, have done over the years.

Second, the SEC is currently at 14 teams. What do you think happens when we add TX and OU next year? Instead of 4 teams opening play on the first day, you'll have 8 staring at a 5 day grind to win it all. Likely the 9 & 10 seeds lose the bye they had this year. Life will get harder for the lower end of the conference standings. Suck it up and do better, or face the consequences.

Bottom line - ALL conferences wrap up their seasons by that Saturday before conference tourneys. They ALL cram their conference tourneys with back-to-back days leading to a final on Sat or Sunday, just in time for selections. Another reason the weaker ones get their champion on Saturday is they likely need that little bit of rest in case they are put in the play-in games for Tue-Wed. SEC and the majors run thru Sunday because most likely their final game has teams that will be playing on Thur-Fri and have those 3-4 days rest.

 

[TLB]

On this game, I'll be honest - I was out for most of the first half, and we had to leave with 10min left. My opinions are based on that brief second half viewing that concluded before we imploded.

As said on here, Handlogten hasn't been great ending out the season, but he has been one more big that can help the rotation. Losing him didn't mean losing a leader or heart&soul of the team but it does effect the mentality of the team. I'll give 'em credit for still fighting through and being in a 1pt game in the second half, despite playing the extra day and losing a big guy in rotation. Personally, in sports I'm a 'defense first' kinda guy, and with that I have no issue with how AU played - I wish all our teams played with that fierce intensity all game long. If the refs aren't calling it, bully the opponent as much as you can, smother them, body them, don't let them get any inch for free. They played with heart and fire, and weren't held back by tight whistles, so they kept that going. Our team, all season, has played fairly polite - we can bang for rebounds, but we don't get up on our man and make him miserable. I'm not even calling for a full court press (which UF sucks at attacking, and AU came out knowing that and energized to use it), but I'm saying the first half the season when we made every team look great at 3s is largely in part due to our weak marking during screens, unlike lately where we try to fight thru the screens. Our drive to the lanes are largely with Pullen or Clayton driving to the key and popping an 8' shot rather than driving hard to the layup and forcing the foul like other teams do to us. Yes, we make layups, often Kugel or Richard with nobody around as they make a back cut. But offensively and defensively we play polite. I don't want to call it soft, but we aren't playing hard defense, ever. Closest we get is staying a step behind the shooter as he rounds his screen, or backing up while their guy drives for a layup meaning our feet are moving and we get called for the block on an and-one. /tuffer defense soapbox

SEC Championship game didn't mean much for NCAA seeding. Losing Handlogten hurt us more than losing the game, though the blowout is hardly helping. I don't mind losing the game, I though we did fairly well for 3/4 of the match considering the factors. But I'll walk away believing the better team wanted it more and earned it. I'll take it as one more learning point for our guys, and our coach, in terms of playing through a grind of days, against a high energy team (that wasn't shooting a great % early on), of overcoming deficits (like earlier games) and injury (sucks, but is reality). I'm not embarrased in the slightest, they did better than many of us expected throughout the season, and this tournament was a blessing in terms of showing what we can do, what we can be, while giving our guys a bit more experience and preparation for the NCAA tourney.

For the NCAA, I don't have great/high expectations. Sweet 16 would be nice, and is possible, but isn't a given. It's up to the team to now go make some noise there.

 

[Jbossgator8]

Losing Micah is HUGE, he brings a TON of toughness and intangibles to the team. He is FEIRY and TOUGH. He doesn't back down and isn't afraid to mix it up down low and get blocks and rebounds. He isn't going to score a lot of points, that is not his game. Playing 4 TOUGH hard nosed games in 4 days is very tough. We ran out of gas in the last game there and losing Micah was VERY deflating for the team. I'm proud of these guys though and this team and coaching staff. We are light years better than we have been in the past 6 years or so. TG really building a winner here and he understands the new ways you have to recruit and work the portal to get players. I wasn't sure we would be a tourney team this year and DEFINITELY didn't expect to win 24 games this season. Hopefully we can win a game or 2 in the tourney but our bracket isn't the most favorable. Have to try and dig deep and survive and advance. Go Gators!!

 

[Double Gator Dad]

Wow, Didn't realize you could move on a screen and then hold the defender, and elbow him in the forehead too.
Cool.

Also, Auburn fans booing like **** because the refs DARE to call a mauling a Fn foul is revolting.

When will there EVER be a SEC title game in the state of Florida?

The SEC Tournament has been in Tampa before and the attendance was less than impressive.
Like it or not Nashville is THE best location for the SEC Tournament. Broadway has become the top entertainment spot in the south.

 

[Jbossgator8]

Riley Kugel pretty much DONE at UF. He hasn't played the last 2 games. Looks like he is back in the dog house with the coaches again. I noticed late in the UGA game when Samuel was going to the line during his DREADFUL free throw shooting game, the coaches were clapping their hands and encouraging him but Kugel kind of threw his hands up and was shaking his head and say nah uh and the coaches IMMEDIATELY got on him about that and he back tracked. I think stemming from that he has been benched for good and will transfer out. He has had a blah season and hasn't lived up to the hype. He has some growing up to do and will benefit from a change of scenery. Wish him good luck in the future if it fact he does transfer. I saw an article from I forget where that said he will probably be gone too so we will see.

 

[Double Gator Dad]

Because that would conflict with the other conference championship games. ACC and Big 10 and Pac 12 all have their championship games on Saturday.

SEC has always been Sunday midday--even back when the 04s were winning things.

Actually the Big Ten has followed the SEC (sensing a trend?) and now has their championship game on Sunday as well.
I remember when the SEC first moved it to Sunday the NCAA selection committee promised to punish the SEC for the late game finish under certain circumstances but that never materialized. Now there are about ten conference championship games played on Sunday.

The moral of the story is that the SEC can do whatever they want and the NCAA can eat it.

 

[Double Gator Dad]

I like the physical play. This ain’t the NBA.

The NBA has two sets of rules when calling fouls.
One for the stars and another for the average players.

Rarely can you watch (I can’t watch the NBA) a complete NBA game without hearing the announcer say “A rookie will never get that call.” That’s all you need to know about the NBA and officiating.