***Official Game Thread*** Florida vs Kentucky

[LeeForThree]

Florida is at home tomorrow night to take on its biggest opponent of the season, the Kentucky Wildcats. The game is at 8:15 PM EST on ESPN. College GameDay will also be in Gainesville for the game. The show starts at 11 AM EST. Let's make sure the fans are extra ROWDY for the show and the game!!!!!!!!!!

We must play with amazing energy from the start of the game until the end. They have size and speed and will try to score all of their points in transition. The main thing we have to do is limit Monk's points. They will try to go to him all game if we don't guard him. We have to get back, but also make great choices offensively and most importantly MAKE SHOTS! We need to get Allen and Egbunu the ball early and let them jumpstart the offesene like the last few games. This game will be decided all over the court. Any one aspect could change the outcome of the game. We have to play great defense, rebound with a passion, MAKE SHOTS, and make FTs.

This game is so important. We need to win this and make a statment to the rest of the country and the selection committee. We need to give the fans something to be crazy happy about and rattle the crap out of Kentucky.

Matchups

UK

PG: Fox
SG: Monk
SF: Briscoe
PF: Gabriel/Willis/Humphries
C: Bam

Bench: Gabriel/Willis/Humphries, Hawkins, Mulder, Wynyard (SP?)

Florida

PG: Hill
SG: Allen
SF: Robinson
PF: Leon
C: Egbunu

Bench: Chiozza, Barry, Stone (questionable), Hester, Hayes, Rimmer, Gak

Advantages imo

PG: Tie, they are better offensively, but we are better defensively
SG: Tie, this game will come down to who can get open shots and make them between Allen and Monk
SF: UK, if we get the good Robinson it will be a wash, but the way he has played who knows.
PF: Florida, if Leon, Stone (hopefully), and Robinson play up to potential this is a big position we can exploit imo
C: UK, we need Egbunu from last year to guard Bam or we will have to double him
Bench: Florida, again another spot that we can exploit them, with our size and scoring at the 3/4 off the bench

Overall.....Florida. I think we are athletic enough offensively to score if we play like the last 3 games. Move the ball, find the open man, and have FUN playing together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Defensively we are better in the halfcourt, but we have to play like it means everything...and GUARD Monk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Prediction:

Florida- 86
Kentucky- 72
POG: Robinson

 

[Captain Sasquatch]

I like your enthusiasm, and I like KeVaughn Allen, but Malik Monk is the best player in the country and it's not even close. That's not to say Allen won't have a good game, but Monk is on another level.

 

[LeeForThree]

I like your enthusiasm, and I like KeVaughn Allen, but Malik Monk is the best player in the country and it's not even close. That's not to say Allen won't have a good game, but Monk is on another level.

I was born and raised in Lexington....so I want this game almost as bad as the Duke game (my brother is a Duke fan)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MidwestChomp]

Monk is legit. But we're going to pull this out out.

 

[LeeForThree]

Pregame introductions

 

[GatorBart]

I like your enthusiasm, and I like KeVaughn Allen, but Malik Monk is the best player in the country and it's not even close. That's not to say Allen won't have a good game, but Monk is on another level.

I tihink the key matchup is Monk/Hill, offense vs. defense. Kasey's great on D and will need a great game to help stop Monk (he can't do it alone). This is almost an audition for Kasey - NBA teams know he can't shoot consistently, but he's got mad skills on D and is a super speedy ball handler (let's see if Monk can keep up with him). A good game vs. KY (and Monk) could open some doors for him. This game will be all about the D and getting points in the half court, two areas where we need Kasey to be at his best. He usually plays well in these type of games. Go Gators!

 

[aka]

http://www.aseaofblue.com/2017/2/3/14469016/kentucky-wildcats-basketball
Check this out. Trying to motivate them?

 

[Wuerffel4Pres]

I know Florida has been playing well as of late, but I honestly don't think we have a prayer in this game. Having said that, I would like nothing more than to eat my words. Prove me wrong, Florida. Go Gators.

 

[InstiGATOR1]

Well I don't know how this game will come out but UF has a big talent edge in this game.

Hill is certainly as athletic and fast as anyone so I see this as an even talent matchup, but which Hill will show up. Allen and Monk certainly are even and have played each other even in the past with Allen's team coming out on top:

http://www.arkansasfight.com/2014/3...-future-malik-monk-anton-beard-kevaughn-allen

Robinson UF has about a 5 inch height advantage at SF and nobody in this game is longer or more athletic than Robinson. Leon etal at PF is I see this one of the spots where UF has an edge. Leon has more range and is a heady player than any player UK has here. Egbunu and Adebayo are about the same height but Adebayo has the bulk and UK might have an edge here.

Where UF gets the big edge is on the bench. Hayes, Stone, Chiozza, Barry and Hester all can contribute and any really can lead UF in scoring. I really think this is a game that Barry might be able to give them fits.

I guess I see this game as:

UF 76
UK 70

POG: Barry with 21 points.

 

[NVGator]

I've opened a Sportsbook Event for this game. A few prop bets for fun.

http://gatorchatter.com/threads/florida-vs-kentucky.13623/

 

[KronoGator]

http://www.aseaofblue.com/2017/2/3/14469016/kentucky-wildcats-basketball
Check this out. Trying to motivate them?

Flu excuse ready if they lose.

 

[MertzJay26]

UK is the more talented team, let's not get that confused. We, however, are the more experienced/gritty team playing at home in the biggest game all year. The talent isn't THAT big of a dropoff, so I actually feel like we have a good chance to pull the upset.

You can't say we don't have a prayer after they've lost @Tenn and UGA took em to OT at Rupp.

Also, have a feeling itll be a Hill/Fox matchup that we see. All that said, I'm freaking pumped for this game!!

 

[Captain Sasquatch]

Kentucky has been playing like garbage the last couple weeks, so hopefully that trend continues. Gotta find a way to keep Monk in check.

 

[Gator Fever]

Not sure what to think of this game but I watched a lot of KY's game against Georgia and if Georgia didn't get outrebounded so bad they would have won at KY for sure and they did take it into OT. If we don't get beat on the boards and make most of our free throws I think we can win this game. Hill will be a key also as he has a history of getting smoked by KY's guards so if he has a good game we will have a real good shot to win.

 

[Bernardo de la Paz]

I like your enthusiasm, and I like KeVaughn Allen, but Malik Monk is the best player in the country and it's not even close. That's not to say Allen won't have a good game, but Monk is on another level.

Monk is better than Allen, but he sure as hell isn't the best player in the country.

 

[InstiGATOR1]

UK is the more talented team,

Quit just reading basketball writers who write only for UK fans as there are tons more of them. Do a little observing for yourself. UK's "talent" is 3 6'3" guards and a couple of bigs. UF has a good bit more talent in this game. That talent gap at both forward positions is huge. The talent gap off the bench is huge.

 

[78]

Kentucky has been playing like garbage the last couple weeks.

Exactly. We may have caught them at the right time.

 

[MertzJay26]

Quit just reading basketball writers who write only for UK fans as there are tons more of them. Do a little observing for yourself. UK's "talent" is 3 6'3" guards and a couple of bigs. UF has a good bit more talent in this game. That talent gap at both forward positions is huge. The talent gap off the bench is huge.

Monk and Fox are sure fire lottery picks, Bam (whatever his name is) and Gabriel are also likely 1st round picks. Then there is Briscoe who will get drafted as well.

I'm not sure we have anybody outside of Robinson who will get drafted. Allen should, and Hill could go late 2nd due to potential and his defense.

They are more talented, but it's not a wide gap IMO

 

[GatorBart]

I've opened a Sportsbook Event for this game. A few prop bets for fun.

http://gatorchatter.com/threads/florida-vs-kentucky.13623/

Surprised to actually see us favored.

 

[InstiGATOR1]

Monk and Fox are sure fire lottery picks, Bam (whatever his name is) and Gabriel are also likely 1st round picks. Then there is Briscoe who will get drafted as well.

I'm not sure we have anybody outside of Robinson who will get drafted. Allen should, and Hill could go late 2nd due to potential and his defense.

They are more talented, but it's not a wide gap IMO

I am not that concerned with where someone will be drafted which is a funciton of age, talent, polish and what a GM can sell his owner on not talent alone. That is athletic ability and length. UF is right there with UK this year. Also notice that criticism we all make of Allen to the NBA, he is short for an NBA guard applies to all other 6'2" or 6'3" college guards even the ones playing for UK.