Gator Basketball UF beats #4 Auburn in Basketball

[Thought Criminal]

Speaking only for myself, even if we win the East, the SEC and get to the sweet 16, Mike White is not a Great Coach.

Until he stops the annual loss FSU, 0-5 and counting, I'm not a White fan.

But in reference to somebody's observation a few weeks ago about squeaky shoes, might have been Fire Foley... seemed like the shoes might have been a little squeakier on offensive sets yesterday.

 

[Mornengswede]

It’s not how his teams play at their best that is the problem, it’s consistency and how they play on average. All the pumpers out in the streets after this game still have to grapple with that.

 

[Captain Sasquatch]

Great win, but it won’t matter a bit if we turn right around and get blown the f*ck out by Mississippi St. or Vandy.

 

[Woodstork]

Here’s my mini review of what this game tells regarding program status. Nothing new yet. Very important win, was fun to watch though. Crowd seemed into it. Rowdy Reptiles! However, Auburn was not the #4 team in the country, maybe top 20. Maybe. I predict 2nd round loser. Good win, but not necessarily transformative. Hopefully a good start.

Pearl is such the courtside clown. Despise that sweaty, cheating turd. Dresses like a used car salesman, acts like a diva. Fully expect to see him reverse palm his hips and wiggle his head across his shoulders at any moment. Want to punch him in the face every time the camera is on him. Turned it into a drinking game instead. Got pretty plastered because CBS loves him.

Payne was on the spot! White still has a lot to prove on offense. “Tip ins by Payne” is not an offense. It was simply a great and savy effort by a hard working player. Doesn’t happen against any team that understands boxing out. Hope he sustains the effort though because absent a real offense this team needs great individual efforts like that to break 70. Or almost break 70. The dude went 9 for 9. Almost all were tip ins, with one really nice feed off dribble penetration from Nembard from what I remember.

White = Muschamp until further notice. Plodding one-dimensional brand-killing offense is the main issue for me. Propensity to lose to horrible teams with much less talent. Only defense matters.* Both have emotional sideline imbalance syndrome (ESIS), but at opposite ends of the spectrum.

*His ability to coach D and get player buy-in on that is a big plus here, but it cannot be the only aspect of team attitude. They need an equally aggressive and active system on both ends of the floor. Team depth is no longer an issue or excuse to concentrate energy only on the backside.

I hope I’m dead wrong about White, and he has a good ongoing development plan to build the offensive capacity of this talented young team for a tournament run. Sometimes the pumper in me thinks this. Perhaps the root system is steadily growing unseen, and we will see the offense suddenly gel and sprout and grow like hell once the below ground foundation is established. Dunno, not at practice. Not holding my breath.

 

[Double Gator Dad]

Speaking only for myself, even if we win the East, the SEC and get to the sweet 16, Mike White is not a Great Coach and UF should have a Great Coach!

But: If we win the NC this year, I may have a change of heart.

This team will NEVER win the East

Because there isn’t one. No divisions in basketball

 

[rogdochar]

Realistic thinking, well covered by Woodstork. Don'tcha think an appropriately hard-driving coach would have these high-school All Americans playing much better to-the-man than our "Unenergizer Dummie" has? Make these guys "rude-into-the-rim" all the time, every game. On defense, with more active guarding hand-flicks a few more passes could be deflected, some for TOs. Our passers are getting no help from potential receivers ... I mean all potential pass-targets act like "he probly won't throw it to me". Except for Auburn, White has led them like "points in the paint" are less doable than 3pers?-- that's a loser's proposition.

Poor Payne, what a performance to try to live up to. Hope he does not become foul-prone trying to do too much. An uptick in Johnson and Nembhard should spare Payne burden. Did you notice the jubilation of the bench at each Payneful tip? at each Locked three? Remember, at any given moment there is a starter on that bench getting pumped to go back in. Go Gators, Go!

 

[maheo30]

It’s not how his teams play at their best that is the problem, it’s consistency and how they play on average. All the pumpers out in the streets after this game still have to grapple with that.

 

[ChiefGator]

We played well, of course Auburn shot poorly and why that was is something I don't know. What I do know is that our offense responded when challenged, our point guard at times drove the ball for scores, and one player did a lot not really expected of him. Do more of that and way less standing around to wait for a three point shot and this team will be something special.

 

[Frozen Gator]

We played well, of course Auburn shot poorly and why that was is something I don't know. What I do know is that our offense responded when challenged, our point guard at times drove the ball for scores, and one player did a lot not really expected of him. Do more of that and way less standing around to wait for a three point shot and this team will be something special.

I thought movement and aggression was much better especially by the point guard(s). Of course Auburn kind of forces one to play that way. It will be interesting to see if we continue that emphasis against different teams. Huge statement making game coming up Tuesday night.

 

[Jbossgator8]

White said in his pre game and post game comments that he really challenged our guys to defend at a high level cause AU is a team that can really get going shooting the basketball. I really credit our players and the coaching for being able to limit AU to a poor shooting night. We were much more physical with them which they don't like and we were the much better team all around on that day for the blowout victory for the Gators.