Gators Make The NCAA Tournament, Face BYU Thursday In Oklahoma City

by mlmintampa on Mar 14, 2010 7:18 PM EDT in Florida Basketball

After two seasons of the NIT, the Florida Gators have broken their slump and earn the ten seed in the West bracket. The Gators (21-12) will face seven seed BYU Cougars (29-5) on Thursday in Oklahoma City.

It is clear that Florida got in by the strength of their out of conference schedule. In contrast, Virginia Tech and Mississippi State were left at home. Miss State was 0.1 away from winning the SEC and an automatic bid.

BYU was ranked 14 in the most recent AP poll and finished 13-3 in the Mountain West. They won 9 of their last 12 games. They are a very high scoring team, averaging 83ppg. The Cougars' leading scorer is guard Jimmer Fredette with 21.7ppg. Three others are in double figures. The Cougars can claim that they should have been seeded higher than seven, however, BYU had a strength of schedule of 116. Florida's was 33. With RPI often criticized for the weight it places on certain things, the Committee went to the concrete SOS number.

As for tournament history, BYU has made the NCAA the last three seasons, but was bounced in the first round each time. (Sounds like early 2000s Florida.) Florida might have snuck in (as I write this, Va Tech's Seth Greenberg is complaining about being at home with a 113 SOS), but this gift now needs to be taken advantage of. If Florida doesn't get their asses in gear now, nothing will help.

However, I am very excited to see what Chandler Parsons and Kenny Boynton do in NCAA play. Also, take a look at the heights of the Cougars. Their two big guys are not contributors, and their top four scorers are all under 6-foot-6. Florida is at their best playing smaller teams. As a Gator fan, you have to hope Vernon Macklin and Alex Tyus can nut up and play like true big men inside.

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Comments

YES! I told you guys we were gonna get in!

I am just happy to see us get in there, but my expectations are not very high though. Hopefully you guys arnt expecting too much out of this team. We are the 10 seed after all, so we are actually the underdogs. But I do like mlm theory about BYU being a smaller team, and we have played much better all season against smaller teams. So BYU might of gotten screwed because this team has the potential to play like a top 5 seed, depending on which day it is. I am hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.

CONGRATS GATORS!

"When you argue correctly, you're never wrong."-Nick Naylor

by Hook85 on Mar 14, 2010 7:41 PM EDT reply actions

i am surprised but happy to see the gators in.

its been a challenging season. good to see them hang in there and make it.
congrats gators!

by gatorchuck on Mar 14, 2010 8:58 PM EDT reply actions

ouch..

So Stewart Mandel is speculating that BYU can get to E8 or Final Four.
We have to be ready for the very real possibility that BYU is just too good for our young team.
And after BYU waits Kansas State..

I dont see us even getting though the first round unless we go on fire immediately and take them by surprise.
Can somebody convince me otherwise?

by tacktick on Mar 14, 2010 10:43 PM EDT reply actions

second thoughts

Looking at some video of BYU and it seems like their main weapon is the 3-point shot and they may be vulnerable inside. If we can defend the outside shot well and have a tennessee game-like shooting day and strong inside play then I can see us winning.

However there is going to have to be a 110% effort from everybody on our team.
I’m calling this a toss-up depending on which team shows up more ready to play.

by tacktick on Mar 14, 2010 11:38 PM EDT reply actions

We are a 10 seed for a reason. We are the under dogs.

The point is, we made it to the tourny! That is all that matters.

"When you argue correctly, you're never wrong."-Nick Naylor

by Hook85 on Mar 15, 2010 12:29 AM EDT up reply actions

Hell its something

2009 NY Phin PhansFantasy League Champion
2009 Best Regular Season Record in NYPPL.
2010 The Jim Mandich NewsFlash Award Winner.

by Patssuck456 on Mar 15, 2010 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions

I was wrong

I really didn’t think we were getting in, but am very pleasantly surprised. While I haven’t seen BYU play a single minute this season, MLM is absolutely right that the Gators play better against smaller teams because we are soft inside and get manhandled when opponents have solid big men.

We’ve all seen what happens to teams that depend on 3s in the tourney. If they are on, they can run an opponent out of the building. If they are not, they are like the early 2000s UF teams – one and done. Miss State game notwithstanding, haven’t we been pretty good at defending against the 3 this season?

I am also glad that we play early – our office always goes to lunch Thursday and Friday to watch the games and I think this is the first time we’ll get to see the Gators play.

by skigator93 on Mar 15, 2010 10:00 AM EDT reply actions