Wipe that frown off your face, Gator fan. Basketball is already in a huge matchup.
Tonight at 6pm, your No. 9 Florida Gators face No. 5 Ohio State in Gainesville. In a season in which Florida fans have a renewed sense of confidence in the team, it is appropriate to play a team that reminds us of our not-to-distant past.
The Buckeyes opened the season with a much more dominant performance that Florida, defeating North Carolina A&T 102-61. Both UF and OSU shot around 50 percent, but the Bucks were powered by two elite freshmen; Deshaun Thomas and Jared Sullinger. Dallas Lauderdale and Sullinger make for a dynamic front court, as Lauderdale is expected to become a bigger contributor. OSU will have a big size advantage in the back court, with three starting guards 6-foot-5 or taller. The guards, David Lighty, Jon Diebler and William Buford, have a chance to dominate Florida's smaller Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker. The Gators guards can limit their size disadvantage by outrunning the OSU guards, while protecting the ball.
Boynton and Walker need to start doing a better job this season of feeding Chandler Parsons and Vernon Macklin. Too many times last season, possessions would end without the two best forwards getting a touch. Against Lauderdale and Sullinger, Parsons and Macklin should get chances. Where Parsons and Macklin need to buckle down is on defense. For all of the credit Parsons got and deserved last season, his blocks were down and defensive rebounding remained about the same. We are being extremely picky here, but if Parsons wants to improve, it will be mostly on the defensive end.
Depending on when we get out of the office, we will be dropping sarcastic comments and genius commentary on @AlligatorArmy as well as here during the game. See you then.