Making NCAA College Basketball Player of the Year predictions in the fall is always dangerous. So in a top 10 matchup featuring two of the top 10 odds players to win the award (Chazz Lanier at +1100 & Walter Clayton Jr. at +10000). Those two combined for 17 points on 6-26 (23%)shooting from the floor and 2-15 (13%) from three.
That aside, if you told Gator fans they would only manage 73 points on 40-30-77 shooting splits and having Athletic Director Scott Stricklin kick students out of the student section for some bizarre reason before his school hosted the top team in the nation, at least according to the AP Poll. Then those Gator fans would imagine they would have gotten embarrassed by a well-coached Volunteers team. But… they won by 30.
So what happened?
Tennessee scored 43 points… the whole game.
They got swallowed whole by the Swamp, shooting a season worst 21-14-60 in this game. There was a point in which they were shooting single digit percentage from three. At half time they had only managed 15 points. There was a lot of posturing on X about a top 10 matchup being featured on ESPN2 while ESPN took the Duke – Pittsburgh matchup headlined by Cooper Flagg, however, the Volunteers should consider themselves grateful that this slugfest was not placed on ESPN’s premier channel.
Prior to this game in Gainesville, Tennessee had been ranked as the number 1 team in the country, but this will most likely change as the week changes, with a red-hot Auburn Tigers team on their heels. Tennessee prior to this game, were undefeated at 14-0. Now sitting at 14-1 they still present as a premier team in the NCAA, but not the pristine record they had enjoyed prior.
As for Florida, this provided them with a staple win to add their building resume. The criticism of the Gators coming into this game off a loss in Rupp Arena to the Kentucky Wildcats in their first opportunity for a ranked win came up short. The main critique of Todd Golden’s squad was we had not seen them beat the top talent in the country… until last night. As the Rowdy Reptiles routed Rocky Top they gained a much coveted Quad-1 win and a statement win for the Gators.
Projecting Forward
For Tennessee, this win should slow the championship talk, but in the long run this team will be more than fine. Rick Barnes is a phenomenal coach who has produced tournament team after tournament team. While this win certainly should not sit well in Knoxville, they will have plenty of good wins (Baylor and Arkansas) come March. Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler form one of the best backcourts in the country and project to have a great season in a loaded SEC conference.
However, one of the only backcourts in the nation that might be better, happened to play on the other team in this SEC showdown. Will Richard, Alijah Martin and Walter Clayton Jr. form a three headed monster for the University of Florida. In a year where the SEC has so many good teams from a blue-blood in Kentucky to a true title contender in Auburn, Florida has a chance to hang with the best of them.
Basketball fans everywhere should rejoice as we enter the depths of the SEC slate where ranked matchups are plentiful. And the Florida Gators made their case last night as to why they should be considered among the best of them.
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Great read! Go Gators!