**OFFICIAL GAME THREAD** UF @ UT

[The_AlphaGator1906]

Any thoughts or predictions for the game? We are down to six experienced players with the loss of MF2. What players do you think Billy D will use to fill the void? Should be an interesting game.

I think we are going to slow it down, play a lot of zone and not press very much. If we set the tone, play our game and make our freethrows, we should pull out a 7-10 point victory. With that said, this will be a tough test at UT because they always play us hard no matter what the records are. Go Gators!

[TN G8tr]

Agreed, tough road game and being short on players. At this point in the season I am just hoping for no further injuries. Billy do what ya gotta do to stay healthy.

[Wait ’til next year]

utoothless by 20...

[rogdochar]

Young his usual reliable rim-defense ... but Murphy needs to imitate
Young's determination and pride for it.

Prather needs his best game .... benchers need to step up .
Boynton, Rosario, Scottie all need to test the drive-ins and dishes first.
Need to increase our lay-ups and dunks to assert ourselves to quiet
that crowd-mouth stuff. GO GATORS >>>overcover the spread !

[rogdochar]

"9PM ESPN" !

[Jabberdave]

Had a chance to fly up to meet my bro-in-law and attend the game. I just couldn't work out the logistics to get to Orlando. Flying out of Gainesville to Knoxville is ridiculously expensive.

[MJMGator]

I think it will come down to our inside play. If Young gets in foul trouble, we're toast. Murphy just cannot play the 5 and Prather certainly cannot, either. Young needs to show up ready to rock tonight.
Go Gators!

[rogdochar]

So right "mjm", we've got to break that UT home-hex of beating a
better Gator team with a lesser Vol team.

Our typical jinx at this venue goes like :
1 - refs handcuff Patric with home-called fouls
2 - Boynton decides this is the time to shoot his way out of a slump.
3 - Gator passes 'lazycal' and UT guys hyper lunging = TOs
4 - 3s become our only belief.
5 - all occurs as we play without a clue .

But this time we outmaneuver their D, 'outmanure' their refs, and
draw fouls to hit 80% of our FTs. GROW GATORS !!

[Jabberdave]

So right "mjm", we've got to break that UT home-hex of beating a
better Gator team with a lesser Vol team.

Our typical jinx at this venue goes like :
1 - refs handcuff Patric with home-called fouls
2 - Boynton decides this is the time to shoot his way out of a slump.
3 - Gator passes 'lazycal' and UT guys hyper lunging = TOs
4 - 3s become our only belief.
5 - all occurs as we play without a clue .

But this time we outmaneuver their D, 'outmanure' their refs, and
draw fouls to hit 80% of our FTs. GROW GATORS !!

Why don't we get the home called fouls? I swear the officiating in the O'Dome has been horrid towards Florida this year.

[rogdochar]

In another tthread, I listed stats on team FGA vs FTA. What stood out
was the teams who got an inordinate favorable # of fouls called (FTA).
Those were Indiana, UK (& Louisville). See, those are teams where the
perennial prejudgment (prejudice) is "this is where kids really know
how to play basketball". I say that prejudice puts 70% of the calls on
autopilot their way-sway .

[WobbleGator]

UF by 1

[MatthewM.]

[rogdochar]

First time hearing "holy roller speaking-in-tongue" ebonics.
Drug hello or drug hi ?

[WhoGator]

Any thoughts or predictions for the game? We are down to six experienced players with the loss of MF2. What players do you think Billy D will use to fill the void? Should be an interesting game.

I think we are going to slow it down, play a lot of zone and not press very much. If we set the tone, play our game and make our freethrows, we should pull out a 7-10 point victory. With that said, this will be a tough test at UT because they always play us hard no matter what the records are. Go Gators!

Catch 22... If we slow it down, we are playing into the Teethless's strength with their bigs on offense, second chance points, etc. and on the other side, we now have almost no halfcourt offense. If we push it offensively and defensively, we create opportunities offensively and take advantage of their guards where we do have an advantage... however, fatigue becomes an issue.

I look for Billy to shock them by playing uptempo and using sub(s) and timeouts effectively. Fouls will be the determining factor that could do us in at any time.

[Gatormatic]

The key to this game will be staying out of foul trouble. UT's offense is horrible....we just need to get on a roll early and roll 'em

[rogdochar]

And remove Tyler Bray from stands... want no Gator hit by a bottle.

[Jbossgator9]

I honestly don't have a good feeling about this one. I know that UT's offense has struggled at times but the last time UT played a team that had just lost a player to injury, they DESTROYED UK 88-58 and had ZERO PROBLEMS on the offensive end of the floor playing AT HOME. We are playing AT UT, a place that has NOT been kind to us at all. UT NEEDS this game just like they REALLY needed the UK game so they can get in the NCAA Tourney. We are down to 6 players. UT likes to work the ball inside and their style of play has always been very rugged with a lot of pushing, shoving, slapping, and bodying up with players to make them uncomfortable on the court. When teams have pressed us we have had MAJOR problems adjusting - see Arizona, Kansas State, Ark, and MIzzou losses. We only have Prather and 3 freshman on the bench to turn to with those freshman exhibiting a "deer in headlights" look while out on the court in very limited minutes. We are going to have to play a perfect game pretty much to win this one on the road and Boynton has got to make some shots and get out of his slump. Pretty much everything is working against us with this game on the road. I hope our guys are not panicked and just jacking up shots to try and win it by themselves. Boynton and Rosario tend to jack up shots at times. Let's hope we can keep it close and pull out a HUGE road win. Go Gators!!

[Gatormatic]

But UK sucks.....we destroyed them when they were at full strength and we were not. You can't really compare this UF team to UK. No comparison.

[WobbleGator]

the last time UT played a team that had just lost a player to injury, they DESTROYED UK 88-58 and had ZERO PROBLEMS on the offensive end of the floor playing AT HOME.

So Tenn was able to have a great offense against a team that just lost the best shot blocker in the nation? Go figure.

When teams have pressed us we have had MAJOR problems adjusting - see Arizona, Kansas State, Ark, and MIzzou losses.

So why doesn't every team press us?

Boynton has got to make some shots and get out of his slump.

I thought Boynton was the best player on the court?

Boynton and Rosario tend to jack up shots at times.

You don't say.

[Jbossgator9]

But you can compare that UT sensed they could destroy a down and injured UK team AT Tenn. We are a down and injured team right now going on the road. I'm telling you, this game sets up perfectly for Tenn cause we have stunk AT Tenn over the years and our roster is depleted. Tenn NEEDS this game for their resume just like Mizzou NEEDED the game last week at their place and beat us.