Some observations following UF’s 64-49 loss to Kentucky:
– The Gators started the game with excellent ball movement and dribble penetration, breaking down Kentucky’s defense with dump down passes. But as the game wore on, Florida could not sustain its stellar ball movement against Kentucky’s length and strength inside. The Gators finished the game with 12 assists to 12 turnovers, not good enough to pull off an upset against the No. 1 team in the country. Point guard Kasey Hill and shooting guard Michael Frazier II combined for 7 of UF’s 12 turnovers. Kentucky scored 15 points off UF’s 12 turnovers.
– Florida’s inability to generate any offense on the fast break again proved costly. The Gators finished with just 4 four fast break points, compared to 7 for Kentucky. A key point in the game came was junior forward Dorian Finney-Smith was unable to finish on an out-of-control drive on the break and got tangled up with teammate Chris Walker as he fell to the floor. With Kentucky at a 5-on-3 advantage, guard Aaron Harrison hit a 3-pointer to put Kentucky up 42-31, capping a 9-0 early second-half run.
– Florida didn’t get enough from its bench against Kentucky. After outscoring Alabama 22-0 off the bench, the Gators were held to just 11 points against the Wildcats. Freshman forward Devin Robinson once again struggled matching the physicality of Kentucky’s frontline, finishing with 3 points and 2 rebounds with 19 minutes. Alex Murphy only had 2 points in 10 minutes and passed on an opportunity to fire up a wide-open 3-point attempt in the second half. The Gators will need both Robinson and Murphy to continue to grow and develop during the offseason.
