Some observations following Florida’s 73-69 loss at South Carolina on Saturday
– Simply put, Florida’s point guard play needs to get better for the Gators to make a late run and ensure an NCAA Tournament berth. Chris Chiozza and Kasey Hill combined to go 4 of 15 from the floor and 3 of 10 from 3-point range with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 9 to 8. Hill had a couple of turnovers early in the game that allowed South Carolina to gain momentum and race to a 17-point halftime lead.
– Give Florida credit for outrebounding physical South Carolina 42-39, but South Carolina still won the battle of second-chance points 15-11. The Gators need to take better advantage of offensive rebounds and convert on second-chance opportunities.
– One key factor to Florida’s 20-0 run to close the first half was the Gators attacked the basket more. But overall, Florida still settled for too many 3-point attempts against South Carolina’s zone. Plus, it’s not as if Florida is the second coming to the Golden State Warriors. The Gators entered the South Carolina game 13th in the SEC in 3-point shooting percentage (31.5 percent) and went 9 of 32 (28.1 percent) from beyond the arc against the Gamecocks. When close to half of your 65 shot attempts are from 3-point range, it speaks to a team that’s not trying hard enough to generate shot attempts closer to the basket.
