Tweet
Florida at Florida State
December 10, 2016
All is not well in Gator Nation. The Florida football team repeated as SEC East champion with an epic win at LSU, but the Gators have taken double-digit pimpslaps at FSU and vs. Alabama in the last two weeks.
Although it won’t eliminate the pain of those defeats, perhaps UF fans can take some solace and sleep a touch better if the Gators can go into Tallahassee and beat the Seminoles in college hoops Sunday afternoon.
One offshore book opened FSU (9-1 straight up, 6-2 against the spread) as a 2.5-point home favorite.
Leonard Hamilton’s team is unbeaten in seven home games with a 4-1 spread record. The ‘Noles are off a 118-63 win over Nicholls St. as a 26-point home favorite. P.J. Savory led the way with a team-best 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting from 3-point range, while Xavier Rathan-Mayes produced 16 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals in only 22 minutes of playing time. Dwayne Bacon added 16 points, five boards and four assists without a turnover.
FSU is ranked eighth in the nation in scoring, averaging 90.3 points per game. The ‘Noles are fourth in the country in field-goal percentage (52.4%). They defend well also, ranking 13th in defensive field-goal percentage (36.2%) and 25th at defending the 3-point line (28.0%).
Jonathan Isaac, a 6’10” freshman forward who was a five-star recruit, has missed three straight games with a hip injury. Isaac, who averaged 15.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocked shots, 1.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game in the team’s first seven contests, is listed as ‘questionable’ against UF. Also, junior forward Phil Cofer (4.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG) is ‘questionable’ due to a foot injury that’s forced him to miss the last two games.
Bacon is averaging a team-best 16.6 PPG. He’s making 50.4 percent of his shots from the field and 40.9 percent from 3-point range. Savoy is averaging 12.8 PPG despite playing an average of only 12 minutes per contest. He is knocking down 51.7 percent of his launches from downtown.
Rathan-Mayes (9.8 PPG) can be an explosive scorer but is distributing more this season with a 50/20 assists-to-turnovers ratio. Trent Forrest, a true freshman out of Chipley High School, the same program that produced half-brothers Amp Lee and Tony Davis, is averaging 7.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and has a 26/11 assists-to-turnovers ratio.
FSU has been a single-digit favorite three times, compiling a 1-2 spread record. The Seminoles’ only defeat was an 89-86 setback vs. Temple at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. They own quality wins over the likes of George Washington, Minnesota and Illinois.
Florida (7-2 SU, 4-3 ATS) is off an 84-74 loss to Duke as a seven-point underdog Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Mike White’s second team at UF played well for the most part, but it gave up too many offensive rebounds that often resulted in wild scrambles, an extra Duke pass an open jumper for Luke Kennard, who hit 5-of-7 from 3-point land in a 29-point effort.
KeVaughn Allen wouldn’t let UF go away, though, scoring a team-best 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field, including three buckets on five attempts from long distance. Kasey Hill contributed 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Devin Robinson was also in double figures with 11 points. John Egbunu finished with nine points, 10 boards and a pair of blocked shots, but he was an abysmal 2-of-9 from the field.
UF still hasn’t played at home this year with the O-Dome’s $65 million renovation still in progress. The Gators are expected to play their first home game on Dec. 21 against Arkansas-Little Rock. They’ve played just one true road game, coasting to a 91-60 victory at North Florida in a non-lined affair.
This situation has led UF to play all across the Sunshine State to date, including games in Kissimmee, Lakeland, Orlando and Jacksonville. The Gators’ only other loss besides Duke came against Gonzaga (81-76). They have posted quality victories over Saint Bonaventure, Seton Hall and Miami, in addition to decent wins over mid-majors like Belmont, Mercer and Florida Gulf Coast.
Florida is 0-2 both SU and ATS in a pair of underdog spots.
Florida has plenty of size, depth and speed. The biggest improvement from this squad has been at the free-throw line. Atrocious shooting at the charity stripe has been the difference between the NIT and the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back campaigns. However, the Gators are making 75.1 percent from the line this year, which ranks 47th in the country.
Allen leads UF in scoring (13.3 PPG) and steals (1.6 SPG). Egbunu (9.1 PPG) averages team-highs in rebounds (7.8 RPG) and blocked shots (2.3 BPG). Robinson is scoring at a 11.7 PPG clip and is pulling down 5.4 RPG. Canyon Barry (11.4 PPG), a grad transfer from College of Charleston who is the youngest son of NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry, brings plenty of scoring punch off the bench for the Gators’ second unit.
Hill, the team’s starting senior point guard who was once a five-star recruit, is averaging 8.2 points, 4.1 assists, 2.89 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. His back-up, junior Chris Chiozza (6.2 PPG, 27/12 assists-to-turnovers ratio) out of Memphis, is listed as ‘questionable’ with a thigh contusion. Where I come from, we call that injury a ‘Charley Horse’ and I took many of those way back when the same way Chiozza did against Duke. As a big man came and set a pick on Chiozza, the knee went right into the 5’8” PG’s thigh as he was sliding his feet defensively.
The ‘over’ is 5-3 overall for FSU, 4-1 in its home outings. Meanwhile, UF has seen the ‘under’ go 4-3 overall.
When these schools met in Gainesville last year, FSU won a 73-71 decision as a 4.5-point road underdog. Bacon’s team-best 24 points paced the winners, while Allen had a game-high 32 points. The Seminoles have won back-to-back meetings and have covered in three straight.
Tip-off in Tally will take place at 4:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.
**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
-- The ‘under’ is 7-3 in the last 10 head-to-head meetings between UF and FSU.
-- Going back to last season, the ‘over’ is 7-1 in UF’s last eight road contests.
-- FSU’s Isaac has scored in double figures in all seven games he’s played. He has a pair of double-doubles to his credit, including a 14-13 effort in a 75-67 win over Minnesota.
-- Villanova remained undefeated Saturday afternoon in Newark, N.J., by rallying to clip previously-unbeaten Notre Dame by a 74-66 count. The Wildcats were led by Josh Hart, who finished with 37 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and four assists compared to merely one turnover. They took the cash as five-point favorites after trailing for the first 30-plus minutes of the game. The Irish were led by Matt Farrell and Steve Vasturia, who scored 18 points apiece.
-- Sunday is big for the SEC. The league sure could use a UF victory at FSU and an Alabama win at Oregon. Those would be two huge non-conference wins that would help the entire conference immensely.
- -One offshore had the Ducks installed as 11.5-point home ‘chalk’ versus the Crimson Tide. This game will tip at 6:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPNU.
December 10, 2016
All is not well in Gator Nation. The Florida football team repeated as SEC East champion with an epic win at LSU, but the Gators have taken double-digit pimpslaps at FSU and vs. Alabama in the last two weeks.
Although it won’t eliminate the pain of those defeats, perhaps UF fans can take some solace and sleep a touch better if the Gators can go into Tallahassee and beat the Seminoles in college hoops Sunday afternoon.
One offshore book opened FSU (9-1 straight up, 6-2 against the spread) as a 2.5-point home favorite.
Leonard Hamilton’s team is unbeaten in seven home games with a 4-1 spread record. The ‘Noles are off a 118-63 win over Nicholls St. as a 26-point home favorite. P.J. Savory led the way with a team-best 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting from 3-point range, while Xavier Rathan-Mayes produced 16 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals in only 22 minutes of playing time. Dwayne Bacon added 16 points, five boards and four assists without a turnover.
FSU is ranked eighth in the nation in scoring, averaging 90.3 points per game. The ‘Noles are fourth in the country in field-goal percentage (52.4%). They defend well also, ranking 13th in defensive field-goal percentage (36.2%) and 25th at defending the 3-point line (28.0%).
Jonathan Isaac, a 6’10” freshman forward who was a five-star recruit, has missed three straight games with a hip injury. Isaac, who averaged 15.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocked shots, 1.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game in the team’s first seven contests, is listed as ‘questionable’ against UF. Also, junior forward Phil Cofer (4.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG) is ‘questionable’ due to a foot injury that’s forced him to miss the last two games.
Bacon is averaging a team-best 16.6 PPG. He’s making 50.4 percent of his shots from the field and 40.9 percent from 3-point range. Savoy is averaging 12.8 PPG despite playing an average of only 12 minutes per contest. He is knocking down 51.7 percent of his launches from downtown.
Rathan-Mayes (9.8 PPG) can be an explosive scorer but is distributing more this season with a 50/20 assists-to-turnovers ratio. Trent Forrest, a true freshman out of Chipley High School, the same program that produced half-brothers Amp Lee and Tony Davis, is averaging 7.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and has a 26/11 assists-to-turnovers ratio.
FSU has been a single-digit favorite three times, compiling a 1-2 spread record. The Seminoles’ only defeat was an 89-86 setback vs. Temple at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. They own quality wins over the likes of George Washington, Minnesota and Illinois.
Florida (7-2 SU, 4-3 ATS) is off an 84-74 loss to Duke as a seven-point underdog Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Mike White’s second team at UF played well for the most part, but it gave up too many offensive rebounds that often resulted in wild scrambles, an extra Duke pass an open jumper for Luke Kennard, who hit 5-of-7 from 3-point land in a 29-point effort.
KeVaughn Allen wouldn’t let UF go away, though, scoring a team-best 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field, including three buckets on five attempts from long distance. Kasey Hill contributed 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Devin Robinson was also in double figures with 11 points. John Egbunu finished with nine points, 10 boards and a pair of blocked shots, but he was an abysmal 2-of-9 from the field.
UF still hasn’t played at home this year with the O-Dome’s $65 million renovation still in progress. The Gators are expected to play their first home game on Dec. 21 against Arkansas-Little Rock. They’ve played just one true road game, coasting to a 91-60 victory at North Florida in a non-lined affair.
This situation has led UF to play all across the Sunshine State to date, including games in Kissimmee, Lakeland, Orlando and Jacksonville. The Gators’ only other loss besides Duke came against Gonzaga (81-76). They have posted quality victories over Saint Bonaventure, Seton Hall and Miami, in addition to decent wins over mid-majors like Belmont, Mercer and Florida Gulf Coast.
Florida is 0-2 both SU and ATS in a pair of underdog spots.
Florida has plenty of size, depth and speed. The biggest improvement from this squad has been at the free-throw line. Atrocious shooting at the charity stripe has been the difference between the NIT and the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back campaigns. However, the Gators are making 75.1 percent from the line this year, which ranks 47th in the country.
Allen leads UF in scoring (13.3 PPG) and steals (1.6 SPG). Egbunu (9.1 PPG) averages team-highs in rebounds (7.8 RPG) and blocked shots (2.3 BPG). Robinson is scoring at a 11.7 PPG clip and is pulling down 5.4 RPG. Canyon Barry (11.4 PPG), a grad transfer from College of Charleston who is the youngest son of NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry, brings plenty of scoring punch off the bench for the Gators’ second unit.
Hill, the team’s starting senior point guard who was once a five-star recruit, is averaging 8.2 points, 4.1 assists, 2.89 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. His back-up, junior Chris Chiozza (6.2 PPG, 27/12 assists-to-turnovers ratio) out of Memphis, is listed as ‘questionable’ with a thigh contusion. Where I come from, we call that injury a ‘Charley Horse’ and I took many of those way back when the same way Chiozza did against Duke. As a big man came and set a pick on Chiozza, the knee went right into the 5’8” PG’s thigh as he was sliding his feet defensively.
The ‘over’ is 5-3 overall for FSU, 4-1 in its home outings. Meanwhile, UF has seen the ‘under’ go 4-3 overall.
When these schools met in Gainesville last year, FSU won a 73-71 decision as a 4.5-point road underdog. Bacon’s team-best 24 points paced the winners, while Allen had a game-high 32 points. The Seminoles have won back-to-back meetings and have covered in three straight.
Tip-off in Tally will take place at 4:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.
**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
-- The ‘under’ is 7-3 in the last 10 head-to-head meetings between UF and FSU.
-- Going back to last season, the ‘over’ is 7-1 in UF’s last eight road contests.
-- FSU’s Isaac has scored in double figures in all seven games he’s played. He has a pair of double-doubles to his credit, including a 14-13 effort in a 75-67 win over Minnesota.
-- Villanova remained undefeated Saturday afternoon in Newark, N.J., by rallying to clip previously-unbeaten Notre Dame by a 74-66 count. The Wildcats were led by Josh Hart, who finished with 37 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and four assists compared to merely one turnover. They took the cash as five-point favorites after trailing for the first 30-plus minutes of the game. The Irish were led by Matt Farrell and Steve Vasturia, who scored 18 points apiece.
-- Sunday is big for the SEC. The league sure could use a UF victory at FSU and an Alabama win at Oregon. Those would be two huge non-conference wins that would help the entire conference immensely.
- -One offshore had the Ducks installed as 11.5-point home ‘chalk’ versus the Crimson Tide. This game will tip at 6:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPNU.
Comment