Michigan got past fifteen-seed Montana, and now they get the ten-seed Florida Gators in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Gators got by an ice-cold Nevada team, who had a trademark late run in them, and did well on the defensive end, something many teams this season have not done. Now, these two teams face off in a rematch of the 2013 Elite Eight. Please note: All average totals are up to date by the end of the conference tournament season.
Florida -- An Overview:
Florida comes into this showdown with a 20-15 record, having gone 9-9 in the SEC and losing in the conference tournament semi-finals to eventual winner Auburn. Their best two wins were both victories away from home against LSU, a road win and a neutral site win, needing overtime in both games. Their other two Quadrant-I wins according to BartTorvik are a pair of road victories over Alabama and Arkansas, two solid sides but both could only make the NIT this season. They lacked a premier win, but a six-game regular season win streak along with neutral site SEC Tournament wins over LSU and Arkansas gave them the security they needed to look ahead to the Big Dance. They also have a baffling loss at home to Georgia -- which was one of just two victories for the Bulldogs in the conference -- but it is all about what have you done for me lately? And lately, they secured their first step towards an NCAA Tournament run with a win over Nevada thanks to a big night from Kevarrius Harris. Florida held on to get by with a score of 70-61.
Starting Five:
Florida comes at times with a well-balanced attack of scoring. The lone double-digit scorer is KeVaughn Allen. The 6'2" senior guard is currently averaging twelve points a game with a career three point percentage of 33.7%. He has shot 32.8% each of the past two seasons with, incredibly, almost the same amount of shots (59-for-180). He is an elite free throw shooter with a career percentage of 88%. The four-year starter has only come off the bench in nine games and has averaged double-digit point averages in each of his four seasons. Of the top four guards on the team, he has the lowest ORTG with a 103.0, but that is still quite solid. He was a preseason All-SEC pick before his junior season, but he has not hit the heights of his sophomore season that consisted of fourteen points per game on a 43.8% field goal percentage (37% from three). A former All-Region player in the NCAA Tournament, he knows how to shine on the big stage. However, three-for-seven with one-for-five shooting from deep may need to be better against Jordan Poole for Florida.
Leading the way for the Gators in points against Nevada was big man Kevarrius Hayes. The senior center has progressively played a bigger part from season-to-season for the Gators. The 6'9" big man is averaging 8.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He led the way with sixteen points on five-for-six shooting, though he was held to just three rebounds. His two point percentage of 67.1% is stellar and he poses an interior threat for Jon Teske to think about. He is also the first Gator in program history to have three straight seasons of at least sixty blocks. He is a high-energy presence down low who has also caught fire, shooting 73.7% with 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game over his last ten. Hayes has not, however, taken a three in his entire collegiate career, though he is a solid free throw shooter with a 66% mark with the line this year. He is the team leader in PORPAGATU! with 3.3 and an ORTG of 120.0. Living in the low post, Teske will need to be strong and force tough finishes out of Hayes in the paint.
SEC All-Freshman honoree Andrew Nembhardt is the starting point guard for this Florida team. A fellow Canadian from Ontario like Ignas Brazdeikis, Nembhardt is a strong passer whose greater advantage over Zavier Simpson will likely be his size. The freshman stands 6'5" and this allows him to disturb the rock with an added sense of vision. He is averaging 8.1 points to go with 5.3 assists, a team-high, and only two turnovers per game. He is also shooting 34.3% from three on just under one hundred attempts. As the 25th ranked prospect of the 2019 class, expectations were at an elevated level for the point man to perform. He was, in fact, Mike White's first five-star recruit at Florida. Perhaps the averages per game may not be what Florida fans wished for, but the fact remains that Nembhardt is a strong passer that is surely more than just a one-and-done for Florida. He has room to develop within his game (a more consistent three would do wonders) and is a big point guard, which is becoming more and more popular in the modern game. As a full season starter and key minute-provider, he also played 38 while shooting four-for-six with eight points, seven rebounds, and five assists. He is a triple-double threat in that while he may not get a 10-10-10, he has the skills to get near it with any/all three of those stats. As he continues to develop, he will quickly become one of the better point guards in the country. If Zavier Simpson can slow him will need to be seen.
The next starter is another senior, Jalen Hudson. Listed as a guard, but more of a wing at 6'6", the junior has spent three years in the Florida Gators program. Hudson, who has started each of the last five games, transferred from Virginia Tech having also played two seasons with the Hokies. Hudson had a big year last season, averaging 15.5 points on 45.5% shooting (40.4% from three). He's long and athletic, which allows him to really get to the rim and score, while also having a nice stroke. He tested the NBA Draft waters last season, but returned to Florida for his final year of eligibility. Hudson has, however, seen a drop in his stat line. He is shooting just 35.8% from the field while going only 27.1% from three, in fewer attempts as well. Much of this is given the newer additions to the starting line-up, but for someone who White hoped would be one of the top players in the SEC, this production has to be a bit disappointing. He went five-for-thirteen from the field in the first round game, but his three threes anchored the team's performance from behind the arc as the rest of his side made just two, total. Charles Matthews will need to follow him around the court and respect him from three. If he does so, he should be able to neutralize his strengths as a wing.
Rounding out the starting five is a man who has started in each game of the second half of the season, Keyontae Johnson. Johnson is another freshman, and was a top-seventy prospect coming into the season. Standing at just 6'5", Johnson is listed as a forward while steadily playing a key role despite the lack of size for the position. His rebounding average of 6.2 is highest on the team, though, and highlights his ability to play the position despite the height. Over the last eleven games, since, and including, a win over Vanderbilt, Johnson has averaged 10.8 points (up from his average of 8.1) while snagging 7.5 rebounds, and shooting 51.8% from the field. He has been near-38% from three this year and that in itself is a promising sign. A potentially outstanding defender at the collegiate level, he is athletic and strong. The fact that he is showing off a scoring touch means only big things to come. He took the most shots for Florida, but struggled as despite the double-double of ten points and ten rebounds, it also included a three-for-fourteen night from the field. The freshman is getting important shots up, though, and trusting in his own ability.
Bench Rundown:
Noah Locke has started 26 games this season, but currently, the freshman is the key sixth man off the bench for Mike White's Gators. The freshman is a 6'3" guard that was yet another Top-100 prospect in the most recent incoming class for White (Locke was 77th). Locke has started most of the season's games, but started the season off the bench, and has returned to finish it coming off the bench. A former Michigan recruit himself, Locke's specialty is shooting the three. He has well over 50% more attempts from three than two, and is shooting 38.3% from three on six attempts per game. He has a bright green light in the offense as the freshman has as many nights of eight-or-more attempts from three (nine) than of outings of three of fewer (eight). He averages 9.6 points per game and has really come into his own as a shooter. Since his last game of nine attempts, he has shot just 26.7% from three in trimmed postseason minutes while averaging just five points per game. Perhaps confidence in his shot helps him produce mentally, but the hope is that off the bench he can serve as a guy to come in and get up some shots quickly and get hot.
If in need of size, Dontay Bassett is the forward that comes off the bench. Able to spell Kevarrius Hayes, Bassett is a 6'9" redshirt sophomore who sat his first year with the program out due to a foot injury. Bassett played eleven minutes against Nevada and made them count, going two-for-three with four points and three rebounds. His seasonal averages are right around that mark, 11.5 minutes, 2.7 points, and 2.2 rebounds per game. Bassett has made one start, the away game to Auburn playing eight minutes in a loss, but he is a key off the bench as the primary big to offer size. His breakout happened in November of this season as he scored fourteen points on six-for-eight shootout against Oklahoma. Still learning not to foul (Bassett has ten games plus the tournament outing of at least three fouls) the big man is shooting 51% from two and doing well to learn while playing.
Despite logging a DNP in the contest against Nevada, Mike Okauru had played in the 34 games prior to that. Okaruru is a 6'3" guard and the second sophomore in the rotation, albeit, a 'true' sophomore. After seeing 11.1 minutes per game last season, his total has dropped to just 6.8 minutes. He averages 1.4 points per game and has made just two field goals twice this season (vs. Stanford, at Kentucky). He can play point or shooting guard, and serves as a solid scorer and defensive specialist. Off the bench, he was Florida's most dependable freshman last season, while also offering some added guard depth for the Gators this season.
Rounding out rotation players in the most recent Gators' games, Isaiah Stokes saw a three-minute appearance in the NCAA Tournament game. Stokes is a 6'8", 270-pounder, that is a redshirt freshman after tearing an ACL in high school and needing to rehab it from then. Stokes has appeared in 25 games, averaging 2.7 points and a rebound per appearance. He has shot 48.2% from two, and is zero-for-four from three. He could spell a forward if need-be.
Final Thoughts:
The key for Michigan would have to figure to be continuing to exploit advantages in the opposing teams' size. Montana lacked any player over 6'7" to guard Jon Teske. Michigan countered with Isaiah Livers. This upcoming game, despite the physical prowess of Florida's center, Teske is still able to tower over him. For Florida, they will need good guard play and solid outside shooting to force a threat from the perimeter. On defense, the Gators can switch often thanks to size at point guard and general length of the rotation as a whole. Michigan struggles with teams that can switch everything, and Florida will likely hope to cause mistakes out of Michigan with that. Nevada offers length issues for many teams, and issues for opposing defenses of most opposition. Nevada, instead, could only muster 61 points on a 34.5% shooting night from the field. This is a ten-seed in Florida that plays at a much higher level and can shock Michigan. They will need to avoid the shock by guarding the perimeter, being careful to stop any sort of penetrating drive to free space on the outside, and winning the battle down low.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
Florida -- An Overview:
Florida comes into this showdown with a 20-15 record, having gone 9-9 in the SEC and losing in the conference tournament semi-finals to eventual winner Auburn. Their best two wins were both victories away from home against LSU, a road win and a neutral site win, needing overtime in both games. Their other two Quadrant-I wins according to BartTorvik are a pair of road victories over Alabama and Arkansas, two solid sides but both could only make the NIT this season. They lacked a premier win, but a six-game regular season win streak along with neutral site SEC Tournament wins over LSU and Arkansas gave them the security they needed to look ahead to the Big Dance. They also have a baffling loss at home to Georgia -- which was one of just two victories for the Bulldogs in the conference -- but it is all about what have you done for me lately? And lately, they secured their first step towards an NCAA Tournament run with a win over Nevada thanks to a big night from Kevarrius Harris. Florida held on to get by with a score of 70-61.
Starting Five:
Florida comes at times with a well-balanced attack of scoring. The lone double-digit scorer is KeVaughn Allen. The 6'2" senior guard is currently averaging twelve points a game with a career three point percentage of 33.7%. He has shot 32.8% each of the past two seasons with, incredibly, almost the same amount of shots (59-for-180). He is an elite free throw shooter with a career percentage of 88%. The four-year starter has only come off the bench in nine games and has averaged double-digit point averages in each of his four seasons. Of the top four guards on the team, he has the lowest ORTG with a 103.0, but that is still quite solid. He was a preseason All-SEC pick before his junior season, but he has not hit the heights of his sophomore season that consisted of fourteen points per game on a 43.8% field goal percentage (37% from three). A former All-Region player in the NCAA Tournament, he knows how to shine on the big stage. However, three-for-seven with one-for-five shooting from deep may need to be better against Jordan Poole for Florida.
Leading the way for the Gators in points against Nevada was big man Kevarrius Hayes. The senior center has progressively played a bigger part from season-to-season for the Gators. The 6'9" big man is averaging 8.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He led the way with sixteen points on five-for-six shooting, though he was held to just three rebounds. His two point percentage of 67.1% is stellar and he poses an interior threat for Jon Teske to think about. He is also the first Gator in program history to have three straight seasons of at least sixty blocks. He is a high-energy presence down low who has also caught fire, shooting 73.7% with 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game over his last ten. Hayes has not, however, taken a three in his entire collegiate career, though he is a solid free throw shooter with a 66% mark with the line this year. He is the team leader in PORPAGATU! with 3.3 and an ORTG of 120.0. Living in the low post, Teske will need to be strong and force tough finishes out of Hayes in the paint.
SEC All-Freshman honoree Andrew Nembhardt is the starting point guard for this Florida team. A fellow Canadian from Ontario like Ignas Brazdeikis, Nembhardt is a strong passer whose greater advantage over Zavier Simpson will likely be his size. The freshman stands 6'5" and this allows him to disturb the rock with an added sense of vision. He is averaging 8.1 points to go with 5.3 assists, a team-high, and only two turnovers per game. He is also shooting 34.3% from three on just under one hundred attempts. As the 25th ranked prospect of the 2019 class, expectations were at an elevated level for the point man to perform. He was, in fact, Mike White's first five-star recruit at Florida. Perhaps the averages per game may not be what Florida fans wished for, but the fact remains that Nembhardt is a strong passer that is surely more than just a one-and-done for Florida. He has room to develop within his game (a more consistent three would do wonders) and is a big point guard, which is becoming more and more popular in the modern game. As a full season starter and key minute-provider, he also played 38 while shooting four-for-six with eight points, seven rebounds, and five assists. He is a triple-double threat in that while he may not get a 10-10-10, he has the skills to get near it with any/all three of those stats. As he continues to develop, he will quickly become one of the better point guards in the country. If Zavier Simpson can slow him will need to be seen.
The next starter is another senior, Jalen Hudson. Listed as a guard, but more of a wing at 6'6", the junior has spent three years in the Florida Gators program. Hudson, who has started each of the last five games, transferred from Virginia Tech having also played two seasons with the Hokies. Hudson had a big year last season, averaging 15.5 points on 45.5% shooting (40.4% from three). He's long and athletic, which allows him to really get to the rim and score, while also having a nice stroke. He tested the NBA Draft waters last season, but returned to Florida for his final year of eligibility. Hudson has, however, seen a drop in his stat line. He is shooting just 35.8% from the field while going only 27.1% from three, in fewer attempts as well. Much of this is given the newer additions to the starting line-up, but for someone who White hoped would be one of the top players in the SEC, this production has to be a bit disappointing. He went five-for-thirteen from the field in the first round game, but his three threes anchored the team's performance from behind the arc as the rest of his side made just two, total. Charles Matthews will need to follow him around the court and respect him from three. If he does so, he should be able to neutralize his strengths as a wing.
Rounding out the starting five is a man who has started in each game of the second half of the season, Keyontae Johnson. Johnson is another freshman, and was a top-seventy prospect coming into the season. Standing at just 6'5", Johnson is listed as a forward while steadily playing a key role despite the lack of size for the position. His rebounding average of 6.2 is highest on the team, though, and highlights his ability to play the position despite the height. Over the last eleven games, since, and including, a win over Vanderbilt, Johnson has averaged 10.8 points (up from his average of 8.1) while snagging 7.5 rebounds, and shooting 51.8% from the field. He has been near-38% from three this year and that in itself is a promising sign. A potentially outstanding defender at the collegiate level, he is athletic and strong. The fact that he is showing off a scoring touch means only big things to come. He took the most shots for Florida, but struggled as despite the double-double of ten points and ten rebounds, it also included a three-for-fourteen night from the field. The freshman is getting important shots up, though, and trusting in his own ability.
Bench Rundown:
Noah Locke has started 26 games this season, but currently, the freshman is the key sixth man off the bench for Mike White's Gators. The freshman is a 6'3" guard that was yet another Top-100 prospect in the most recent incoming class for White (Locke was 77th). Locke has started most of the season's games, but started the season off the bench, and has returned to finish it coming off the bench. A former Michigan recruit himself, Locke's specialty is shooting the three. He has well over 50% more attempts from three than two, and is shooting 38.3% from three on six attempts per game. He has a bright green light in the offense as the freshman has as many nights of eight-or-more attempts from three (nine) than of outings of three of fewer (eight). He averages 9.6 points per game and has really come into his own as a shooter. Since his last game of nine attempts, he has shot just 26.7% from three in trimmed postseason minutes while averaging just five points per game. Perhaps confidence in his shot helps him produce mentally, but the hope is that off the bench he can serve as a guy to come in and get up some shots quickly and get hot.
If in need of size, Dontay Bassett is the forward that comes off the bench. Able to spell Kevarrius Hayes, Bassett is a 6'9" redshirt sophomore who sat his first year with the program out due to a foot injury. Bassett played eleven minutes against Nevada and made them count, going two-for-three with four points and three rebounds. His seasonal averages are right around that mark, 11.5 minutes, 2.7 points, and 2.2 rebounds per game. Bassett has made one start, the away game to Auburn playing eight minutes in a loss, but he is a key off the bench as the primary big to offer size. His breakout happened in November of this season as he scored fourteen points on six-for-eight shootout against Oklahoma. Still learning not to foul (Bassett has ten games plus the tournament outing of at least three fouls) the big man is shooting 51% from two and doing well to learn while playing.
Despite logging a DNP in the contest against Nevada, Mike Okauru had played in the 34 games prior to that. Okaruru is a 6'3" guard and the second sophomore in the rotation, albeit, a 'true' sophomore. After seeing 11.1 minutes per game last season, his total has dropped to just 6.8 minutes. He averages 1.4 points per game and has made just two field goals twice this season (vs. Stanford, at Kentucky). He can play point or shooting guard, and serves as a solid scorer and defensive specialist. Off the bench, he was Florida's most dependable freshman last season, while also offering some added guard depth for the Gators this season.
Rounding out rotation players in the most recent Gators' games, Isaiah Stokes saw a three-minute appearance in the NCAA Tournament game. Stokes is a 6'8", 270-pounder, that is a redshirt freshman after tearing an ACL in high school and needing to rehab it from then. Stokes has appeared in 25 games, averaging 2.7 points and a rebound per appearance. He has shot 48.2% from two, and is zero-for-four from three. He could spell a forward if need-be.
Final Thoughts:
The key for Michigan would have to figure to be continuing to exploit advantages in the opposing teams' size. Montana lacked any player over 6'7" to guard Jon Teske. Michigan countered with Isaiah Livers. This upcoming game, despite the physical prowess of Florida's center, Teske is still able to tower over him. For Florida, they will need good guard play and solid outside shooting to force a threat from the perimeter. On defense, the Gators can switch often thanks to size at point guard and general length of the rotation as a whole. Michigan struggles with teams that can switch everything, and Florida will likely hope to cause mistakes out of Michigan with that. Nevada offers length issues for many teams, and issues for opposing defenses of most opposition. Nevada, instead, could only muster 61 points on a 34.5% shooting night from the field. This is a ten-seed in Florida that plays at a much higher level and can shock Michigan. They will need to avoid the shock by guarding the perimeter, being careful to stop any sort of penetrating drive to free space on the outside, and winning the battle down low.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
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