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Florida -1
As well as Ucla matched up with Memphis and Lsu their last two games, is as poorly as they match up with Florida here. One of the biggest mistakes people make when handicapping this tourney is they work off the game they just saw. Now, before I really get into the nuts and bolts of why Florida is your national champion after tonight, here is a question for you. Do you know why Ucla held Memphis and Lsu to 45 points each? The answer is in the backcourt. When your weakness plays into the strength of the team you are playing, you are going to get blown out. When I broke down the Ucla/Lsu game, I said the difference in the game would be the backcourt of the Bruins. End of story. Memphis and Lsu couldn't get into their offense because of the pressure up top and it disrupted everything they wanted to do. Now with that said, Ucla sees a team tonight that has a fantastic backcourt. In fact, the only teams in this tourney that had guards even close to the talent of this Florida team was Gonzaga and Alabama. You think it was an accident that Ucla almost lost both of those games? It wasn't an accident people, it happened for a reason. The only difference here is Bama and Gonzaga couldn't finish the job because Bama ran out of gas and Gonzaga couldn't get consistent defensive stops down the stretch. Believe me, Florida can. In fact, what has gotten lost in all this publicity about Ucla and their defense is how good defensively this Florida team is. They are just as good, if not better. Ucla struggles in the half court set to begin with. Just as he did in the George Mason game, Billy Donovan will do the same thing here. He will take away the guard play of Ucla and force their big men to win the game. They don't have the low post scorers even close to what George Mason brought to the table and if they couldn't get it done, far be it that Ucla's bigs will. Florida is a much more balanced team. They have more playmakers, they have better low post scorers and more importantly, when the pressure is on, they are one of the best free throw shooting teams in the country. The Bruins inability to consistently make free throws in this tourney finally catches up with them tonight. As you watch this game tonight, I want you to notice how easily Taurean Green gets the Gators into their offensive sets. I want you to notice how Florida makes the Bruins struggle on the offensive end and lastly, the glaring difference between Noah and Horford offensively in the half court set opposed to Hollins, Mbah a Moute or any other Ucla big man. I made the mistake of going against this Gator team twice in this tourney and paid for it dearly. I won't make that mistake again. Oh, one last thing. Your last 8 NCAA Champions had one thing in common. They won their first and second round games by double digits. You can add Florida to that list courtesy of 26 and 22 point wins over South Alabama and Wisconsin Milwaukee. Been a great run for Ucla but it ends tonight as they flat out get beat by a better all around TEAM.
Florida 67-58
As well as Ucla matched up with Memphis and Lsu their last two games, is as poorly as they match up with Florida here. One of the biggest mistakes people make when handicapping this tourney is they work off the game they just saw. Now, before I really get into the nuts and bolts of why Florida is your national champion after tonight, here is a question for you. Do you know why Ucla held Memphis and Lsu to 45 points each? The answer is in the backcourt. When your weakness plays into the strength of the team you are playing, you are going to get blown out. When I broke down the Ucla/Lsu game, I said the difference in the game would be the backcourt of the Bruins. End of story. Memphis and Lsu couldn't get into their offense because of the pressure up top and it disrupted everything they wanted to do. Now with that said, Ucla sees a team tonight that has a fantastic backcourt. In fact, the only teams in this tourney that had guards even close to the talent of this Florida team was Gonzaga and Alabama. You think it was an accident that Ucla almost lost both of those games? It wasn't an accident people, it happened for a reason. The only difference here is Bama and Gonzaga couldn't finish the job because Bama ran out of gas and Gonzaga couldn't get consistent defensive stops down the stretch. Believe me, Florida can. In fact, what has gotten lost in all this publicity about Ucla and their defense is how good defensively this Florida team is. They are just as good, if not better. Ucla struggles in the half court set to begin with. Just as he did in the George Mason game, Billy Donovan will do the same thing here. He will take away the guard play of Ucla and force their big men to win the game. They don't have the low post scorers even close to what George Mason brought to the table and if they couldn't get it done, far be it that Ucla's bigs will. Florida is a much more balanced team. They have more playmakers, they have better low post scorers and more importantly, when the pressure is on, they are one of the best free throw shooting teams in the country. The Bruins inability to consistently make free throws in this tourney finally catches up with them tonight. As you watch this game tonight, I want you to notice how easily Taurean Green gets the Gators into their offensive sets. I want you to notice how Florida makes the Bruins struggle on the offensive end and lastly, the glaring difference between Noah and Horford offensively in the half court set opposed to Hollins, Mbah a Moute or any other Ucla big man. I made the mistake of going against this Gator team twice in this tourney and paid for it dearly. I won't make that mistake again. Oh, one last thing. Your last 8 NCAA Champions had one thing in common. They won their first and second round games by double digits. You can add Florida to that list courtesy of 26 and 22 point wins over South Alabama and Wisconsin Milwaukee. Been a great run for Ucla but it ends tonight as they flat out get beat by a better all around TEAM.
Florida 67-58
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