Florida Basketball: Keys to Gators' 2012 NCAA Tournament Run

It's NCAA Tournament time for the Florida Gators; time for Billy Donovan and company to strut their stuff on the national stage. The Gators chomped their way to the Elite Eight last year before succumbing to eventual runner-up Butler in New Orleans.

Florida won't have the luxury of leaning on the experienced front court of Alex Tyus, Vernon Macklin and SEC Player of the Year Chandler Parsons this time around, though that doesn't mean the Gators are necessarily destined for an early exit. The swampsters still have returnees Kenny Boynton, Patric Young, Erik Murphy and Erving Walker to lean on, along with newcomers Bradley Beal and Mike Rosario.

That group helped the Gators to a 23-10 finish, including a non-conference win over in-state rival Florida State and loss to Kentucky in the semifinal of the SEC Tournament in the Big Easy.

UF may not have the most impressive overall resume, but with their mix of talent and experience, the Gators have what it takes to make some noise in the West Region, and, perhaps, make a run at their first Final Four appearance since the back-to-back title days of Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer.

Let's have a closer look, then, at what Gainesville's finest will bring to the table during March Madness.

Follow @J0shMart1n

Superstars Who Must Shine

Kenny Boynton

Kenny Boynton has been Florida's go-to guy in the clutch for two years now and will need to take his game up another notch or two to fuel a deep tourney run. The junior combo guard from Pompano Beach leads the Gators in scoring (16.8 points per game) and three-point shooting (43.4 percent).

Boynton has struggled mightily of late, though, as he's averaged just 9.7 points on 33 percent shooting over his last three games, all of which resulted in defeats for UF. Billy Donovan will need Boynton to get back to his high-scoring ways in a hurry, lest the Gators lose their mojo before their tourney run even begins.

Patric Young

The Gators don't have much size this season, but the one true post presence on the roster—Patric Young—just so happens to be a pretty good one. The 6'9" sophomore from Jacksonville is a phenomenal athlete on the interior, one who can finish plays at the rim on offense (61.6 percent shooting from the field) and redirect shots with his length and leaping ability on defense.

Young was nearly a nonfactor for Florida in last year's run to the Elite Eight (4.5 points, 4.0 rebounds), but didn't really need to be while playing alongside Parson, Macklin and Tyus. That sort of disappearance won't fly this time around, not with Florida's front line as thin as it is. 

Role Player Who Must Emerge

Bradley Beal certainly did his fair share of "emerging" this season, though the NCAA Tournament may well turn out to be his most definitive coming-out party. The freshman phenom from St. Louis ranked second on the team in scoring (14.4 ppg), third in assists (2.0 apg) and first in rebounding (6.5 rpg) and minutes played (34.7 mpg).

Hence, Beal's role on the team happens to be a rather significant one and will need to be for Florida to duplicate last season's success in the Big Dance. The kid can jump out the gym and score in bunches, but if his injured ankle proves to be a hindrance to his performance on the court, the Gators may be nothing more than bait for another team's early-spring dreams.

Offensive Strategy to Watch

Without glue guy Will Yeguete, who's out with a broken foot, the Gators have relied heavily on the individual abilities of scorers like Boynton, Beal, Walker and Rosario to get the job done and likely will continue to do so in the Big Dance.

That strategy may seem counterintuitive to the pursuit of victory, but it's actually worked surprisingly well for the Gators this season. Their 76.8 point-per-game scoring average is the 23rd-best in the nation, with the bulk of their production coming from the aforementioned perimeter quartet.

Of equal importance to Florida's success will be its collective ability to knock down perimeter shots, as it has all season. The Gators rank 21st in three-point field goal percentage (38.9 percent) and first in three-pointers made per game (9.9) during the regular season, with forward Erik Murphy chipping in 48 treys of his own to the total of 307, to which Billy Donovan's gluttony of guards contributed the vast majority.

If the Gators catch fire from the outside, they'll be as tough to beat as any team in the country. If not, they could just as easily be one-and-done on account of their lack of inside scoring. 

Defensive Strategy to Watch

Here's Florida's defensive strategy for the Big Dance: play some.

Because frankly, the Gators haven't much this season, a story corroborated by the stats. Out of 338 total teams in Division I, Florida ranks 138th in points per game allowed (65.9), 165th in field goal percentage defense (43.0 percent), 167th in blocked shots per game (3.3), 156th in steals per game (6.6) and 239th in three-point field goal percentage defense (35.7 percent).

And, the Gators allowed their opponent to score 70 or more points in a game on 11 different occasions during the regular season, nine of which resulted in defeats.

In other words, defense isn't exactly Florida's specialty, the byproduct of a front line thinned by injuries and a backcourt more concerned with scoring than with standing between the ball and the basket.

It would be unrealistic to expect the Gators to start playing serious defense now after skating by without it all year, though they don't figure to get very far in the tourney if they don't make at least a cursory effort to slow down their opponents.

Biggest NCAA Tournament Hurdle

The Gators must push the pace and control tempo to get past 10th-seeded Virginia in the first round, though they certainly have the perimeter skill to do so.

The bigger test figures to come in the second round, when Florida is forced to fight fire with fire in a battle with second-seeded Missouri. The Tigers play the sort of frantic, unorthodox style that could give Florida fits, as has been the case for just about every one of Mizzou's opponents this season.

Boynton, Beal and Walker are capable of matching wits with the likes of Flip Pressey, Marcus Denmon and Kim English, though Mizzou's pressing D may well chomp the Gators right out of the tourney.  

Last-Second NCAA Tournament Prediction

Florida's speed, athleticism and ability to score in bunches will be enough to overwhelm a Virginia team that, while solid, is all too reliant on slowing down the game and limiting possessions to mask its greater deficiencies.

Once into the second round, though, Florida will find life difficult against a Mizzou crew that's essentially a better, more experienced version of itself. The Gators will battle the Tigers to the bitter end, but will ultimately discover (as so many teams have this season) that Mike Anderson's "40 Minutes of Hell" is still alive and well in Columbia, even with Frank Haith at the helm.