NCAA Basketball Scores 2012: Florida's Showing Makes Them Real Final 4 Candidate
The Florida Gators dominated Virginia yesterday in a showing that makes them a clear contender for the Final 4.
And it's not because they beat the Cavaliers by 26 points, but how they beat them.
3-Point Shooting
During the regular season, Florida ranked first in the country in 3-pointers made, second in 3-pointers attempted and 26th in three-point field goal percentage.
It's safe to say the Gators rely on the long ball.
But against Virginia, a team that prides itself on defense, Florida couldn't make anything from the outside. The Gators shot an anemic 17 percent from deep, and that includes a 1-for-11 mark from Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton and Bradley Beal, their three starting guards.
Obviously the Gators can't continue to shoot like that and win, but the law of averages will start to play out. They will start to knock down their open shots like they have all season.
What's more, the fact that they won by 26 while shooting the ball so poorly against a good defensive team speaks volumes for the Gators' chances in this tournament. It's a good sign they don't have to rely on the three.
Rebounding
The Gators have been an average rebounding team throughout the season, but they thoroughly dominated Virginia on the glass.
If they can continue to crash the boards like they did yesterday, Florida will have a good chance to win any game because it takes a lot of pressure of the shooters.
Norfolk State was able to upset Missouri by dominating the glass, so Florida will need to rebound effectively if they want to avoid the same fate.
An Ugly Win
The Gators didn't really play all that well. They shot 17 percent from deep, 65 percent from the free-throw line and had just 11 assists compared to 12 turnovers.
When you can play that poorly and win by 26 points, it's, well, it's something you don't really ever see. Florida will have to start playing better to advance further in this tournament, but this game highlights how much potential the Gators really have.
If they put together a complete game, watch out.
