To Make a Deep March Madness Run, Florida Needs to Fix Shooting Issues and One-Sided Offense

For the first time since the 1980-1981 season, the Florida Gators opened up SEC Conference play with three straight losses. While these three losses have come up against then ranked #15 Alabama, #9 Auburn, and #12 LSU, the Gators opened the season looking like they could hang with the SEC’s best. In fact, the Gators started the 2021-2022 season off with six straight wins, including a 71-55 thrashing of then #20 Florida State and a stunning 71-68 win over Ohio State. Head Coach Mike White and the Gators looked primed to improve upon their 14-9 record and No. 7 seed from the 2021 March Madness Tournament. That is until Florida’s major flaws were exposed.

Take Florida’s 48-64 home loss against #12 LSU, for example. Despite star guard Xavier Pinson missing the game, along with big men Tari Eason and Efton Reid fouling out in the second half, Florida had a legitimate chance to pull off the upset after cutting the Tigers’ lead to two. However, the Gators missed 11-22 free throws in the game, including seven of nine free throws down the stretch and struggled in the paint to eventually lose. The Gators were also able to keep it close against Alabama and Auburn, losing by 13 (70-83) and 12 (73-85), respectively. Unfortunately, a loss is a loss, and if Florida wants to make a statement in the 2021-2022 March Madness Tournament, Florida will need to fix their mistakes and find their true identity.

Florida needs to shoot the ball better to give Colin Castleton more scoring opportunities in the paint

Throughout the season, Castleton has been a constant source of offense and defense for the Gators and is even enjoying a career year. In 15 games this season, Castleton is averaging 15.8 PPG, 9.2 RPG (second in SEC), 1.7 APG, 2.4 BPG (second in SEC), and 0.9 SPG, all career-highs. Castleton is also shooting the ball well, as his 53.5% field goal percentage is the second-highest mark in the SEC, behind Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe, who is shooting 62.7% from the field. For Florida, having an individual play so well but their team not playing as well is certainly frustrating, and this begins with the team’s shooting struggles.

As a team, the Gators have been among the SEC’s worst when it comes to shooting the ball. For instance, the Gators are shooting 42.5% from the field (twelfth in SEC), 30.5% from three-point range (twelfth in SEC), and 70.1% from the stripe (ninth in SEC). This is the main reason for Florida’s late-game collapses and failed comebacks, as the Gators struggle to generate points from outside of the paint. If Florida wants to move up in the SEC’s standings, they need to improve their offensive efficiency. The SEC’s four highest-scoring schools, Kentucky, Alabama, Auburn, and Arkansas all average 80.0 PPG or more, and shoot better than 45.0% from the field. If Florida can make gradual improvements to offense and perimeter shooting, then the Gators will be a much harder team to beat in March.

Florida’s second unit must step up their play to compete with the best teams in the SEC

In spite of losing Tre Mann, Scottie Lewis, and Noah Locke, all of whom were key contributors for the Gators last season, via the NBA Draft or the Transfer Portal, there was optimism that Florida would just be able to reload and return to dominance this season. As you may expect, this didn’t happen, as most or all of their incoming talent has struggled or regressed. Guard Phlandrous Fleming, who had a tremendous three-year career at Charleston Southern, just hasn’t clicked in Mike White’s offense. Even though Fleming is second on the team with 10.7 PPG, he was formerly averaging 20.1 PPG for the Buccaneers last season. Florida’s other incoming players, who were supposed to provide scoring to a sputtering offense, haven’t done that, as Myreon Jones leads the four new players with 9.9 PPG. The Gators can’t continue to rely on Castleton to post double-double type numbers, especially whenever he’s the only source of offense. 

The road ahead in SEC Conference play for the Gators

Due to starting out their conference play with their three hardest opponents, Florida has time to play better as a collective unit over the next two months. Of Florida’s final fifteen conference games, eleven are against unranked opponents, and they have until January 26th against #22 Tennessee to face their first ranked team in two weeks. The Gators will get a chance to avenge their aforementioned loss to Auburn, as they are set to face off again on February 19th, and will also have two matchups with #18 Kentucky. Florida will be tested against unranked foes too, as they’ll face Mississippi State (11-4, 2-1 SEC), Texas A&M (14-2, 3-0 SEC), Arkansas (11-5, 1-3 SEC) and a non-conference tilt against Oklahoma State (8-7, 1-3 Big 12). It’s safe to say that we’ll be watching what the Florida Gators are truly made of over the next two months of Non-Conference play.

(Featured image by Alan Youngblood/AP Photo)