Know Your Enemy: Florida vs. Texas A&M Q&A With AllAggies!
Good, then bad. Then more good, then more bad.
Florida basketball has seemingly ridden a teeter-totter all season long. It consistently will get a huge win like against then-No. 4 Auburn, and follow it with a loss at home to unranked Mississippi State.
So when the Gators face 11-11 (5-5 SEC) Texas A&M, which UF team will show up?
Will it be the team that mounted a 22-point comeback against Georgia? Or will it be the team that dropped a 16-point loss to Missouri?
Only tip-off will tell.
But, before then, we caught up with Cole Thompson, editor of All Aggies, to break down this matchup.
1. Josh Nebo has not only been scoring, but he's been doing so at an efficient clip at 67.2% What makes him so effective inside?
Plain and simple is his size. When you look at what his frame allows him to do inside the paint, the 6-10 center has been consistent around the rim. He also has found plenty of success on the defensive side, averaging roughly over two blocks per game.
2. The Aggies are not an assist-heavy team, as the team-leader in assists is Savion Flagg with less than three a game. Why is that? How does Buzz Williams group find ways to score despite not racking up assists?
Mainly it's due to their shooting. The team is one of the worst shooting offenses in the SEC, barely cracking 35% on a game basis. When the team shoots, it's either on a drive or put back.
3. What went wrong against South Carolina for TAMU? What will need to be different against the Gators to have a better end result than a 20-point loss?
Fast shooting from the Gamecocks helped Frank Martin's squad win. Their top two players Jermaine Cousand and AJ Lawson both score over 15 points and the three-pointers kept coming. It'll be interesting to see how Williams' squad approaches this game. Should Florida have a substantial lead at hafltime, call it quits for the Aggies.
4. Andrew Nembhard may or may not be able to go against the Aggies on Wednesday. What kind of impact do you see that having on this game? How can Williams' group slow down the floor general for UF if he does play?
It'll be winning inside the paint. When the Aggies outrebound a team, they usually win. The only way to outrebound a roster is to win inside the paint. Forcing the Gators to shot behind the arc will help the team flourish in one of the few areas A&M has been consistent.
5. Texas A&M is a .500 basketball team right now, what overall have the Aggies done well, and what have they not done so well to get to this 11-11 record? How do TAMU fans see this season and what's the feeling about Williams and his program moving forward?
The youthful talent of Andre Gordon and Emmanuel Miller should provide a base for the future. Josh Nebo is the one consistent player and it seems there's always a player who breaks out. That's the thing; one player won't make the roster.
Sure, there's potential and the overtime loss to LSU will show that the Aggies are trending in the right direction, but there's holes in the shooting, especially behind the arc, that you just ignore. Williams I personally think was the right hire and if the two freshman stay, they'll be a contender in two seasons. This was always going to be a growing year in College Station.
6. Prediction?
I'll make this simple; A&M has struggled against top half teams in the SEC. Florida is a top half team. I think it'll be closer than South Carolina or Ole Miss, but Mike White needs a win. Florida by seven on the road should sound about right.
Florida 68, Texas A&M 62.
