No. 3 Florida Gators Keys to Win Over No. 12 Texas A&M Aggies

The Florida Gators suffered a surprising 88-83 loss to the unranked Georgia Bulldogs on Tuesday. Such is life in a loaded SEC.

In order to regain their momentum, they must assert their dominance in Saturday's game against the No. 12 Texas A&M Aggies. The Aggies also hope to get their season resuscitated after three consecutive losses.

Florida fell behind to Georgia early and needed a furious finish just to remain close. Now, they play a desperate TAMU team that needs this game. As a result, the Gators can expect an intense level of desperation.

Born Scorer

Wade Taylor remains the Aggie's best and most legitimate threat. The senior thrives with the offense centering around him. Taylor also shows no hesitation about letting the ball fly. Currently, Taylor sits just 45 points behind Bernard King for the all-time Aggie scoring record.

Taylor leads the Aggies in scoring with 15.3 points-per-game, one of two Texas A&M players in double figures this season (Zhuric Phelps 14.4).

Take Away Everyone Else

Florida will win this game if their defense can shut down Taylor's teammates, forcing him to shoot his way out of jeopardy. Shooting a career 36.8% from the field, Taylor will volume shoot himself into a blowout. If he watches his teammates locked down, wild, erratic and poorly-timed jumpers will flow from his hands.

Just do not foul him in the act. He makes 86.1% of his shots from the line. In the last two games, Taylor is 23 of 28 from the charity stripe. 14 free throws for a guard are bananas. The Gators must avoid the ticky-tack fouls.

Early Defense

Outside of being a fierce rebounding team, Florida's guards are active, forcing opposing players to defend the entire time. Taylor plays defense with his hands too often. Picking up 2.5 fouls a game means that opponents also see this and make him play the entire possession.

Running off screens and playing behind guards will make him reach and grab. Consequently, elevated defensive effort will tire Taylor out, leading to even worse shot selection as the game wears on.

Overview

Wade Taylor will get his shots in Saturday's game. Everyone in the O’Connell Center knows this. Florida needs to let him, and make him stay the focal point of the Aggies scheme.

Making less than 30% of your field goals opens the door to rebounds and the transition games. Under the circumstances, UF will run TAMU out of the gym by halftime.

If not, and they let Taylor and the Aggies hang around, you could see a repeat of the Georgia upset.