2020: Florida better than Kentucky?
- Thread starter bkingUK
- Start date
It's close. Honestly, I'm pretty set on my top three being Michigan State, Kansas, and Louisville. Between 4-6, I'm deliberating between Kentucky, Florida, and Duke. I'd give a slight edge to Florida. They have arguably two top 50 players in Blackshear and Nembhard. Throw in a few more returning players in Locke and Johnson and two 5-star recruits, and you got yourself a legitimate Final Four contender.
Kentucky looks really good, too. But I like UF with the experience factor. And UK's recruits aren't head and shoulders ahead of Florida's recruit like they normally are. The biggest question mark for UK will be the frontcourt. EJ could have a breakout year. And Sestina can shoot. We'll see how things shake out; I'm expecting a very close race down the stretch of conference play.
Kentucky looks really good, too. But I like UF with the experience factor. And UK's recruits aren't head and shoulders ahead of Florida's recruit like they normally are. The biggest question mark for UK will be the frontcourt. EJ could have a breakout year. And Sestina can shoot. We'll see how things shake out; I'm expecting a very close race down the stretch of conference play.
Forgot to include 3-pt percentages for some reason. Oh well.
In his defense, he had to put Florida in at a #1 seed to avoid putting all 4 champions classic teams in at #1 seeds, as if doing so would have made what he does from August to January even more of a joke than it already is.
That said, I’ve got a better chance of f**king Kate Upton than Kansas and Kentucky being seeded 1 and 2 in the West.
That said, I’ve got a better chance of f**king Kate Upton than Kansas and Kentucky being seeded 1 and 2 in the West.
Florida will be good, especially with that asshole Kerry Blackshear Jr.
They completely slipped my mind in a UK//Florida thread.
Unlikely, but I wouldn't say it's inconceivable. The West really doesn't need to be hosting a Regional every year. I made the argument already, and I think it's a legitimate argument. And I'm saying that as someone who really enjoys watching Gonzaga play.
West Region 1/2 Seed in Recent History
2019: Gonzaga, Michigan
2018: Xavier, North Carolina
2017: Gonzaga, Arizona
2016: Oregon, Oklahoma
2015: Wisconsin, Arizona
2014: Arizona, Wisconsin
2013: Gonzaga, Ohio State
2012: Michigan State, Missouri
2011: Duke, San Diego State
2010: Syracuse, Kansas State
2009: UConn, Memphis
2018 and 2009 certainly had teams that you wouldn't both expect to be in the West Region as 1 & 2 seeds. 2010 has two teams that cumulatively are more eastern oriented than Kansas and Kentucky (maybe 2012 as well?). It could happen, but not super likely. Just wish the regions were geographically more balanced. Schools that are located in the West Region comprise just 15% of the 1 seeds this century and just 7.5% of the FF teams. Eastern schools typically do very poor in the West Region.
Talent wise, UF looks like a 1 seed to me. We will see if Mike White can get them to play up to their potential the entire season.
Regardless, Lunardi is a loser.
Regardless, Lunardi is a loser.
I don’t disagree with anything you said. In theory, it’s possible. In practice, less so, if for no other consideration than the money involved.
Kansas and Kentucky draw huge numbers, both in television and on site. NCAA wouldn’t risk losing out on the on-site revenues by sending Kansas and Kentucky to the West coast, where fans may second guess the trip based on expense.
The introduction of the geographic criteria and movement away from the S curve helped solidify that. It adds a degree of subjective ambiguity that affords them the grey area to make sure moves that would negatively impact revenue are “justifiably” not made.
To start the year I'd have them ranked higher. You can make a case they have the two best players. Long term I like UK's potential more. I think Maxey is going to be an AA caliber player. UK is missing a big post player like Blackshear would have been. If that means we have Brooks and Whitney playing there more I think it'll work for the best.
I don't have a problem with it. I think Csll F'd up by not landing Kerry Blackshear. He was the perfect final piece to add to what is already there.
I get the feeling Cal told him the same thing he tells everyone else, which is that their are no guarantees and he'll have to earn his keep. Sometimes too much honesty gets you beat.
Congrats to Mike White and Florida for landing KB. I think he's a hell of a player and I really wish Cal would have landed him.
I get the feeling Cal told him the same thing he tells everyone else, which is that their are no guarantees and he'll have to earn his keep. Sometimes too much honesty gets you beat.
Congrats to Mike White and Florida for landing KB. I think he's a hell of a player and I really wish Cal would have landed him.
I can totally understand that recruiting pitch for freshmen coming in, but for the best grad transfer on the market coming off of 15/10 in the ACC, id tell him whatever he wanted to hear.
I think it came down to him being the only big man a UF where at UK he probably wouldn’t have been able to get as many mins and put up as many stats with so many players (ej brooks Richards whitney sestina) all vying for minutes in the front court. Who knows tho, he might just had rather spend his winter in Florida than Kentucky.
I’ll take hagans as uks best player. If he works on his shot he’s gonna be a nightmare on both ends of the court, granted I don’t even know what maxey or Whitney look like much less how good they are at basketball except that they are highly rated.
I think it came down to him being the only big man a UF where at UK he probably wouldn’t have been able to get as many mins and put up as many stats with so many players (ej brooks Richards whitney sestina) all vying for minutes in the front court. Who knows tho, he might just had rather spend his winter in Florida than Kentucky.
I’ll take hagans as uks best player. If he works on his shot he’s gonna be a nightmare on both ends of the court, granted I don’t even know what maxey or Whitney look like much less how good they are at basketball except that they are highly rated.
It's close. Honestly, I'm pretty set on my top three being Michigan State, Kansas, and Louisville. Between 4-6, I'm deliberating between Kentucky, Florida, and Duke. I'd give a slight edge to Florida. They have arguably two top 50 players in Blackshear and Nembhard. Throw in a few more returning players in Locke and Johnson and two 5-star recruits, and you got yourself a legitimate Final Four contender.
Kentucky looks really good, too. But I like UF with the experience factor. And UK's recruits aren't head and shoulders ahead of Florida's recruit like they normally are. The biggest question mark for UK will be the frontcourt. EJ could have a breakout year. And Sestina can shoot. We'll see how things shake out; I'm expecting a very close race down the stretch of conference play.
Where is your full list
Im trying to get tickets to this game. Haven’t been to Rupp in a few years. This would be a heck of a one to break the spell
Gators are in a put up or shut up year... they need to capitalize or they will be behind UK, UT and auburn for the forseeable future
If the Gators still jack up 3's I doubt they'll have a good season. They've got some really good players and jacking up 3's will neutralize their real strengths.
The thread only mentioned Kentucky and Florida. Haven't finished the full list yet, but I'll probably post my top 50 in October.
Is Florida better than Kentucky?
We won't know until all of the games are played.
With such a promising roster, I am really looking forward to the basketball season this year.
The Gators haven't had a great SEC season since 2014 when UF went 18-0 in the league to capture both the regular season & SEC Tourney titles. Florida was the overall #1 seed in the NCAAs that year and made it all the way to the Final4 only to lose to UConn the eventual national champion in 2014. All of that happened when Billy Donovan was still Florida's coach.
Mike White's best season came in his second year (2016) when Florida made it to the Elite8. This may be White's best roster yet. Florida returns three Sophmore starters (PG Nembhard, SG Locke and PF/SF K.Johnson), added some key transfers (among them C/PF Blackshear) and White signed his best class: SF Scottie Lewis, combo guard Tre Mann, PF/C Omar Payne, PG Q.Glover and C J. Jitoboh.
Florida's wing players, overall, are probably further along skill-wise than their post players; although, it helps to get an experienced, talented front court player like Blackshear to join the team. In the past season, White has gone to a 4-guard line-up with Keyontae Johnson playing the 4.
However this year, Florida will have five players in their front-court player who range from 6'9 to 6'11. Coach White could elect to play the more traditional line-up if two or more of the front-court players (i.e, Bassett, Gak, and/or Payne/Jitoboh) can give good production alongside Blackshear. The center, Gak (rsJr), is coming off an injury but he could be a shot-blocking presence in the middle. Payne is another defensive minded (top40 player out of HS) who could also contribute inside.
Here are some (very) brief highlights of Gak a couple of years ago against Kentucky, Duke (Nike Tournament), Loyola Ramblers (when they went to that final4) & Virginia (in the NCAAs).
We won't know until all of the games are played.
With such a promising roster, I am really looking forward to the basketball season this year.
The Gators haven't had a great SEC season since 2014 when UF went 18-0 in the league to capture both the regular season & SEC Tourney titles. Florida was the overall #1 seed in the NCAAs that year and made it all the way to the Final4 only to lose to UConn the eventual national champion in 2014. All of that happened when Billy Donovan was still Florida's coach.
Mike White's best season came in his second year (2016) when Florida made it to the Elite8. This may be White's best roster yet. Florida returns three Sophmore starters (PG Nembhard, SG Locke and PF/SF K.Johnson), added some key transfers (among them C/PF Blackshear) and White signed his best class: SF Scottie Lewis, combo guard Tre Mann, PF/C Omar Payne, PG Q.Glover and C J. Jitoboh.
Florida's wing players, overall, are probably further along skill-wise than their post players; although, it helps to get an experienced, talented front court player like Blackshear to join the team. In the past season, White has gone to a 4-guard line-up with Keyontae Johnson playing the 4.
However this year, Florida will have five players in their front-court player who range from 6'9 to 6'11. Coach White could elect to play the more traditional line-up if two or more of the front-court players (i.e, Bassett, Gak, and/or Payne/Jitoboh) can give good production alongside Blackshear. The center, Gak (rsJr), is coming off an injury but he could be a shot-blocking presence in the middle. Payne is another defensive minded (top40 player out of HS) who could also contribute inside.
Here are some (very) brief highlights of Gak a couple of years ago against Kentucky, Duke (Nike Tournament), Loyola Ramblers (when they went to that final4) & Virginia (in the NCAAs).
Florida will be really strong this year! I expect to see them make a deep run.
Excluding Michigan from my preseason top 25 last year was one of the most devastatingly awful picks in Rivals history. It was such a huge blunder that my own mother refused to speak to me for three months. She said something along the lines of, "You're an idiot. I raised you better than this. No amount of words can adequately describe the shame that I'm currently feeling."
As much as I love KU, they have several huge questions to go along with the top recruits and the returning players. Have we got solid three point shooting, will Dok stay healthy, and will the bench develop quickly are, in my mind the big three. If so we cut down the nets in March.
Not saying the other two concerns aren’t note worthy but I’d say the biggest concern by far is can dok stay healthy. He’s the most dominant big in college imo and it’s a tragedy that we didn’t get to see dok and konote battle is out when KU played wvu. Would have been like watchin two bulls fight.
That sucks, with the roster that KU has this year, they should be better than the sweet 16.
Hopefully UK is cutting their nets down in April.
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