Read below for a full Virginia vs Florida prediction and preview.
Virginia looks for its first win against a ranked opponent when it travels to Gainesville to face off with undefeated Florida, who is coming off an ESPN Events Invitational championship.
Game Information:
Teams: Virginia (5-1) and #13 Florida (8-0)
Tip Time: 7:15 PM EST
Watch: ESPN2
Listen: Virginia Sports Radio Network
Latest on Florida basketball:
Florida is not only one of the hottest teams in the country, they are also one of the most dominant thus far. The Gators have won all eight of their contests by at least 13 points, and although they have yet to face a ranked team, have quality wins over Florida State on the road and Wake Forest and Wichita State on neutral floors.
The Gators have four scorers who average double figures per game, including their three guards in the starting rotation. Walter Clayton Jr. leads the way with 17.4 a game, and although he does not shoot at a crazy high clip from three, he lets them fly at a very high volume, chucking up as many as 13 attempts in the win against Wake Forest. Alijah Martin averages 15.1 points a game and Will Richard is right behind him at 12.4.
The guards are going to attack the paint and try to draw help defense, as the real shooting threat comes from the front court. Alex Condon, a 6’11” center, shoots over 45% from beyond the arc and will cause nightmares defensively for Virginia. Thomas Haugh is right there with Condon, shooting at a 43.8% rate.
Virginia’s defensive approach to stay in this contest is to keep the guards in front. If a guard gets past a defender, it will either draw help and allow for an open look for their shooters, or allow for an easy paint score. If the guards are kept in front, Florida will have to rely more on their isolation offense which is not as effective as the drive and kick method.
Latest on Virginia basketball:
Virginia bounced back nicely after a disaster of a trip to the Bahamas where they got blown out by Tennessee and St. John’s. Coming off two wins at home over Manhattan and Holy Cross, the ‘Hoos clearly are playing better than they did two weeks ago, but whether or not that is enough to beat Florida is still very up in the air.
What remains a concern in Charlottesville is the absence of a ball handler. Dai Dai Ames has shown his ability to score at all three levels and Andrew Rohde is having a bit of an offensive resurgence from last years slump, but neither have really been sufficient point guards.
Jalen Warley transferred out after Tony Bennett retired, Elijah Gertrude is out for the season after a scooter accident, and Christian Bliss is still sidelined. That is three ball handlers that Virginia desperately needs.
Still, with or without a defined point guard, this game will be won on the defensive end. Virginia cannot keep up with Florida’s offense if they allow them to really catch fire, so if they want a chance to pull off the road upset, they have to keep their guards on the three point line and deny their bigs touches as much as possible. Expect to see less Blake Buchanan in this contest and more Jacob Cofie. Ishan Sharma could also slide to the four and Elijah Saunders to the five for a little small ball. Still, Florida just has the advantage with every matchup, so Virginia hopes this one doesn’t get ugly.
Prediction: Florida by 12