Love all the analysis on this game...to me, it's not obvious who has the edge here...here's my take...I think maybe too much is being made regarding the last games for each club...Fla beat a Villanova team that exhausted itself Boston College...it's hard to get back up two days later particularly when you have no inside presence which is the case for Villanova..they just looked spent to me, ..and same for GMU...beat a Conn club that barely beat Washington...they just didn't have anything left in the engine emotionally it looked like to me..not that they showed much emotion to begin with..it looked like they would turn it on at the end and this time it didn't work..GMU showed tremendous poise and effort...in watching both those games, both Vill and Conn didn't seem to want to win the game as much as Fla nd GMU...to me a better indicator for this matchup are the other games these teams played...in watching Fla vs Georgetown, you saw Georgetown take advantate of their height advantage..but Fla was able to push around GT's big man, Hibbard so that was pretty much a wash...backcourt was also pretty much a wash between these two..that game was tied with about a minute to go...Fla outexecuted GT at the end and I think showed more grit..so how does GMU compare to GT? I don't think GMU's big men will score as easily as they did against Conn but neither do I think Fla's will either against GMU as they did against Vill or GT...GMU shut down NC's and MSUs and Conn inside game...are Fla's big men any better?...not really. I don't see Fla's big men being able to move GMU's big mean around or get position..so they'll have to win battles by being a bit taller and better leapers...don't think much will be gained by FLA here...on the other side GMU's big men backing down to the basket or hooking across the lane..just don't see that working either...the Fla big men will reject a bunch of stuff...and neither teams big men are great outside shooters so I see kind of a stalemate inside..with neither teams big men scoring as much as they did last game...so that means the backcourt may decide this..GMU's backcourt has been very steady and have hit their shots...Fla's pretty much the same...both teams outside defense is real solid so dont' see a lot of open looks...think GMU's guards are better with the ball and Florida's maybe a tad better hitting a set shot...but overall, I think it's kind of a wash, here as well...GMU's foul shooting has been pretty bad down the stretch so I like Florida's edge there...so is their bench...so in summary, I see a game where the two teams stay close...if Florida covers the spread here and win like they did against GT by executing late and hitting their foul shots...they will cover because of late foul shots and hitting a key basket like they did against GT..but 6 is a real tantilizing number...GMU will keep this close like the others I think..but will they let it slip away at the end or will they grit it out...they will have to continue to win the boards at the end of the game and hit a key shot or two at the end...so with that all said, if I had to predict, I think this game will be a lot like the Georgetown game..fairly slow pace...each possession a battle..a close game throughout...is GMU superior to GT at the end...to me, they have one intangile GT doesn't have...greater heart...if GMU goes down, it will be real late and within the 6...so GMU is the play IMO.
How I read GMU/FLA
- Thread starter grey beard
- Start date
also wanted to add...
also wanted to add...
what's different this year than other years is none of these four teams seem like they are "on a mission" to be the champion...what I mean by this, I really don't think any of the 4 at the start of the season really could have legitimately thought of themselves as national contenders...all 4 have played great down the strech but can any really consider their season a disappointment if they don't make it to the finals? Conn sure blew it..but none of these fit that bill...so there's one more intangible today...which teams are still focused and which ones are satisfied to just to get to this point? Most folks think GMU might be the one to be just happy to get here...but I think any of the 4 could be like that, or maybe none of the 4.....it's conceivable any of these teams could come out flat...flatness is often obvious when shooting is off..or a team is outrebounded when...so who's it going to be? I'll predict, none...all 4 of these teams will play like they have for the past few weeks...so whoever wins, will win because they are simply better baseketball players IMO...and you can make a case for any of the 4 winning..of the 4, to me, UCLA has been the most inconsistent...GMU and Fla extremely consistent...LSU, the best frontcourt of the 4, UCLA, probably the best backcourt, athletically...I think we'll have two great games today...as I said before GMU I think will go to the wire..and I won't predict who will win...LSU/UCLA...think LSU will wear them down and dominate the inside and get UCLA into big foul trouble...so I'll go with LSU versus the GMU/FL winner
also wanted to add...
what's different this year than other years is none of these four teams seem like they are "on a mission" to be the champion...what I mean by this, I really don't think any of the 4 at the start of the season really could have legitimately thought of themselves as national contenders...all 4 have played great down the strech but can any really consider their season a disappointment if they don't make it to the finals? Conn sure blew it..but none of these fit that bill...so there's one more intangible today...which teams are still focused and which ones are satisfied to just to get to this point? Most folks think GMU might be the one to be just happy to get here...but I think any of the 4 could be like that, or maybe none of the 4.....it's conceivable any of these teams could come out flat...flatness is often obvious when shooting is off..or a team is outrebounded when...so who's it going to be? I'll predict, none...all 4 of these teams will play like they have for the past few weeks...so whoever wins, will win because they are simply better baseketball players IMO...and you can make a case for any of the 4 winning..of the 4, to me, UCLA has been the most inconsistent...GMU and Fla extremely consistent...LSU, the best frontcourt of the 4, UCLA, probably the best backcourt, athletically...I think we'll have two great games today...as I said before GMU I think will go to the wire..and I won't predict who will win...LSU/UCLA...think LSU will wear them down and dominate the inside and get UCLA into big foul trouble...so I'll go with LSU versus the GMU/FL winner
1/2 time read
1/2 time read
Edge is this game so far is simple..Fla hitting their 3s and GMU is not, everything else is even. I liked GMU to this game orginially to cover the 6....will GMU finally give out and Fla pull away? Fla really didn't establish they were superior in the first half...I'll stick with my assessment..this one still comes down to the last minute and I'll take the 6 points....the cinderella story may end...but it will be with a flurry is my prediction.
1/2 time read
Edge is this game so far is simple..Fla hitting their 3s and GMU is not, everything else is even. I liked GMU to this game orginially to cover the 6....will GMU finally give out and Fla pull away? Fla really didn't establish they were superior in the first half...I'll stick with my assessment..this one still comes down to the last minute and I'll take the 6 points....the cinderella story may end...but it will be with a flurry is my prediction.