The Gators have put together a solid 2017 class that includes three borderline three-four star recruits – 6-6 swingman DeAundrae Ballard of Atlanta, 6-8 forward Chase Johnson of Ripley, W. Va., and 6-8 forward Isaiah Stokes of Memphis, Tenn. They finished 17 for 56 from the field (30.4 percent), including 3 for 13 from 3-point range. That experience could be the difference in Friday night’s Sweet 16 matchup.
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Organizers of the event say it’s a great way to cheer on the Badgers and show your support for your home state.
If Florida loses discipline late in the shot clock on defense and lets Koenig or Trice get free, look out.
He was a freshman, coming off the bench as the senior-laden Gators rolled through to the Final Four.
You won’t find any of the Southeastern Conference’s three remaining teams in action tonight when the NCAA men’s basketball tournament resumes with its Sweet 16 games in the Midwest and West Regionals. “What I think both programs have kept in mind is they haven’t anxious about the string, they’ve just focused on the now and the current teams and try to do the best with those teams to get them to whatever their potential was or wherever their max ended up being”.
With No. 1 seed Villanova and No. 2 seed Duke both eliminated from the NCAA Tournament, the East Region is there for the taking. Wisconsin has a lot of familiar faces and just beat the defending champs. Granted, the Gators aren’t going to go 0-17 from deep again for a while against any team, but if they do end up beating the Badgers and it does turn out to be SC in the Elite Eight, this will be a completely different Gamecocks squad that the one they faced in February. The Gators have made it to the Final Four five times and won back-to-back titles in 2006-07. Interestingly, Virginia plays much like Wisconsin does.
But there are even more similarities. In addition to Allen’s clinic, Justin Leon pulled down eight rebounds to go with seven points. Florida’s top scorer can be a different player on any given night, although the Gators aren’t quite as deep after center John Egbunu tore his ACL in February, ending his season.
“This is really special”, said Happ, who is averaging 11 points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes during the NCAA Tournament. The Gators pounded ETSU, 80-65, and followed that win up with a decisive 65-39 beat down of Virginia.
In Praise of Nigel Hayes, March Madness’s Most Delightful Player, by Claire McNear, The Ringer: Hayes’ talent, outspoken nature and eccentricities may rub some people the wrong way, but they can also be considered quite endearing to others. “So if you get by that first guy, you’re meeting some athletic, tall guys in the paint”. This is Florida’s 11th trip to the Sweet 16, including a run of four straight from 2011-14. Florida is 26-8 against one of the most hard schedules anybody has played.
Wisconsin coach Greg Gard took his squad to the Sweet 16 as a No. 7 seed previous year after taking over mid-season for Bo Ryan, who abruptly resigned.
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While the Bulldogs cut the Carolina advantage to 10 points two minutes later, they got no closer the rest of the way. And, the Badgers are humming along, built on smart, disciplined basketball and tenacious defense. The 22 points matched Baylor’s low for a half this season. If you have actually seen Florida play this year, you obviously didn’t make this mistake. Instead, there’s Wisconsin and three teams from the South – Florida, Baylor and SC.
