No. 6 Florida basketball gets another test to unbeaten start vs UNC at Jumpman Invitational

Posted by Admin December 17, 2024 Basketball

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Florida basketball is taking a high-level of confidence into its matchup against North Carolina at the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, N.C. on Tuesday night (7 p.m., ESPN)

As one of five remaining unbeaten teams in college basketball, the No. 6 Florida Gators (10-0) are off to their best start since beginning the 2005-06 season 17-0.

Florida is coming off an 83-67 win over Arizona State on Saturday in Atlanta and, under third-year coach Todd Golden, has won all 10 of its games by double-digit margins. UF led the Sun Devils by as many as 29 points in the second half and converted defense into offense, scoring 20 points off 12 ASU turnovers.

“Arizona State is really good, so for us to be able to do it at such a high level was impressive,” Golden said. “I thought we played well both halves, but I thought in second half we did a really good job of letting our defense lead us to transition. We were able to get out on some spurts – getting some steals, getting some run-outs, getting some dunks.”

North Carolina (6-4) has been up-and-down under fourth-year coach Hubert Davis. The Tar Heels have suffered losses to Kansas, Auburn, Michigan State and Alabama this season to fall out of the Top 25.

Here are three storylines to watch for UF’s game against the Tar Heels:

Can Florida basketball continue its perimeter production?

Florida has made 10 or more 3-pointers in six of its last seven games, knocking down an average of 11.1 3-pointers per game during that span.

Against Arizona State, Florida shot 33.3% from 3-point range, making 10 of its 30 3-point attempts. Clayton led the way with five 3-pointers, with guard Alijah Martin sinking three 3-pointers and guard Will Richard adding two trys.

UF sophomore forwards Thomas Haugh (8-21 from 3-point range, 38.1%) and Alex Condon (6-13, 46.2%) also have shown the ability to stretch the floor at times this season.

How will Florida basketball handle defending UNC combo guard RJ Davis?

Davis, an All-American and the reigning ACC player of the year, is a deft scorer capable of knocking down shots from the perimeter and creating his own offense off the bounce. He’s averaged a team-high 17.6 points this season but has struggled a bit from the field (56-159, 35.2%) and 3-point range (19-76, 25%) early this season through UNC’s first 10 games. On the flip side, the 6-foot-0 Davis is getting to the foul line a high rate and knocking down his free throw attempts (46-52, 86.5%)

Containing Davis and the rest of a UNC offense that’s averaging 86.8 points will present another challenge for UF’s defense, which has shown marked improvement from the 2023-24 season. Since beating Florida State 87-74 on Nov. 15, Florida has held its last six opponents under 70 points.

“We’re just trying to focus more on the defensive end this year,” Martin said. “We’ve got a very good offensive scheme, and most teams are not going to be able to hang with us offensively, so if we get stops then we’re just untouchable.”

How will Florida basketball handle a road-like environment?

Florida is 1-0 in road games this season with its win at Florida State, and 4-0 in neutral court games with wins over USF in Jacksonville, Wake Forest and Wichita State in Kissimmee and Arizona State in Arizona.

Though a neutral court contest, the crowd at the 19,000-seat Spectrum Center will essentially serve as a road-like environment playing in North Carolina’s home state. How UF handles the crowd noise and inevitable runs that come during the course of a 40-miute college basketball game could prove crucial to the game’s outcome.

Prediction

Florida 84, Noth Carolina 78: Florida will stay unbeaten, surviving a back-and-forth affair by pulling away in the closing minutes. The Gators will exploit North Carolina’s lack of size and four-guard lineups on the boards and cash in their second-chance opportunities.

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1