Pregame Stuff: Florida vs. Virginia (Saturday, 8:40 pm)
Friday, March 17, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
A nuts and bolts look at UF's second-round NCAA Tournament game.
NCAA EAST REGION SECOND ROUND
FLORIDA vs VIRGINIA
When: Saturday, 8:40 p.m. (ET)
Where: Amway Center, Orlando
Records: Florida 25-8, Virginia 23-10
TV: TNT (Ian Eagle, Steve Lavin and Evan Washburn)
Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network (Mick Hubert and Mark Wise)
STAKES (The Setup)
Florida, the No. 4 seed in the East Region, advanced with Thursday's 80-65 defeat of 13-seed East Tennessee State, while 5-seed Virginia held off a tough challenge from 12-seed UNC-Wilmington for a 76-71 win. The UF-UVA winner will advance to the Sweet 16 next week in New York City. ... UF is in the Round of 32 for the 13th time in school history. When there, the Gators have gone 9-3. Their last second-round lost came to Villanova in 2005. ... Florida and Virginia have played twice, both in tournament play and both teams with a win. The Cavaliers defeated the Gators 62-56 in the semifinals of the 1992 NIT at Madison Square Garden. The two teams were matched again in first-round play of the 2012 NCAA Midwest Region at Omaha, Neb., where freshman guard Bradley Beal had a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds and sophomore forward Casey Prather came off the bench to score 14 points on 6-for-7 from the floor.
STARTERS (Probable Lineups)
| Florida | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Class | Per Game |
| Devin Robinson | F | 6-8 | 200 | Junior | 11.3 pts / 6.2 reb |
| Justin Leon | F | 6-8 | 206 | Senior | 7.1 pts / 3.3 reb |
| Kevarrius Hayes | C | 6-9 | 220 | Sophomore | 6.0 pts / 4.7 reb |
| KeVaughn Allen | G | 6-2 | 183 | Sophomore | 13.7pts / 2.6 reb |
| Kasey Hill | PG | 6-1 | 175 | Senior | 9.9 pts / 3.0 reb / 4.6 asts |
| Virginia | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Class | Per Game |
| Jack Salt | C | 6-11 | 247 | RS-Sophomore | 3.6 pts / 3.9 reb |
| Kyle Guy | G | 6-3 | 165 | Freshman | 7.8 pts / 1.7 reb |
| London Perrantes | PG | 6-2 | 197 | Senior | 12.9 pts / 3.1 reb / 3.8 ast |
| Devon Hall | G | 6-5 | 207 | RS-Junior | 8.6 pts / 4.5 reb |
| Darius Thompson | G | 6-4 | 196 | Junior | 6.3 pts / 1.6 reb |
STANDING OUT (One to Watch)
STUFF (Need-to-Know Info)
ABOUT THE GATORS: After 10 seasons as an assistant and four as a head coach, Mike White finally reached the NCAA Tournament and promptly made the best of it in guiding the Gators to their first win in the event since the 2014 run to the Final Four. UF will be looking to reach the Sweet 16 for the 10th time (11th when counting the vacated run of the 1987 team under Norm Sloan). ... UF shot 54 percent from the floor and went 6-for-12 from the 3-point line in the second half in surging past ETSU and also held the Buccaneers to 33-percent shooting after the break. UVA , though, will be far more efficient and disciplined on both ends. ... The Gators got the first-round win despite leading scorers KeVaughn Allen and Canyon Barry (11.9 ppg) combining to go just 2-for-15 from the floor, with Allen, a 38.5-percent 3-point shooter on the season, an ice-cold 1-for-9 from the arc. UF will need to hit some 3s to beat Virginia. ... Against ETSU, Florida got stellar play from Kasey Hill and Chris Chiozza, who combined to nine of 14 shots, including three of four from deep, to go with 11 rebounds and eight assists. They also had six turnovers, however, and such miscues against UVA will loom costlier because of the limited possessions the Cavs' defense allows. ... Forward Devin Robinson scored 24 points, matching his career high, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked a pair of shots Thursday. Given the stakes, it was easily one of the finest game's of "DRob's" career. ... Center Kevarrius Hayes had an active, stat-stufffing performance (7 points, 7 rebounds, 6 steals, 2 blocks), but the game against ETSU suited him. UVA's actions will put Hayes in some challenging defensive positions, much like Vanderbilt did. The Cavs, though, don't have a 7-1 center who shoots 3s. ... ABOUT THE CAVALIERS: They're now in the eighth season under Coach Tony Bennett, with a 188-82 record to show for it, plus five NCAA Tournament appearances, including last year as a No. 1 seed that fell in the Elite Eight. Year in and year out, Virginia ranks among the best defensive teams in the country, with the so-called "Pack-Line Defense" -- designed to deny baseline drives, with defenders in the gaps and funneling everything to the paint -- the calling card of Bennett's teams. The Cavaliers rank No. 1 in the nation in defensive efficiency and allow opponents to score just 56.1 points per game. Their pace of play (59 possessions per game) was the slowest in the country, thus limiting scoring opportunities -- only 48.2 field-goal attempts per game, fewest in the nation. ... Starting forward Isaiah Wilkins (6.8 ppg), the team leader in rebounds (6.0), blocks (43) and steals (33) is expected to miss the game with a viral illness that limited him to just five minutes against UNC-Wilmington. His spot in the starting lineup will go to freshman guard Kyle Guy, who is a team-best 51-for-101 from the 3-point line this season (50.5 percent). That also means the Cavs will start four guards. ... After Perrantes, UVA has no players averaging in double-figure scoring, which speaks to the style of play. The Cavs, though, have 3-point shooters in wing Devon Hall (37.6 percent), guard Darius Thompson (36.2), plus freshman wing Ty Jerome (4.5 ppg), who hits 3s at a 41-percent clip. ... Backup wing Marial Shayok (9.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg) could just as easily be starting. The 6-5 wing averages nearly 21 minutes per game, is a capable 3-point shooter at 32 percent and against UNC-W played the "5" spot when Bennett decided to go all small. ... Center Jack Salt is an enormous body inside, but isn't much of an offensive threat. He does make 54.5 percent from the floor, but fouling him is a good option. He's just 48.9 percent from the free-throw line this season.
STATS (Some Numbers of Note)
* .909 — Florida's record in NCAA Tournament games in the Gators' home state after improving to 10-1 in six regionals in the Sunshine State.
* 1.000 — Seldom-used backup center Gorjok Gak's field-goal percentage against ETSU, based on his 2-for-2 afternoon, with both baskets coming on dunks. Gak gave Hayes seven valuable reserve minutes, but also went 0-for-2 (with an airball) from the free-throw line. He's now 1-for-8 on the season from the stripe.
* 1 — UVA regular-season opponents (Clemson) that reached 70 points in regulation. Two teams have hit 70 against the Cavs in the postseason: Notre Dame got 71 in eliminating Virginia in the ACC Tournament and UNC-Wilmington scored 71 Thursday.
* 1.000 — Seldom-used backup center Gorjok Gak's field-goal percentage against ETSU, based on his 2-for-2 afternoon, with both baskets coming on dunks. Gak gave Hayes seven valuable reserve minutes, but also went 0-for-2 (with an airball) from the free-throw line. He's now 1-for-8 on the season from the stripe.
* 3 — UF points from the "4" spot last game, with Justin Leon and Keith Stone combining to go 1-for-4 from the floor in 35 minutes. The Gators need some production from the power forward position, but not forced. They need it within the scheme of the offense.
* 9.5 — Average turnovers per game by the Cavs, that third fewest in the nation. The Gators force 15.1 per game, which ranks 37th nationally, but again, possessions are decreased -- and therefore all the more precious -- when playing UVA.
STATEMENT (Random thought)
Two very good teams with two very different styles. Something has to give.
Players Mentioned
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