Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Three follow-up observations from Florida's win Tuesday night at Georgia that moved the Gators to 17-9 on the season and 8-5 in Southeastern Conference play.

1) More often than not, Kasey Hill is a lightning rod for UF fans. There's no escaping his free-throw shooting (now 54.2 percent after going 1-for-6 at UGA), but he was outstanding against the Bulldogs. He only scored seven points, but he had five assists and just one turnover while playing sensational defense -- be it in man or in the rare 2-3 zone the Gators trotted out in the second half -- mostly on Georgia guard and scoring leader J.J. Frazier. Coming into the game, Frazier was averaging 15.4 points and better than 39 percent from the 3-point line on just over 10 attempts per game from the arc. Hill, back in the starting lineup in place of Chris Chiozza, stuck to Frazier through screens intended to shake Georgia's best shooter loose, yet Frazier finished 4-for-10 overall and converted just one of the mere four 3-balls he took. His penetration and dump-offs to center John Egbunu in the second half were huge plays when UF need baskets.  

2) With officials' point of emphasis on hand-checking this season, the Florida coaches have locked in on a point of emphasis of their own. UF defenders are constantly told to "show hands" when in coverage, especially on drives to the basket. If the officials see hands in the air, then the likelihood of calling a hand check is virtually eliminated. Contact with the body? Maybe. But the sight of forward Justin Leon pulling his raised hands behind his head or Egbunu keeping his hands raised against Georgia post players in the paint is a huge reason why the Bulldogs shot a season-low eight free throws against a defense that guarded them at 32-percent efficiency. 

3) With a solid road win (only the third of the year), the Gators improved their Ratings Percentage Index standing to 27th. That's third-best in the SEC behind Kentucky (12), which Florida plays in two weeks, and Texas A&M (22nd), plus seven spots ahead of No. 34 Alabama and eight of South Carolina (35th), where the Gators head for another big road game Saturday. Obviously, RPI is a popular topic this time of year -- have you checked any bracketology websites today? -- but so much can change between now and the end of the conference tournaments. That's why coaches and players can't get all wrapped up in what Joe Lunardi is predicting. There are games to play.