This reaction from senior forward Justin Leon sums up a woeful night of offense for the Gators.
Harry Fodder: Next Day Takeaway
Thursday, January 19, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
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More from the night before, a 57-53 road SEC loss at No. 24 South Carolina.
By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
NEXT-DAY TAKEAWAY No. 24 South Carolina 57, No. 19 Florida 53 Three leftover thoughts from Gators' loss at Columbia, S.C.
1) In processing that confounding shooting performance Wednesday night, the glaring number that jumps off the stat sheet is the 0-for-17 wreck from the 3-point line. It marked the first time in 25 years (a string of 850 games) the Gators failed to hit a shot from beyond the arc. Going into the game, the Gamecocks were allowing just 27.9 percent from deep (No. 1 in the country) and just 4.7 makes per game (fifth nationally, first in the SEC), but the Gators got a few good looks from out there. Twice this season, USC had held opponents to just one 3-pointer (in a loss against Memphis last month and win over Tennessee two games earlier). Enter the Gators, one of the SEC's most efficient offensive teams, and WHAM! It was a big-time buzz kill for a seven-game winning streak and unbeaten start through five SEC games. To truly appreciate (or lament) how phenomenal the South Carolina defense performed (and how badly Florida's offense was taken out of rhythm) let's further crunch the numbers. UF finished 19-for-54 from the floor overall (35.2 percent), with 38 points in the paint; as in, all 19 of its field goals. The Gators' remaining 15 points came at the free-throw line. Do the math. Better yet, check out the unofficial shot chart below and you'll see zero makes from anywhere outside the paint. Zero. As in 0-for-21. Not even a 10- or 12-footer. That's every bit as befuddling as 0-for-17 from deep. It's not going to happen very often for a team with the scoring punch of the Gators, but if it ever was going to happen it was going to be on the road against South Carolina. The Gamecocks suffocate you, they foul you and thug up the game by turning it into a street fight. Worth noting: South Carolina comes to Gainesville on Feb. 21.
The unofficial Florida shot chart from Wednesday night's South Carolina game reflects zero shots made (in 21 attempts) from outside the paint.
2) Ten days ago, sophomore KeVaughn Allen was fielding questions about being named SEC Player of the Week and was on a seven-game tear when he averaged 17.4 points, shot 51 percent from the floor and nearly 54 from 3. In the three games since? Try 5-for-18 overall, 0-for-8 from the arc and 16 points total. He scored one against the Gamecocks. One. That's one less than walk-on Schuyler Rimmer. The fact the Gators won of those previous games, and were in position to win the third Wednesday with so little from the team's most talented and explosive offensive player is somewhat surprising. But, obviously, the lack of production at that position (and from that player) is unsustainable. Allen knows it, the coaches know it. You can bet Mike White and his staff will huddle with their shooting guard and try and figure some things out. It's clear, though, that Allen is not playing with the bounce and confidence he displayed at Arkansas or against Tennessee when he was pulling up, driving and doing the the things the Gators need him to do. Have to fix that.
3) The optics may have been bad, but the loss wasn't a so-called "bad" loss when it comes to UF's postseason resume. The Gators started Wednesday No. 3 in the Ratings Percentage Index and dropped to No. 6, while the Gamecocks moved from No. 25 to No. 22. Florida still has the No. 1 non-conference strength of schedule and No. 2 overall strength of schedule, but is 0-4 against the RPI top 25 (and 4-4 vs. the Top 50). In the bigger picture, the Gators are now 1-10 vs. ranked teams under White, with only two of those games at home and the lone victory coming over No. 9 West Virginia in the 2016 SEC/Big 12 Challenge last Jan. 30. Florida likely have three more games against ranked opponents this season: two against No. 5 Kentucky, plus the return trip from South Carolina. Oh, and UF's 2017 version of the SEC/Big 12 event took on a different meaning after Oklahoma, which was really struggling, shocked WVU on the road Wednesday. The Gators play Jan. 28 at OU, which soared from the 150s to 87th in RPI with that win alone.
1) In processing that confounding shooting performance Wednesday night, the glaring number that jumps off the stat sheet is the 0-for-17 wreck from the 3-point line. It marked the first time in 25 years (a string of 850 games) the Gators failed to hit a shot from beyond the arc. Going into the game, the Gamecocks were allowing just 27.9 percent from deep (No. 1 in the country) and just 4.7 makes per game (fifth nationally, first in the SEC), but the Gators got a few good looks from out there. Twice this season, USC had held opponents to just one 3-pointer (in a loss against Memphis last month and win over Tennessee two games earlier). Enter the Gators, one of the SEC's most efficient offensive teams, and WHAM! It was a big-time buzz kill for a seven-game winning streak and unbeaten start through five SEC games. To truly appreciate (or lament) how phenomenal the South Carolina defense performed (and how badly Florida's offense was taken out of rhythm) let's further crunch the numbers. UF finished 19-for-54 from the floor overall (35.2 percent), with 38 points in the paint; as in, all 19 of its field goals. The Gators' remaining 15 points came at the free-throw line. Do the math. Better yet, check out the unofficial shot chart below and you'll see zero makes from anywhere outside the paint. Zero. As in 0-for-21. Not even a 10- or 12-footer. That's every bit as befuddling as 0-for-17 from deep. It's not going to happen very often for a team with the scoring punch of the Gators, but if it ever was going to happen it was going to be on the road against South Carolina. The Gamecocks suffocate you, they foul you and thug up the game by turning it into a street fight. Worth noting: South Carolina comes to Gainesville on Feb. 21. 
