“We’re going to beat them anyways. If he plays, we’ll beat them.”
That was what Florida head coach, Todd Golden, said when he was asked about the Charles Bediako situation a couple of weeks ago when the news of his eligibility first broke. Well, now he’ll have the chance to back that up, as the 23rd-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide heads to Gainesville to take on the Gators in the O-Dome on Sunday. Chuck will be making the trip, and the Tide will need him, as they will do battle with the best frontcourt
in the country. Golden has won four straight over Oats including a sweep of the Tide last season on his way to both an SEC Tournament title and a National Championship.
As for the Tide, Oats’ squad is coming off of a dominant win over a solid Missouri team in a major bounce-back spot Tuesday night in Tuscaloosa. The big developments in that game were Aden Holloway’s return to the court and Latrell Wrightsell’s return to form – Trelly had really been struggling to get his shot going consistently prior to the other night. And of course, Bediako having another strong game.
I’ve been preaching patience on behalf of this year’s team, which has been plagued by injuries. Amari Allen is considered a game time decision for Sunday’s game as of this writing, but as soon as he can get back and the Tide can have a fully healthy roster – and assuming Chuck is able to win his legal case – this team has a higher ceiling than any in the SEC. Imagine Labaron Philon running PnR with Bediako while Trelly, Allen, and Aiden Sherrill space out the defense, as Holloway waits to check in and take his turn running the offense. That’s a beautiful image. But it’s also a group that can rebound quite well and play solid defense, too.
Let’s just hope we get to see it.
How to Watch
What: #23 Alabama (14-6, 4-3 SEC) at #19 Florida (15-6, 6-2 SEC)
Where: O’Connell Center, Gainesville, FL
When: Noon CST Sunday
TV: ABC
Line: Florida -7
The Gators, of course, are coming off a season where they caught fire late and turned into an absolute wagon on their way to a National Championship. They returned the entire frontcourt from that team – 6’9 Thomas Haugh, 6’11 Alex Condon, 6’11 Rueben Chinyelu, and 7’1 Micah Handlogten. On the flipside, they lost their entire backcourt – superstar point guard Walter Clayton, lethal scorer Alijah Martin, 3&D specialist Will Richard, and the lengthy Denzel Aberdeen, who transferred to Kentucky.
The results are about what you would expect. This year’s squad has the best frontcourt in college hoops, but the guard play has been really spotty. Arkansas transfer – and former five star – Boogie Fland has really struggled to shoot the ball (41.3%/19.3%/72.3%). As has point guard Xaivian Lee (37.9%/26.2%/79.6%), who transferred in from Princeton. The one returning guard from last year’s roster, Urban Klavzar, has been the lone shooting threat in the backcourt (41.5%/37.1%/90.7%).
Haugh has honestly provided more offensive playmaking than any of the guards, as he’s averaging 17.4 PPG on 47.3%/34.8%/73.9% with 2.0 APG and 2.3 ORPG. Whether Allen plays or not, either he or Taylor Bol Bowen will be tasked with the most important role on the team on Sunday – defending Haugh.
Three Keys to Victory
- Hold up on the Boards. Auburn provided the perfect formula for beating the Gators just last Saturday – merely survive on the glass and let your guards take over the game. Being able to play both Bediako and Sherrill is going to be massive in this game. Truthfully, Alabama had basically no chance in this one without Chuck. But being able to go TBB – Sherrill – Chuck in the frontcourt against the Gators usual look of Haugh – Condon – Chinyelu is so critical. Florida is the best rebounding team in the country – as they rank #2 in the country in both OREB% and OREB% allowed. A truly astounding stat.
- Push the Pace. The Gators don’t really have much depth this season. The seven names I’ve dropped in the last few paragraphs are basically the whole rotation. Their eighth man – Isaiah Brown – averages 10.8 MPG. They are 343rd in Bench Minutes. Alabama needs to keep its foot firmly planted on the gas pedal on Sunday. The Gators’ guards are a lot better defensively than they are offensively, but this is still a team that plays big and wants to make it a paint game. The Tide needs to run Florida, wear them down, draw some fouls, and test out that bench that they never use.
- Let it Fly. At the end of the day, Alabama is simply a much better shooting team than Florida is. Someone double check me on this, but I believe that’s relatively important in basketball. The Gators are 345th in the country in 3P%. Western Illinois shoots it better. If the Tide can rip it from beyond the arc the way they did on Tuesday night, Florida might have a hard time keeping up if they keep trading twos with threes.
This is a huge opportunity for Alabama to make a statement in a primetime Sunday hoops spot on ABC. Florida has not been the machine they were last year, but they are still arguably the best in the SEC, and a road win in Gainesville will show that the Tide can absolutely still compete for an SEC regular season title, as the conference feels wide-open a month into league play.
