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 Wysłany: Wto 6:06, 24 Maj 2011 Temat postu: Gators face tough test in UCLA big man Joshua Smit |
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Gators face tough test in UCLA big man [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]
TAMPA — The signs mocking UCLA center [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]
Another showed an upside-down food pyramid that read Josh [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]
The most feared players get mocked, and while no one believes the Gators fear the Bruins freshman, they will need to find a way to deal with his 6-foot-10, 323-pound body.
Second-seeded Florida (27-7) faces seventh-seeded UCLA (23-10) in the third round of the Southeast Regional on Saturday with the Gators facing a few matchup problems from the Bruins.
To advance to their first Sweet 16 since the 2007 national championship year, Florida will face a big, yet young UCLA team. That starts with [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]
In 6-foot-8 forwards Reeves Nelson and Tyler Honeycutt, the Gators find an opponent that can match their own frontcourt.
"He's a freight train," Donovan said about [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]
The Gators compared him to Vanderbilt's Festus Ezeli or Mississippi State's Renardo Sidney, but Donovan said those comparisons probably aren't accurate. He's got at least 50 pounds on two of the biggest players in the SEC.
In short, Florida has not played anyone like him this year.
Freshman center Patric Young will be called upon to limit [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]
"He knows how to use his body. He has really good hands," Young said. "He finishes around the basket. He doesn't have post moves, but he just goes right through you without lowering his shoulder or fouling."
Defensively, that could mean double-teaming [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]
But the Bruins are more than [link widoczny dla zalogowanych]
Boynton, Florida's team's top defender, said he would likely spend the game guarding Honeycutt, who averages 12.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and shoots .411.
Getting a good defensive effort will be key, but the Gators are hoping for a continuation of the offensive play that led them to a blowout win over UC Santa Barbara in the second round on Thursday. They hit 54.7 percent of their shots and had 22 assists in their first tournament win in four seasons.
UCLA, on the other hand, had a tougher time. The Bruins nearly coughed up their opening game against Michigan State, leading by 23 before taking a two-point win.
Florida's players are hoping their experience from this season can help, although they said anything can happen in the tournament. The Gators start three seniors, while the Bruins have none on the roster. Instead, they rely on two juniors, two sophomores and a freshman.
"It's a level playing field. [UCLA has] guys that they've been in big games," said Walker. "The extra year or so is not going to make that much of a difference.
"They're a good team, we're a good team and the best team will win."
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