What Maryland men’s basketball fans should know about No. 1 seed Florida
Take a deep breath, Terps fans.
Maryland men’s basketball defeated No. 12 seed Colorado State, 72-71, on Sunday to advance to its first Sweet 16 during coach Kevin Willard’s tenure. The victory came with a heart-stopping finish, as Maryland needed a buzzer-beater from star freshman Derik Queen to avoid a season-ending loss.
As the Terps eye even more success in this year’s NCAA Tournament, they’ll prepare for their toughest test of the season. No. 1 seed Florida waits in the next round after the Gators squeaked past two-time defending national champion UConn in the second round.
Here’s what Maryland fans need to know about the upcoming matchup with Florida:
The Gators blow teams out
Of Florida’s 32 wins, 25 have been by double digits. The Gators don’t just beat teams, they dominate them.
Florida doesn’t just run by subpar nonconference foes, either. It has double-digit wins over Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Georgia and Texas, among others. The Gators also beat Florida State, Wake Forest, Virginia and Arizona State by more than 10 points.
Todd Golden’s team earned its No. 1 seed with one of the most dominant seasons in recent memory, as KenPom data says the Gators’ adjusted efficiency would’ve been the best in the country in six of the past 10 seasons. It’s the third-best mark this year, trailing only Duke and Houston.
The Gators aren’t unbeatable — they have four losses, including a 20-point road loss to Tennessee — but they’ve often shown that opponents need their best to even keep games close. If Maryland shows up next week and brings less than its A-game, the Terps could be in for a long game.
Walter Clayton Jr. is a star
Former Iona standout Walter Clayton Jr. has thrived in two seasons in Gainesville. The Gators’ point guard averages 17.7 points per game to go with 4.3 assists per contest. He’s third in KenPom’s Player of the Year ranking, with only Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Auburn’s Johni Broome rated ahead of Clayton.
A likely NBA draft pick, Clayton has shot 38% from 3-point range during his four-year career, never having a season below 35.7% shooting from beyond the arc. In Sunday’s narrow win over UConn, Clayton scored 23 points on 5 of 8 shooting from 3-point range.
In the final three minutes of the game, with Florida’s season hanging in the balance, Clayton scored eight of his 23 points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting.
The Gators are more than just one player, of course, with five other players averaging at least eight points per game. Sophomore center Alex Condon, who averages just over 11 points and more than seven rebounds per game, will provide a stern test for Maryland star freshman Derik Queen. But it’s Clayton who makes Florida’s offense hum.
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Free throws are a weakness
If there’s a weakness for the No. 1 seed, it’s free-throw shooting. The Gators have seven players averaging at least 10 minutes per game who shoot worse than 75% from the free-throw line, and they shoot 71.9% from the line as a team, which puts them at about 200th nationally.
In contrast, Maryland was a top-100 free-throw shooting team at 74.6% before Sunday’s win over Colorado State. The Terps went 10-for-12 at the line Sunday, shooting over 80% after an uncharacteristic 50% showing in the opening round.
The Terps have faced unfortunate opponent free-throw shooting luck in their losses this year. In Maryland’s past three losses, opponents have shot at least 83.3% from the line in each game. Michigan made over 90% of its free throws in an 81-80 Wolverines win over Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
If Maryland can benefit from a mediocre free-throw shooting performance from the Gators, who missed 12 of their 34 free throws in Sunday’s win over UConn, an upset becomes more feasible.
Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin.
NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
No. 4 seed Maryland vs. No. 1 seed Florida
At Chase Center, San Francisco
Thursday, TBA
TV: TBA
Radio: 105.7 FM
| 2d 10:06 PM ET ago |
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