Florida and BYU face off against each other for the second NCAA Tournament in a row. If its anything like the game last year's two OT thriller, it will be in the running for game of the tournament. For the Gators if they can do these three things consistently tonight, they most likely cruise into the Elite Eight. (Although all bets are off when it comes to The Law of Gus)
Attack the Post:
With the suspension of BYU's best post player Brandon Davies, the Gators have a huge advantage in the paint. Whether its from getting Alex Tyus, Vernon Macklin, and Patric Young the ball in the post, or having Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker attack the basket, Florida should be able to do whatever they want in the paint. BYU does have a quality post in Noah Hartstock, but Charles Abouo and James Anderson are a huge drop from what Davies brought to the table for BYU. If their posts get into some early foul trouble, expect BYU to go zone, which should give Chandler Parsons, Walker, and Boynton open looks from three.
Limit BYU's Supporting Cast:
Just get it your mind from the beginning, Jimmer Fredette is going to score a lot of points tonight. The key is limiting his teammates from becoming a quality second option. In last year's matchup, Michael Loyd, Jr.'s was left open, and he took advantage to the tune of 26 points to compliment Fredette's 37. Jackson Emery has emerged as the Cougar's second option this year, and if Boynton can keep him under control tonight, it will put even more pressure on Jimmer to produce.
Make Jimmer Work on Defense:
All credit goes to Alligator Army on this one. Jimmer is not a great defender, and Florida has two guys in Walker and Boynton who can exploit Fredette's lack of lateral movement to get to the lane. If Jimmer shot is affected from working on both ends, or has to go to the bench after picking up a foul or two, it could get ugly early for BYU.