Florida basketball vs Virginia, scouting report, prediction for SEC-ACC Challenge game

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Florida basketball is off to its best start since 2009-10 and will get another power conference test when it hosts Virginia on Wednesday night (7:15 p.m, ESPN2) in the SEC-ACC Challege,

The No. 13 Florida Gators (8-0) won the ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee last season, following up a 75-58 win over Wake Forest on Thanksgiving with an 88-51 rout of Wichita State on Friday. In both games, UF played stellar defense, holding Wake Forest to 37.5% shooting from the floor and Wichita State to 29.8% shooting.

“We made a big jump on the defensive end in Orlando, and so for me it’s consistency right there,” Florida basketball coach Todd Golden said. “It’s, first of all, proving that you’re capable. And once you can do that, then proving that you can be consistent.”

Florida is 2-2 all-time against Virginia and will look to avenge a 73-70 loss to the Cavaliers last season at the Naismith Hall of Fame Series in Charlotte, N.C.

Virginia (5-2) has been forced to deal with the surprise resignation of head coach Tony Bennett just before the start of the 2024-25 season. Bennett, who coached Virginia to a national title in 2019 using his renowned pack-line defense, cited the changing college landscape due to Name, Image and Likeness and the transfer portal as the reasons for his resignation.

Under first-year coach Ron Sanchez, Virginia struggled in its most significant tests early this season, falling 64-42 to No. 3 Tennessee and 80-55 to St. John’s at the Baha Mar Hoops Championship in the Bahamas. Sanchez was a long-time assistant under Bennett at Virginia who returned to the program after coaching six seasons at Charlotte.

“Ron’s done a really good job,” Golden said. “I think they’re so really well coached. They’re maybe playing a little bit differently offensively, not much differently defensively.

“Obviously coach Sanchez had been with him for quite a while before getting the Charlotte job. I don’t think his plan when he got the opportunity a couple months ago was to come in and change…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-basketball-vs-virginia-scouting-001831330.html

Author : The Gainesville Sun

Publish date : 2024-12-04 00:18:00

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