I’m not watching but my guess is they are on the perimeter too much on defense because of our switches, therefore not around the rim to collect rebounds.
2021-22 Basketball Primer
- Thread starter instaGATOR
- Start date
McKissic has exploded in the 2nd half. Now has 20 points, 5-8 shooting 3's. Team rebounding is still even at 35-34, but Gators up 71-52 with 4 minutes left
UF wins 80-57. Made 12 3's at 32.4%, 38% shooting for the game, 73.7% from the free throw line. 18 assists to 9 turnovers with 5 blocks and 12 steals. 4 Gators in double figures, with 6 guys playing over 20 minutes and 3 more getting at least 10 minutes. Overall, a pretty solid debut, IMO.
I was impressed with the defense. That team averaged 93 PPG the last season they competed. I know they’re Dll but they have some shooters.
Four takeaways from Florida’s exhibition win over Embry-Riddle
Florida defeated the Division II Eagles 80-57 on Monday night in its exhibition game.
www.yahoo.com
What did we learn from the Gator 80 - 57 win over D2 ERAU?
Raw Stats: UF - ERAU
FG - 38.0% - 42.3%
3's - 32.4% - 25.0%
FT - 73.7% - 61.5%
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RB's - 41 - 39
T-O's - 9 - 21
Stl's - 12 - 6
From the iG: As predicted, early on, the defense is leading the way for the offense.
SG McKissic is the one that had 'his game' first.
20 Pts on 54% shooting, 5 of 8 for 62.5% on 3's. -- 2 Rbs, 1 Stl, 1 Blk 😲
I'm sure that others will follow his lead and be the stars in other games.
SF/SG Fleming - 9 Pts, 6 Rbs, 3 Asts, 1 Stl. Not great, but a real solid 1st night as a Gator.
While PG Appleby didn't start, he played the most minutes (29). - 7 Ast's, 2 T-O's, for excellent progress from last season. And he was 4/8 50% with his 3's. Solid night. -- 13 Pts, 7 Asts, 3 Stls.
PF Duruji fouled out of the game, but not before having a very solid night.
16 Pts, 7 Rbs, 3 Stls, 1 Blk. Mike White's post game comment on Duruji:
"He's been playing like a veteran high-character guy, and it carried over for him tonight."
PF Felder - 9 Pts, 6 Rbs for a pretty good game coming in off the bench.
How do you balance out a poor team shooting outing?
With good ball movement and a smothering defense.
Solid Positive to begin a season with? Team: 18 Asts to just 9 T-O's.
The 2 to 1 Asts would have been even higher if not for so many missed shots.
It's a big deal because the '20-21 season had 80+ more T-O's than Asts.
Just like only 9 T-O's was a big deal after averaging giving up 15/Gm last year.
C Castleton - 10 Pts, 9 Rbs, just missing a double-double after being ice-cold in the 1st half.
PG Jones - 4 Pts, the best 3 Pt shooter on the team coming in, he went a bizarre 0 for 6 on 3's....
The Jones/Castleton combo went 4 of 17 (23.5%) on the night. WTF??? 😯
Just as I expected, Gatkek 6-9 172 played and he played well in his 5 minutes of 'look-see' ball. 2 Pts, 3 Rbs, but as everyone knows, he really needs the weight room and a lot more snacks. 😉
https://247sports.com/college/flori...uruji-Brandon-McKissic-174379078/#174379078_5
Raw Stats: UF - ERAU
FG - 38.0% - 42.3%
3's - 32.4% - 25.0%
FT - 73.7% - 61.5%
-----
RB's - 41 - 39
T-O's - 9 - 21
Stl's - 12 - 6
From the iG: As predicted, early on, the defense is leading the way for the offense.
SG McKissic is the one that had 'his game' first.
20 Pts on 54% shooting, 5 of 8 for 62.5% on 3's. -- 2 Rbs, 1 Stl, 1 Blk 😲
I'm sure that others will follow his lead and be the stars in other games.
SF/SG Fleming - 9 Pts, 6 Rbs, 3 Asts, 1 Stl. Not great, but a real solid 1st night as a Gator.
While PG Appleby didn't start, he played the most minutes (29). - 7 Ast's, 2 T-O's, for excellent progress from last season. And he was 4/8 50% with his 3's. Solid night. -- 13 Pts, 7 Asts, 3 Stls.
PF Duruji fouled out of the game, but not before having a very solid night.
16 Pts, 7 Rbs, 3 Stls, 1 Blk. Mike White's post game comment on Duruji:
"He's been playing like a veteran high-character guy, and it carried over for him tonight."
PF Felder - 9 Pts, 6 Rbs for a pretty good game coming in off the bench.
How do you balance out a poor team shooting outing?
With good ball movement and a smothering defense.
Solid Positive to begin a season with? Team: 18 Asts to just 9 T-O's.
The 2 to 1 Asts would have been even higher if not for so many missed shots.
It's a big deal because the '20-21 season had 80+ more T-O's than Asts.
Just like only 9 T-O's was a big deal after averaging giving up 15/Gm last year.
C Castleton - 10 Pts, 9 Rbs, just missing a double-double after being ice-cold in the 1st half.
PG Jones - 4 Pts, the best 3 Pt shooter on the team coming in, he went a bizarre 0 for 6 on 3's....
The Jones/Castleton combo went 4 of 17 (23.5%) on the night. WTF??? 😯
Just as I expected, Gatkek 6-9 172 played and he played well in his 5 minutes of 'look-see' ball. 2 Pts, 3 Rbs, but as everyone knows, he really needs the weight room and a lot more snacks. 😉
https://247sports.com/college/flori...uruji-Brandon-McKissic-174379078/#174379078_5
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Yeah Nic, that was my point on the comparison.
Some here thought that Gatkek would not be able to play at all this year, due to his underweight to height. I agree he needs a bit more weight/muscle if he's going to be a PF, but as a tall SF he wouldn't need much more to be able to give Mike some solid minutes in games this season.
He's a solid skills player that's just a bit on the skinny side for a PF in the SEC.
We learned that we did not overmatch a team that should have been overmatched, and if we don't get a lot better really, really quickly, it's going to be a LONG season.
If Gatkek is playing anything other than mop up minutes, it means we are in trouble. This was D2 comp
Could you give me a more in-depth analysis on Gatkek's skill level, his history, and his performance so far in practice and games, instead of just a general condemning opinion?
I'm interested in understanding why you have your opinion, and what it's being based on?
He's 6'9 173 pounds. Not physically ready for SEC play. He averaged just over 10 points per game at the juco level. You think that 10 pts per game in juco is going to translate to something better in the SEC? My hope is we have better players in front of him.
sounds like somebody needs to give him a sammich- probably several
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While this is most certainly true, being 6-9 is a gift and muscle and weight can be added.
Eventually, absolutely. But he's skin and bones right now. Everyone agrees he's a project player. We will see what he does over the next 12 months. If he's playing a bunch, it means we suck.
Speaking of hoops, Bama is killing it on the recruiting trail. If any of these freshman are as good as advertised, they are going to be loaded. Vols look to be super tough this year and may be the best in the league. Interesting to see Ky work the transfer portal vs the 1 and done route.
Nobody, including me, thought that Tuon would come in and be a starter. However, he is good enough to get some quality playing minuets this season. That's not just from the iG, that's the opinions of his teammates and the coaches that know him from practice.
Gatkek averaged 10 Pt's, 6.9 Rb's, 2.2 Blk's in 2020-21. Okay, so how did he finish up at JuCo?
Tuon finished with a 23-3 record while earning All-Region Honors last season. He had 19 points in the Cardinals' 2nd-round NJCAA Tournament game and tallied a season-high 23 points in a win vs. Tyler Junior College.
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The belief coming into the season was that 5-star freshman SF/SG Kowacie Reeves, one of three underclassmen added to the Florida roster in the offseason, would be the lone player without Division I experience to crack Florida’s roster, and Reeves did show some flashes of potential Monday night despite a 1-of-6 night from the field.
But the first underclassman to score against the Eagles wasn’t Reeves, but rather 6-foot-9 sophomore Tuongthach “Tuon” Gatkek.
Gatkek entered the contest in place of ice-cold starting C/PF Colin Castleton with 4:14 remaining in the first half, and it didn’t take long for the JUCO transfer to make an impact. Tyree Appleby found Gatkek under the basket on a fast break and the Portland, Maine, native slammed it home with two hands to push UF’s lead to 27-21; less than 45 seconds into his first taste of Power-Six basketball, Gatkek was on the stat sheet with his first bucket for the Gators.
Gatkek’s early impact seemed to surprise everyone but his teammates and coaches.
“That's the motor that he plays with every day, you know. He's got to gain some weight and some strength, he's got a lot to learn in many aspects, you know, of the game at this level, just like our other two freshmen, but it wasn't surprising that he impacted the game with his energy level,” White said. “He's going to, throughout the year, he's going to make some freshman mistakes, of course, and we'll expect that, but he was pretty good. Going into the game, did we expect to throw him out in the first 20, yeah we were going to try to, yeah.”
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Awarding five preseason accolades to the Florida Gators basketball team before they tip-off the season on Tuesday at 8-PM vs Elon.
And that was on an uncharacteristic off night for him, just imagine when he's on....
Defensive Player of the Year: SF/CG Phlandrous Fleming Jr. (better than Lewis)
As a 2X Def. PoY in the Big South, Career 137 Stl's and 89 Blk's in 4 seasons.
Vs ERAU - 9 Pt's, 6 Rb's, 3 Ast's, 2 T-O's, 1 Stl.
Vs ERAU - 20 points, 14 in the second half, 54% from the field and 71.4% on 3's.
Also with 2 Rb's, 1 Ast, 0 T-O's, 1 Stl.
His post game comments: “We always put each other on notice,” he said about rallying the team from a closer game. “We seen that it was getting a little too close and the juice was a little dead. We huddled up and were like ‘hey, let’s kick it up a notch’. We hold each other accountable because that’s who we are. We are going to hold each other accountable regardless of the score or time. We really do just want to play and want to win. So I feel like it’s just a bunch of unselfishness and we just picked up our energy on defense.”
Vs ERAU - 13 Pt's, 7 Ast's, 2 T-O's, 2 Rb's, 3 Stl's.
Vs ERAU - 1 Rb, 2 Blk's in 8 Min's.
PS
If KJ never plays again, he can still collect 5 Mil on an insurance policy. Jus-sayin...
Most Valuable Player: C/PF Colin Castleton. 1st Team All SEC
Vs ERAU - 10 Pts, 9 Rbs, 1 Ast (1/1 3's) 2 Stls, 1 Blk.And that was on an uncharacteristic off night for him, just imagine when he's on....
Defensive Player of the Year: SF/CG Phlandrous Fleming Jr. (better than Lewis)
As a 2X Def. PoY in the Big South, Career 137 Stl's and 89 Blk's in 4 seasons.
Vs ERAU - 9 Pt's, 6 Rb's, 3 Ast's, 2 T-O's, 1 Stl.
Best Newcomer: SG Brandon McKissic (better than Locke)
He asserted himself as an efficient scorer in the Gators offense, one that can emerge as a star at all three levels as the season rolls on.Vs ERAU - 20 points, 14 in the second half, 54% from the field and 71.4% on 3's.
Also with 2 Rb's, 1 Ast, 0 T-O's, 1 Stl.
His post game comments: “We always put each other on notice,” he said about rallying the team from a closer game. “We seen that it was getting a little too close and the juice was a little dead. We huddled up and were like ‘hey, let’s kick it up a notch’. We hold each other accountable because that’s who we are. We are going to hold each other accountable regardless of the score or time. We really do just want to play and want to win. So I feel like it’s just a bunch of unselfishness and we just picked up our energy on defense.”
Energizer Bunny: PG Tyree Appleby - Better Ast/TO Ratio and Quick.
As the main contributor to the Gators 22 fast-break points against Embry-Riddle, Appleby looked rejuvenated in his new 6th Man role and still saw the most minutes of any Florida player.Vs ERAU - 13 Pt's, 7 Ast's, 2 T-O's, 2 Rb's, 3 Stl's.
Biggest Sleeper: C Jason Jitoboh - Physical Conditioning Continues
Standing at 6-11, 290, the junior big man is set to play the most minutes of his career in relief of Castleton at the five. If the Gators desire to have prolonged success this season, Jitoboh's skill set as a glass cleaner and rim protector off the bench will play a major factor.Vs ERAU - 1 Rb, 2 Blk's in 8 Min's.
PS
If KJ never plays again, he can still collect 5 Mil on an insurance policy. Jus-sayin...
2022 Basketball Recruits per 247
16. UF, #4 SEC
#3 PF Malik Reneau 6-8 210 ***** - Montverde, FL
#19 PF/C Jalen Reed 6-10 220 **** - Castaic, CA
#31 CG Denzel Aberdeen 6-4 175 *** - Orlando, FL
Insta, it doesn’t much matter how a 6’9” 173 pound C/PF does in JUCO when he moves up to the big boy league…..because EVERYONE is relatively tall and everyone is bulked up.
he’s gonna get pushed around in games until he’s busting 200#s
he’s gonna get pushed around in games until he’s busting 200#s
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Yep IPD, just like skinny Corey Brewer got pushed around while he was at UF, and in all of those years he's spent in the NBA... 🤓
Brewer was 6-7 174 in 2004 arriving at UF.
His current NBA bio at age 35 is 6-9 188.
Those skinny-fast-energetic skill player can never do anything until and unless they assume a Schwarzenegger physique.... 🙄
Why some are saying / thinking that Tuon can't play some quality minutes this season is quite beyond me. I guess it's just another of the many 'other opinions' that fans have. I'm okay with my opinion matching up with White's and his teammate's....
PS
BTW, at just 6-1 163, isn't PG Appleby also too skinny to play at this level of ball?
He was the other part of Tuon's fast break dunk 45 seconds after entering the game. 😉
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You're not seriously comparing him to 5 star Corey Brewer? Who could shoot the 3, drive the basket and play D like nobody's business. If Tuon were Corey, he would've averaged 30 points at the JUCO level.
Brewer was a small forward …. You mentioned Gatkek was coming into his JUCO games for the C/PF position - BIG difference, literally
As is usual for BS logic, when shown your weakness in the debate, you quickly try to change the conditions. The only comparison I made to Corey was size, which was the subject at hand.
This was all about size, until that got shoved back down your illogical throat.
Now you're trying to switch it to skill levels and recruiting stars...
Tooo freakin' funny.... 😂 🤣 😂
That's just being whiny IPD. Positions are flexible, and especially on this team.
Would it have mattered if he had entered the game for the SF instead?
I previously stated that as a SF his skinny weight wouldn't matter as much.
Castleton can play SF/PF/C, and so can Tuon.
Just like 3 of those listed as guards can play SF/SG/PG.
It seems to me that this is just turning into another bullshit exercise in veiled stupidity.
It doesn’t completely solve the problem because three-year-olds (and some others here) can’t read, (or if they can, they still can't think clearly). 😜
his career at the JUCO was highlighted by blocking shots and rebounding….. that’s PF and C work not so much SF work, though there is some of that in 3 guard sets….. However he was weak in defending driving guards
so you’re basically thinking he’s going to move into a new position, out of his wheelhouse, but to play significant minutes. Me thinks you are not dissuading CG1’s initial position
I agree after seeing him.
Here's an 8:37 highlight reel on Aberdeen:
He's wearing #1 in the vid.
I'll trust former PG Mike White on choosing his PG's.
PG Kenneth 'Speedy' Smith 6-3 180 ** - St. Pete, FL
I remember the 2 star LaTech PG that he recruited and coached that finished up with an astronomical 858 Career Assists.
And he then coached up 'The Cheese' to being UF's All Time Career Ast's Leader.
He scored 19 Pts in the 2nd round of the NJCAA Tourney, and scored 23 Pts as his season high. But hey, don't let that get in the way of a good diss attempt....
All I've said is that he can play SOME QUALITY MINUTES this season.
And right up front everyone,,, including me, has said that he needs the weight room for his continued development.
While other here have said that 'he would only play in mop-up, or that would mean that the team sucked if he plays any more than that.' (he's already burst that bubble)
His coaches and his teammates are the ones telling you that's BS.
And his use in the exhibition game proves that what they have said, and are saying, is correct.
But please continue, cause mamma always said that "stupid is, as stupid does...."
well dumbass, that’s the same effing point being made, yet somehow reading comprehension isn’t your strong suit
No dumbass dogpoker, that was not the point, but then it's not the first time that you've been distracted while dog-pokin' instead of understanding what's in front of you.
The point was some VI's here claiming that his underweight would be preventing him from giving the team some quality minutes this season. I called BS on that point.
He has already done that and his coach says that they intended to do so, and will continue to do so.
Your own comprehension stinks on ice, and not just when you're reading apparently...
So here, I'll give you another shot at it, but it will require you to first pull your head out of that warm dark place where you so often keep it in....
The belief coming into the season was that 5-star freshman SF/SG Kowacie Reeves, one of three underclassmen added to the Florida roster in the offseason, would be the lone player without Division I experience to crack Florida’s roster, and Reeves did show some flashes of potential Monday night despite a 1-of-6 night from the field.
But the first underclassman to score against the Eagles wasn’t Reeves, but rather 6-foot-9 sophomore Tuongthach “Tuon” Gatkek.
Gatkek entered the contest in place of ice-cold starting C/PF Colin Castleton with 4:14 remaining in the first half, and it didn’t take long for the JUCO transfer to make an impact. Tyree Appleby found Gatkek under the basket on a fast break and the Portland, Maine, native slammed it home with two hands to push UF’s lead to 27-21; less than 45 seconds into his first taste of Power-Six basketball, Gatkek was on the stat sheet with his first bucket for the Gators.
Gatkek’s early impact seemed to surprise everyone but his teammates and coaches.
“That's the motor that he plays with every day, you know. He's got to gain some weight and some strength, he's got a lot to learn in many aspects, you know, of the game at this level, just like our other two freshmen, but it wasn't surprising that he impacted the game with his energy level,” White said. “He's going to, throughout the year, he's going to make some freshman mistakes, of course, and we'll expect that, but he was pretty good. Going into the game, did we expect to throw him out in the first 20, yeah we were going to try to, yeah.”
YOU said he needed to bulk up for his continued development ….. so he needs more development- and you can’t see where an avowed less than developed player being relied upon for significant playing time isn’t a potential concern?!?!?!?
Frankly I could care less, but you swiped at CG1 that he threw a BS off hand statement, and asked for why, he responded, and you threw back all his JUCO stats…. That doesn’t resolve him being undersized, as even you previously said
Dude is a string bean and already has a rep of being muscled by driving guards, and he’s going to find it difficult against athletic teams who have the 3 with 20-30+ more pounds…..
Hell, I *hope* he has significant minutes v. UK this year - most of our Guards outweigh him by 25, let alone the forwards we’ll play
5 min off the bench in an exhibition game hasn't burst the playing time bubble. If anything it reinforces the kid will see very limited time. Most likely in blowouts.
Taking lessons from Saban, evidently.
Anyone who has driven through Alabama knows it is a big pile of nothing. Can't understand why anyone would choose to live there. Bama fans try the excuse of "players come because of our success", but that doesn't fly with basketball as they have no success to showcase. Looks to me like football is making so much money it has allowed them to open up a slush fund for basketball as well.
