The Florida Gators probably won't be able to win a national championship because of this.
The Florida Gators are one of the more talented teams in the country. They've gone 10-2 since a rough 5-4 start, they've won three straight games against ranked SEC opponents and, most importantly, they are the defending champions.
But could Florida be out of luck when it comes to potentially repeating?
Former North Carolina Tar Heels star and current Field of 68 analyst John Henson foresees a massive hurdle for the Gators in March: perimeter shooting.
"I would just say this team is one of the best teams in the country, and they're 344th in three-point percentage," Henson said. "So, you know, we could keep saying where maybe the ball will go in eventually. We keep saying it, but I mean, damn, it's January. It might be February. Like, are you going to hit shots or not? Right?"
Florida has a couple of decent three-point shooters in Urban Klavzar (37.1 percent) and Thomas Haugh (34.8 percent), but for the most part, the Gators struggle mightily to put the ball in the net from downtown.
Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh. Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images.We have seen such inefficiency from long range sabotage plenty of teams in the NCAA Tournament in the past.
"But, they've got to shoot the ball better. And like Jerel [McNeal] said: that backcourt's too inconsistent," Henson added. "There are some dog backcourts out there that are going to sit on that. And I love the bigs as much as anyone else. But if you got the backcourt not giving you production at the highest level when it's time to really go get it, it's going to be a long night."
Florida has already lost more games this season (six) than it lost all of last year when it went 36-4 on its way to a national championship, and you know what else? Last year's Gators were a much more respectable 82nd in the country in three-point percentage.
There is absolutely no question that Florida's relative ineptitude from beyond the arc could end up dooming the squad come tournament time, and Henson is right: we are very deep into the season now, and nothing appears to be changing.
Perhaps head coach Todd Golden should dedicate some time to finding some knockdown shooters on the recruiting trail or in the transfer portal.
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