How the Florida Gators Stack Up Against FSU on the Hardwood

The Florida Gators are set to face rival Florida State - let's see how the two teams stack up

Here's how the two in-state rivals stack up / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Some will say that comparison is the thief of joy, and most of the time, they’re right. 

However, in the case of comparing the No. 20 Florida Gators men’s basketball team to the Florida State Seminoles men’s basketball team, I think Gator fans will disagree. 

This is because the Gators actually beat out the Seminoles in multiple key areas of the game, which could be an early indicator of how this contest could sway.

So, let’s take a look at how these two teams stack up against each other. 

Scoring Offense

One highlight of this Gators squad is that they have been able to put the ball in the basket with ease. On the season, they are averaging 88.3 points per game, which is tied for 64th in the country. 

Conversely, this is an area the Seminoles have yet to figure out. They enter this game tied for 259th in scoring offense, scoring 73.0 points per game. 

It isn’t surprising seeing this though. After looking at their stats for the year, they only have one player scoring in double-digits and that’s Jamir Watkins with 18.3 points per game. The next closest Seminole is Taylor Bol Bowens with 9.0 points. 

As for the Gators, this is where Todd Golden’s roster construction has proven to be a big positive. There are four Gators in double figures through three games and two guys averaging at least 16.0 points (Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard). 

This is certainly an area that favors the Gators. 

Scoring Defense

With the way the Gators recruited this offseason, one would expect them to have a better defense than the Seminoles. However, that isn’t the case. 

The team in the garnet and gold actually is tied for the No. 37 scoring defense in Division I, allowing just 59.7 points. 

Florida, on the other hand, is tied for the 153rd-ranked scoring defense. They are giving up 68.3 points a contest. However, the defense has picked up as of late for the Gators. In the first game of the season, they gave up 83 points to South Florida. But, over the last two games, they allowed 60 and 62, which averages out to 61 points. 

Definitely a step in the right direction for the Gators, but this Seminole’s defense looks stout. 

3-Point Shooting

3-point shooting is probably the one area where neither team is happy with the product put on the court. 

For Golden and the Gators, they are knocking down just 26.0 percent of their triples. Through three games, they have hit just 19 of their 73 3-point attempts. There are also only three Gators shooting above 33 percent. 

But even with how bad the Gators have been this season in this department, the Seminoles have found a way to be worse. The Seminoles are shooting just 21.0 percent from behind the arc, which puts them at 350th out of 355 Division I teams. That’s pretty woeful. 

With how both are shooting from deep, this might be a battle inside the 3-point line and rightfully so.

Running the Fast Break

Our final stat is going to be centered on playing with some pace offensively, which is something the Gators want to do. They love turning you over and getting out on the fast break for easy baskets. 

While the Seminoles might rank higher in turnovers forced per game (T-12th, 20.00), the Gators are still top 50 in the country in this category. They are forcing 17.33 per game and it is resulting in a ton of fast break points. 

The Gators are entering this in-state matchup averaging 20.33 fastbreak points per game. As for their opponents, even with averaging the high amount of turnovers forced, they are only scoring 12.67 fastbreak points per game.

It also doesn’t bode well for the Seminoles in this area either when taking a look at their turnovers per game. They are turning the ball over with regularity, averaging 14 per game. If the Gators can take advantage of their mistreatment of the ball, then this might be the difference maker for them.