One Player No. 2 Florida Gators Must Stop to Beat Oklahoma Sooners

The No. 2 Florida Gators take on a struggling Oklahoma Sooners team on Tuesday night, and they must contain their biggest threat.

Oklahoma Sooners guard Jeremiah Fears leads the team in assists and is second in scoring as they take on No. 2 Florida Gators. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Florida Gators take on the Oklahoma Sooners tonight at 7 p.m. EST in Gainesville. They can place another brick in the wall of success that 2024-25 brought to campus. With a win, the Gators notch their fifth season of 10 or more conference wins since 2016. That milestone in the loaded SEC means a great deal.

Standing in their way? The Sooners. Specifically, standout freshman guard Jeremiah Fears. Containing him is the key to securing the victory. Now, how should UF go about that?

Let Him Shoot in Front of the Arc

While Fears does score 15.2 points per game, possessing a reliable jumper is not a part of the plan. Now, that doesn't mean he will not shoot. With 28 shots over the last two games, you can see the absolute last of reticence in that aspect of his game. 

However, connecting on 28.5% from the floor in those two games, means that Fears currently sits in a shooting funk. For a good shooter, that becomes an issue. Worse, for a high-volume shooter that already struggled with consistency, no light exists at the end of the metaphorical tunnel. 

Yet, making 42% of his threes over the last five games means Florida should attack the arc but take their chances with the mid-range game.

Force Bad Decisions

Make no mistake, Fears loves to shoot the ball. At the same time he is the Sooners' best facilitator, averaging 3.8 assists per contest. Now, here is where his aggressiveness comes back to bite him. Film shows bad/late/forced passes. 

Fears tries to push the ball through smaller openings that even the most skilled passer would attempt to avoid. Florida, with their length all over the court, can clog passing lanes leading to transition baskets. The freshman Sooner will give opponents the ball 3.7 times a night. 

Yes, Fears' assist-to-turnover ratio is virtually 1:1, which absolutely makes him susceptible to giveaways.

Overview

Jeremiah Fears can score without a doubt. Yet the Gators will find the Sooners in a desperate time and space. OU dropped nine of their last twelve, and any hopes for a decent NCAA tournament seed continue to slip away. 

Florida should easily emerge from the game as the clear winner, but they need to exercise caution because teams with nothing to lose can play out of their minds.

Stop Jeremiah Fears, and the Gators should pick up their 10th SEC win of the season.

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