The SEC's Worst Losses: Florida (Part II)

*Hat tip to DWhit, who took time off from his astronaut training regimen to provide the awesome Ogil-Sheik Photoshop.

It's been a while since the 'Dores have seen Florida; the teams' first meeting of the season came in the SEC season opener in Nashville nearly two months ago. Since that Vanderbilt win, the Gators have proven that they belong in the top third of the conference, dispatching teams like Mississippi, Mississippi State, and Tennessee while clawing their way up for a shot at the #2 spot in the SEC East. Though Florida's loss to Georgia on Saturday took some of the luster off the rematch and its effect on conference tournament seeding, the game will no doubt be a battle between two top four SEC squads.

Vandy will head to Gainesville with a bit of swagger after demolishing former SEC West leader Arkansas in Fayetteville. The game was a rarity for the 'Dores, as they led wire to wire and dominated a formerly hot Razorback squad. Florida, conversely, is coming off a sloppy loss and will need another signature victory in their last two SEC games to inspire confidence in their NCAA Tournament chances. They'll no doubt have a fired up crowd behind them as the 'Dores head to the swamp, where Vanderbilt hasn't won since 2001.

Florida (20-9, AP NR, Coaches NR)

(2nd) Worst Loss: at Georgia (RPI #93, KenPom #79) 76-78
Other Losses: vs. South Alabama, vs. Richmond, vs. Syracuse, vs. Xavier, vs. South Carolina, at Vanderbilt, vs. Kentucky, at Tennessee

Florida has lost five games since the first match-up, although none have been particularly awful. The team fell in a pair of trap games with dangerous teams in South Carolina and Georgia, and then also lost versus NCAA Tournament-bound teams in Xavier, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Despite their solid play of late, the team lies firmly on the at-large selection bubble due primarily to their early out-of-conference struggles.

Georgia enhanced their status as "team no one wants to face in the SEC Tournament" with their win over Florida. Despite a solid comeback effort, the Gators were unable to keep the momentum of their win over Tennessee alive as they fell to the Bulldogs 78-76. While Florida was the more talented team, they were also more disjointed and, at times, inefficient. Their lack of cohesion as a team cost them against an opponent that excels at creating chaos on the court.

Key to destruction: Georgia broke open the game midway through the first half and then held on as Florida was simply unable to get over the hump in their second half comeback effort. The story of the game was the Gators' inability to contain the home team defensively, as the Bulldogs offense cruised to 57.4% shooting. Crisp passes and lapses on defense led to several open looks and easy lay-ups; Georgia recorded assists on 21 of their 31 made baskets.

Additionally, UGA was able to contain Florida frontcourt leader and balding Predator look-a-like Alex Tyus defensively, forcing the offensive focus on Chandler Parsons. Though Parsons came through with flying colors (29 points), his efforts weren't enough to dig the Gators out of their second half hole. Despite Georgia's relative lack of depth, they came at Florida with a balanced attack that kept the visiting team from sustaining momentum. Five players scored nine or more points for the Bulldogs, and the team's 31 points off the bench proved to be the difference.

Keys to the game: