How to compare this UK team with last year FL team?
- Thread starter cacats
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Florida didn't dominate as much against a much weaker SEC. 12 of their 21 wins were by single digits.
Not fair. That UF team was more like the 2003 UK team in that neither were expected to be nearly as great as they became during their looooong winning streaks.
This team is more 2007 UF in that everyone expected this due to the caliber of player on the roster compared to the rest of college basketball.
This team is more 2007 UF in that everyone expected this due to the caliber of player on the roster compared to the rest of college basketball.
Experience trumped talent. That was really Florida last season. Senior team who could out play just about everyone. It would be interesting to see how that team would have done against us now. Based upon our performance at Florida this year, I would say we would have split the games (as I do think this year's team is better also due to experience than last season).
I am blue all they way through but last years Florida team did go to the final4 and beat national runner up 3 times so they were a very good team. I'll save my comparison of the two till after the season. If we go 40-0 I'm ready to label this the best team to ever lace em up.
Florida was simply not as good by almost any measure: KenPom, W-L, Sagarin, margin of victory, unadjusted net efficiency, public perception, actual talent (I use it to mean the athleticism to overcome mistakes).
If you recall, Florida had a stretch in the second half of the year where they squeaked out many games. Actually, they weren't much more dominant than UK last year (UK won 8 games by double figures, Florida won 9). However, Florida's experience showed as they still went 21-0, including 2 very close wins over UK. This year UK's margin of victory is pretty staggering.
Really thought Florida would've done themselves some good by losing that SECT final to us. The conventional thinking is that a long winning streak puts pressure on a team, and is fatiguing. I think that is true of most teams, and was true of Florida last year. It was true of us in 2003, IIRC. This UK team is an exception to that rule, seemingly. I think that's because of 2 things. One, depth. We don't rely on 6 guys. The pressure, fatigue, whatever, can be spread around. Two, the coach. Calipari is uniquely able to take the pressure and dissipate it, by either taking it on himself or deflecting it in some way....
I agree with most of your statement. However, in my opinion, their winning streak had nothing to do with them losing in the final four. They had two losses that season before the NCAA tournament.
I mean what is the maximum win streak from your last loss in which it is not the reason you lose your next game? Louisville had a great streak to end 2013.
Florida outscored it's SEC opponents by .21 points per possession
UK this season .... .27
That might not seem like a huge difference but it is.
BTW 2012 UK......same thing .27
UK this season .... .27
That might not seem like a huge difference but it is.
BTW 2012 UK......same thing .27
Florida was the only team that had any idea HOW to play basketball, until Kentucky figured it out in the tournament. That was a team that learned from it's mistakes the year before, although they were blowing teams out at a record pace. The 2013 Florida team blew out Mizzou by 31; Auburn by 31, A&M by 21 (lead was 30), South Carolina by 39 (lead was 46), LSU by 22; Georgia by 33; Mississippi State by 35, and this was all before they lost to Arkansas. Then, they lost every game against a non-horrible squad on the road. Also, that team lost EVERY game decided by nine points or fewer. The blowouts were in large part to the SEC being historically bad. The 2014 Florida team didn't blow people out like they did in 2013, but they still were able to close out games on the road against Kentucky, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Arkansas, something they could not do in 2013. They found ways to win games, like this year's Kentucky team. Florida did not lose any games against non-final four teams last season. Florida wouldn't sweep UK for sure, but losing in Gainesville is a possibility. I'll wait until the end of the season to compare.
Originally posted by uk78:
(as I do think this year's team is better also due to experience than last season).
[/QUOTE]Gee, you think so?
(as I do think this year's team is better also due to experience than last season).
[/QUOTE]Gee, you think so?
How much does being the first undefeated reg season major conference team in 4 decades, having a top 4 margin of victory of teams in the modern era, the highest kenpom rating in history, the highest bpi rating since they started the stat, and the best adjusted defensive rating in history - how much does all that count for?
A
anon_l8pbkn96tg3j6
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I really like that comparison.
2006 Florida really hit their stride in the NCAA tournament and just started dominating folks, and that carried on through 2007.