The Gators have just wrapped up the most statistically dominant season this feature has ever witnessed from a major-conference team (Kentucky last year: +0.26 Points Per-Possession Margin), and all it got Billy DonovanÂ’s men was a 14-4 record. That record includes the latest in what now feels like an eerily familiar series of close-but-no-cigar road games, SaturdayÂ’s 61-57 loss at Kentucky. What are we to make of this team? Glad you asked. Here are Four Theses on Florida.
1. Turns out Florida is not the greatest team of the modern era after all. Part of their statistical glory was achieved thanks to 160 minutes against what were clearly the leagueÂ’s three worst teams: Auburn, South Carolina, and Mississippi State. Take out those 160 minutes, and the GatorsÂ’ per-possession scoring margin drops to +0.21. Then againÂ….
2. We’re cherry-picking — every good team gets to play an occasional bad team — and +0.21 is still really good.
3. No SEC team has scored more than 0.97 points per trip in any game where Will Yeguete played more than one minute. Doubt UF’s perimeter obsession on offense all you want — I’m right there with you — but this D has been consistently tough.
4. Among recent major-conference teams outscoring their leagues by 0.20 points per trip or more (there arenÂ’t many of those), Florida ranks a clear No. 3 in my Gasaway Non-Bald Dome Index (GNBDI), clearly behind Kansas 2008 and Kentucky 2012, but also comfortably ahead of Texas 2011. It would be a mistake to pencil the Gators in for either a national title or a first-weekend exit just yet.