Florida Gators 2009 NCAA Tournament Bubble
Written March 12, 2009 by Steve Merril
Steve Merril is one of the best basketball handicappers we have on our site and today he’s going to take a look at the Florida Gators chances of making the 2009 NCAA Tournament. If you want to win with you college basketball betting this March then think about signing up for the NCAA basketball picks offered by Merril.
It was just two years ago that Florida was cutting down the nets after their second straight national title, but the 2009 edition of the Gators have to be wondering if for the second straight year they will be at home for the tournament. On Thursday night this team takes on Arkansas in what has to be considered a must-win for the team.
This Florida team has been inconsistent all season long with only two players scoring in double digits, Nick Calathes (17.7 ppg) and Alex Tyus (12.4 ppg). Calathes has been the real threat, but he hasn’t gotten any help from his team. This guy ranks 10th in the country with 6.4 assists per contensts and has swiped two steals per game as well.
The team is ranked No. 25 in the nation in offense with 78.2 ppg (against opponents who allow only 69.6 ppg) and the Gators shoot 48.1% from the field (against opponents allowing only 42.7%). Defensively though the team has struggled, giving up 68.2 ppg to rank 184th in the nation and allowing 44.8% from the floor (against opponents shooting only 44%). Against the three-point shot the Gators are even worse, giving up 36.2% (against opponents making only 33.8%).
Florida has been over-rated all year long, as evidenced by their 9-14 record at the pay window. The Gators started out 2-7 ATS, covered five straight in late January, then finished the year covering just three times in their final 10 games.
The Gators don’t have enough quality wins and are just 2-6 against teams ranked in the top 50. Even though they beat Kentucky last Saturday and beat the Huskies back in November, this team lost six straight against top teams like Syracuse, Florida State, Tennessee (twice), Kentucky, and LSU. The struggles against quality opponents and a bad defense are why you will see the Gators headed to the NIT this year.
If you are having trouble beating the NCAA basketball lines, then finish your season off with a package from Steve Merril.
If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:
- Florida at Tennessee: NCAA Basketball Odds & Picks
- 2009 Florida Gators Football Predictions
- Florida State vs Wisconsin: NCAA Tournament Predictions
- Urban Meyer’s New Contract with the Florida Gators
- SEC Tournament Predictions & NCAA Projections
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