The Gators’ return to March Madness was shrouded in uncertainty throughout an up-and-down season.
After falling to Kentucky 71-67 in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on March 2, Florida had to wait 10 days to learn its postseason fate.
Not until Monday did UF learn it would face Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday at 12:15 p.m., returning to The Big Dance for the first time since 2009.
After more than a week of tweaking their game and hoping for the chance to play for a national championship, the Gators finally had something tangible ahead of them in the Buckeyes.
Not only could UF move forward without worrying about bubbles or RPI rankings, but preparing for OSU was also familiar.
Like the Gators, the Buckeyes employ three-guard lineups, running a guard-oriented offense that gets the majority of its points from the backcourt.
“They kind of do the same thing we do as far as using on-ball screens,” senior guard Deana Allen added. “Just practicing against that, with us using it as our strength, we already know how to guard and what we want to take away.”
However, that is where the similarities end for Florida and Ohio State.
The two squads’ differences can be traced back to Monday, when each earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament.
While the Gators were happy just to get into The Big Dance, the Buckeyes expected more than a No. 8 seed from the selection committee after going 25-6 and finishing in second place in the Big Ten Conference.
“(Ohio State is) a team that’s a little disappointed with their seed,” coach Amanda Butler said. “Therefore, probably a little extra measure of hunger and fight in them.”
UF already faces a tall task in OSU, the 11th ranked opponent the Gators will face this season. They are 2-8 in those games.
Additionally, the Buckeyes are the highest-scoring team (75.1 points per game) the Gators will play this season and boast the second-best 3-point shooting clip (35.9 percent).
Guards Tayler Hill and Samantha Prahalis provide the majority of Ohio State’s offense, averaging 20.3 and 20.1 points per game, respectively.
“It’s a huge challenge for the guards,” redshirt senior guard Jordan Jones said. “It’s two of the best guards we’ve played all year on one team, so it’s definitely been a huge focus in practice.”
Florida and Ohio State have similar styles, something that has encouraged the Gators in their preparation for the Buckeyes.
“There’s a comfort level there,” Butler said. “Even if it’s just with the terminology of understanding what to expect because it’s the same sort of things you’re harping on and trying to perfect.”
Should the Gators defeat the Buckeyes, they would likely be facing a game against the nation’s best player Brittney Griner and Baylor, the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed.
Florida has not advanced past the second round since 1997-98, when the Gators advanced to the Sweet 16 and assistant coach Murriel Page was the star forward.
Contact Joe Morgan at joemorgan@alligator.org.
