Three home games in a row for the Gators could mean one thing: a spike in business at Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches on University Avenue.
That’s where guard Jordan Jones stops to eat as part of her routine before home games.
UF (12-9, 5-3 Southeastern Conference) starts a three-game home stint tonight at 7 by hosting No. 22 Vanderbilt (16-6, 5-4 SEC).
Coach Amanda Butler expects this game to be one of the most physical games for her team this season, if not the most physical.
She stressed the Commodores’ intelligence, pointing out how they rarely run set plays, rendering them more unpredictable and harder to gameplan against than most teams.
Add the fact that four of Vanderbilt’s starting five are upperclassmen, and it’s no wonder Butler stressed the need for her team to be defensively aware.
Without sets to look at on film, the Gators will be looking at defensive concepts: how to handle a certain screen or what to do when a certain Commodore is on the perimeter as opposed to trying to anticipate the play because of Vanderbilt’s dribble drive offense.
Limiting Vanderbilt’s looks from behind the three-point line will be paramount, as will limiting the Commodores’ transition- and half-court offense.
Against the Rebels, UF surrendered a 17-point lead on transition buckets and three-pointers before reclaiming the lead.
“There can’t be a worse feeling than having a huge lead and thinking ‘We got this’ and we worked so hard for that lead and then end up on the wrong side of it,” Jones said. “I don’t want to find out the hard way against Vandy that we had a big lead and we blow it.”
Since the Gators can’t memorize the Commodores, they are focusing on defensive principles and knowing Vanderbilt’s personnel.
That starts with senior Merideth Marsh (14.9 points per game), who exploded for 26 points last time against UF.
Nearly a year later, the Gators haven’t forgotten about her offensive threat, which has grown with her ball-handling skills and evolution into a more complete player.
“She’s one of the reasons why they’re playing so physically,” she said. “She’s one of the ones that really sets the tone for that.”
Jence Rhoads compliments Marsh with 13 points per game.
If there’s any game the Gators have reason to go in feeling good about their offense, it’s tonight’s game, coming off a 48-percent shooting effort on Sunday.
Look no further than the individual workouts during Florida’s bye week last week, when players started 30-minute individual workouts that had shooters drenched in sweat at the end.
“The more practice and reps you get, the more confident you are,” Butler said. “Shooting is about confidence, so yeah — picking up a couple extra hundred shots in a week, should you feel better going into that week’s game? Absolutely, and that’s what we saw.”
