I wouldn’t blame you at all if you were unaware that the Men’s College Basketball Season started today. It does, and there are a ridiculous number of games on the slate tonight. Most of the games are not impressive — a team like Texas taking on Chicago State is not an interesting game. They are going to win by 30 or more, and the spread is 41.5. Spreads and betting do help make the game more exciting, but I have a different game that should be more entertaining anyway. Miami and Florida battle tonight in the only ranked match up of the day.
The Miami Hurricanes come in ranked as the 14th-best team in the country. As with many teams in the college ranks, the Hurricanes are trying to quickly integrate returning stars with transfers and additions. The key returning players are Malik Reneau, Shelton Henderson, and Dante Allen. Reneau was the team’s leading scorer last year and should once again be the focal point of the offense. Henderson is entering his second year and will likely give the team some solid outside shooting. Allen isn’t quite the scorer the other two are, but he does make solid plays and could be an excellent facilitator and occasional scorer.
In terms of transfer players, the team will have point guard Acaden Lewis coming over from Villanova. It wasn’t like Villanova was great last season, but it is a high-quality program, and Lewis could be a difference-maker for Miami. Somto Cyril is a rim protector, and he should be a good dump-off option. I am concerned to see how Reneau and Cyril space down low. Both can clog the paint, but that might mean they get better looks from the outside.
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The Florida Gators are currently the top-ranked team in the nation. At least part of this is due to their returning starters. It also isn’t much of a surprise that this team would have success after winning a National Championship a few years ago. Boogie Fland is back for another season and coming off a year where he shot almost 45% from the field. Alex Condon returns as well and provides a great post presence and does all of the dirty work for the Gators.
The team also slides Urban Klavzar into the starting lineup. Last season, he was the SEC Sixth Man of the Year, and Klavzar is a great outside shooter. Their bench even has some guys providing excellent backup options. That doesn’t mention their best player, Thomas Haugh. He chose to stay for another year at Florida instead of taking on the NBA. I’m not sure he would’ve been a high draft pick, though. The team is deep and has played together for a long time.
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Longevity and familiarity should help the Gators in this game. Florida is expected to be one of the best teams in the country, and they come into this knowing the goals, game plan, and plays. Tonight’s contest is at a neutral site, being played in Tampa. Seeing as it is the first game of the season and played in an unfamiliar arena, the under is a very logical choice. I think a better option is to take Florida -5.5, though. They should have the edge in this game behind a deep team, and one that has played together for a couple of years at least. Give me the Gators to cover.
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