2. A better rebounding effort
Another thing that Florida could use under their Christmas tree is some help on the glass. This season they have had difficulty on both the offensive and defensive boards relative to the other teams in the SEC.
The Gators rank dead last in the conference and 311th in the country with just 316 total rebounds. They also rank next to last in the conference in offensive rebounds per game (10.11) and total rebounds per game (35.11), while their 25 defensive rebounds per contest is only better than three teams in the SEC.
While most teams preach about crashing the glass as a team effort, that has been far from the case so far this season for Florida. The forward trio of Hayes, junior Keith Stone, and freshman Keyontae Johnson have grabbed 139 of the team’s 319 rebounds per game, with no other player snatching more than the 25 that freshman guard Andrew Nembhard has. Looking at the individual totals, draws out this point even further, as that foursome has grabbed 115 of the Gators’ 225 total defensive rebounds on the year, and on the offensive glass, Hayes has 25, while only two other players, Stone and Johnson are even in double figures.
Florida could definitely use a more concerted effort rebounding the ball as they head towards the new year.