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Florida Basketball: Keys to success against Florida State in 2019-20

By Lukas Harkins

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 14: Andrew Nembhard #2 of the Florida Gators dribbles the ball against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the second round of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 14, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 14: Andrew Nembhard #2 of the Florida Gators dribbles the ball against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the second round of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 14, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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DES MOINES, IOWA – MARCH 21: Nembhard of the Gators is defended. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
DES MOINES, IOWA – MARCH 21: Nembhard of the Gators is defended. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

1. Get Andrew Nembhard on track.

Andrew Nembhard is one of the nation’s top rising sophomores. Although he might not be the flashiest player, you would be hard-pressed to find a more well-rounded point guard. Outside of graduate transfer Kerry Blackshear Jr., Florida is one of the youngest teams in the country and therefore a few underclassmen need to step up as leaders on the court and Nembhard can definitely be one of those guys.

He is a vocal contributor with the ability to make big-time plays on both ends of the floor. His per-game averages of 8.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.2 steals last season do not tell the whole story of his overall impact and he should be near the top of the scouting report for Florida.

With that said, though, Nembhard struggled to get going in the season-opener against North Florida as he was held to just two points on 1-for-7 shooting. In typical Nembhard fashion, though, he still managed to dish out four assists without turning the ball over. While the Gators did not need him much to beat the Ospreys, that will not be the case for the rest of the season. He is easily one of the most important players on the roster and needs to perform to his potential if Florida is to reach its ceiling as a national title contender this year.

Florida State represents a tough challenge for Florida early in this season due to their superb defense. The Seminoles are very athletic and will force turnovers at an elite rate. In order to counteract FSU’s opportunistic defensive potential, Nembhard will need to regain his footing after a rough opener and dictate the offense.

The 6-foot-5 point guard does an exceptional job reading defenses, manages pace ridiculously well, and rarely makes mistakes. That will need to be on display once again this weekend and he will hopefully knock in a few of his open looks from the field as well.

Nembhard may have struggled against North Florida, but watch for a major bounceback performance against Florida State.

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