Florida Basketball: Keys to defeat Xavier in Charleston Classic finals

Force Xavier out on the perimeter

If there is one area Xavier struggles with the most, it’s 3-point shooting. That was extremely evident in the second half against UConn when the Musketeers shot 3-of-10 from deep and allowed Connecticut to storm back from down 10.

Xavier is by no means an offensive team. They rely on defense to grind out games, most of which are low scoring. They like to get the ball inside the paint and use their height — 37th tallest team in the country, per Kenpom — to open up opportunities.

When forced on the perimeter, though, Xavier struggles. As a team, the Musketeers shot 27.3 percent from beyond the arc, 293rd in the country, per Kenpom.

Two players in particular that show the noticeable difference between inside and outside shooting capabilities are Scruggs and Marshall. Scruggs shoots 73.1 percent and Marshall 53.2 percent on 2-point attempts. But when the two shoot beyond the arc, the numbers drastically change: 32 and 21.2 percent, respectively.

Three-point defense is an area where Florida’s defense excels, holding opponents to 26.9 percent shooting from 3. Nearly 40 percent of the time, the Gators force opponents to settle for 3s rather than a 2-point field goal, too.

Connecticut was able to build a comeback by applying pressure and forcing Xavier to either take contested shots inside the paint or 3s that rarely found the back of the net. Florida is a better defensive team than the Huskies and should find more success against Xavier — especially if the Gators can push the Musketeers out toward the perimeter.