Florida and Xavier will meet in the title game of the Charleston Classic. Can the Gators notch a solid early-season win or will the Musketeers keep their perfect start going?
TV schedule: Sunday, November 24, 8:30 pm ET. ESPN
Arena: TD Arena in Charleston, South Carolina
With a rocky start to a highly anticipated season, Florida (4-2) will look to notch a premiere win to get back on track. They took care of Saint Joseph’s and Miami at the Classic, but losses to Florida State and Connecticut have put a dark cloud on the Gators to begin their season. Fortunately, this is a chance to get themselves back on the national stage.
They’ve leaned heavily on the Virginia Tech transfer, as senior forward Kerry Blackshear Jr. (13.2 ppg, 9.5 rpg) has starred early on for the Gators. Sophomore forward Keyontae Johnson (12.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg) has also been impressive, while freshman guard Scottie Lewis (9.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg) has been another great newcomer, putting up 12 points against the Hurricanes on Friday.
Their two early losses pushed them out of the AP Top 25, but Florida has bounced back up to 23rd in KenPom’s ratings. Even in those losses, their defense has still been solid, though it’s been the offense that’s let them down more often than not. Blackshear and Johnson are the only double-digit scorers early on but the Gators are going to need more offense to become a real contender in March.
Second-year head coach Travis Steele has Xavier (6-0) trending in a great direction early on. The Musketeers survived Friday’s double-overtime thriller against Connecticut and could notch a season-defining win over the Gators.
Much of last year’s talent returned to this team, headed by junior forward Naji Marshall (16.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg). Marshall led the way with 21 points against the Huskies. Senior forward Tyrique Jones (14.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg) is another important part of the returning core who racked up double-doubles last season. Another player to watch is junior guard Paul Scruggs (13.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg), who’s been in double figures each game this season.
Xavier sits at 25 in KenPom’s ratings and is certainly considered one of the Big East’s top contenders this season. The Musketeers sit 15th in defensive efficiency and have already been impressive this season preventing scoring opportunities. Clearly this Florida team will pose a whole new challenge for their defense.
For the Gators, they really need Blackshear to shine (and play the whole game), while the role players will have to play solid offense as well. For the Musketeers, their defense will be tested, but they’ll need to keep up that intensity while their forwards deal with Blackshear’s offensive ability. Defense wins championships and it will play a major role in determining this game.
At this point in the season, these are two pretty evenly matched teams, though I’m sure Florida fans wished this wasn’t the case. The Gators blew a pair of games earlier this month but certainly looked strong against Miami. The unblemished Musketeers needed a herculean effort to knock off UConn. I think it’s time for Florida to show us what they’re made of, but expect this to be a fierce battle.