NCAA Basketball: Impact of game cancellation between Virginia vs Florida

Keyontae Johnson versus an elite defense

Nobody should be doubting the 6’5 forward and his ability to be the number one scoring option on the floor. The 2019-20 season not only saw Johnson lead the Gators in scoring with 14 points per game, but he was the only player to average over seven field-goal attempts.

Being the best player on his team will not be the issue, especially considering the SEC affiliated media has projected Johnson to be the best player in the conference this season. The reality is, not only is he the number one option for the Gators, he is by quite the margin.

Without this game, Gators’ fans will have to wait and see if head coach Mike White will continue to implement the same double-post half-court offense.

The bottom line is, Kerry Blackshear Jr (12.8 ppg) even at just 30% from the arc was much more capable of drawing his defender from the rim and more likely to draw a double-team in the post than sophomore Omar Payne will be, how Johnson will be able to adapt against a quality defense, Coach White will have to wait until Dec.12, 2020, when they go up against Florida State.

The space Blackshear Jr created was essential for Johnson as he accumulated a lot of his baskets on driving and slashing. In the same light, the transfer of guard Andrew Nembhard (11.2 ppg) to Gonzaga will cause Tre Mann and Tyree Appleby to split the point guard duties, with Appleby being the more proficient scorer and shooting from beyond the arc.

This all adds up to Johnson having to be the leading scorer all season with John Calipari, Bruce Pearl, Rick Barnes, and the rest of the SEC coaches’ game plan focused on stopping him. The Cavaliers would have been a great litmus test for Coach White prior to conference play.