It's been a season to remember for Florida. The Gators won the SEC Tournament and earned a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament since 2014, and are now playing for a spot to go to their first Elite Eight in nearly a decade. Todd Golden has gotten his team through the season with very few blemishes on its record, and now the Gators are playing like one of the best teams in the country. Florida entered the tournament as one of the favorites to win the title, but the Gators have to get past a tough Maryland team first. Here are three keys to Florida beating Maryland for a chance to play in the Elite Eight.
Defend the interior
Florida has done a good job defending the post this season. The Gators limit opponents to 56.2 percent at the rim and 36.1 percent in the paint. Much of this success is due to Florida’s size and length on the interior, especially Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu. However, Florida’s bigs will have quite the challenge against Maryland. The Terrapins have been nearly unstoppable close to the basket this season - averaging close to 36 points in the paint per game while making 65 percent of their shots at the rim. Maryland’s offense is too good to stop for a full game, but if Florida can find ways to slow down a large part of the Terrapins' scoring, things will be much easier for the Gators.
Protect the ball
Turnovers haven't been an issue for Florida most of the season. The Gators average 10.7 turnovers per game, which is one of the better numbers in the country. However, against Maryland, it will be even more essential to take care of the ball. This season, the Terrapins are forcing more than 14 turnovers per game and are recoding 7.8 steals per game. And Maryland does a good turning defense into offense. The Terrapins averaged 18 points off turnovers this season. Maryland's defenders have quick hands and love to push the ball up the court on fast breaks. The Terrapins are an elite defensive team, so Florida will have to make the most of its time on offense. The Gators can’t afford to cough the ball up and not finish with points on most possessions.
Dominate the glass
An easy way to control a game and steal a few extra possessions is by winning on the boards. And few teams in college basketball have rebounded the ball better than Florida this season. The Gators average close to 42 rebounds and are ranked in the top ten in offense and defensive rebounding. Florida averages 14 offensive rebounds per game, which provides a ton of extra scoring opportunities - 18 percent of the Gators' points come from second-chance scoring opportunities. While Maryland isn’t nearly as good of a rebounding team as Florida, the Terrapins have done a solid job keeping opposing offenses off the boards - allowing 9.9 offensive rebounds per game. Not many teams have kept Florida at bay when it comes to rebounding, but that doesn’t mean the Gators can let up now. Any extra possession gained on the boards will help Florida down the stretch in this one.