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Chris Meaney
The 2022-23 College Basketball season is underway, and we still have some exciting matchups during Feast Week.
Below is my favorite bet for Sunday’s slate in Oregon for the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament. Let’s have some fun.
Florida vs. West Virginia
(Florida -1, DraftKings Sportsbook)
Both Phil Knight tournaments in Oregon have been a lot of fun, showcasing some of the best teams in the country. Both Florida and West Virginia lost their opening round matchups, with the Gators collapsing down the stretch against Xavier and the Mountaineers not being able to stop 7-foot monster Zach Edey inside against Purdue. After relatively easy second-round matchups, the Gators and Mountaineers finish their west coast trip with a matchup that Vegas has pinned as evenly matched. Florida is led by ex-St. Bonaventure veteran point guard in Kyle Lofton and a 7-foot force of their own in Colin Castleton. West Virginia feels the same as old under Bob Huggins’ pressure defense/flex offense system, piecing together a roster of transfers such as Tre Mitchell (Texas), Eric Stevenson (South Carolina) and Joe Toussaint (Iowa). Will Florida be able to handle the West Virginia tempo and pressure defense? Will the Mountaineers be able to handle Castleton inside? I think Florida has some advantages they can exploit here in this one.
Having a veteran point guard who doesn’t turn the ball over is key against Huggins’ extended man-to-man defense, which ranks ninth nationally in turnover %, and the Gators have been rock solid handling the ball behind Lofton, ranking 25th in turnover % offense. West Virginia likes to create a lot of their offense off live-ball turnovers, and Florida should be well equipped to limit turnovers in this one. If Florida breaks down the pressure and can work in the halfcourt, the Mountaineers have absolutely no answer for Castleton inside, as he should have a field day, similar to the 24-point-12-rebound performance Zach Edey had on Thursday.
West Virginia struggles mightily to rebound the ball, ranking 297th nationally in defensive rebounding %. Florida could have some trouble defending the flex offense of West Virginia, similarly to the off-ball motion Xavier ran and scored 90 on the Gators, but I’m not too sure the Mountaineers have anywhere close to the amount of firepower Xavier has. I’m confident in Todd Golden’s ability to prep in a short period, and I don’t think West Virginia will be able to handle the pick-and-roll attack from Lofton and Castleton in this one. I’ll be backing the Gators.
The Pick: Florida -1
