00:00If you look at the Florida Gators, they're one of the most efficient offenses in the country,
00:04scoring at about 86 points per game and also being top five nationally in rebounding margin.
00:11Who are they led by? Thomas Howe, taking an increased role,
00:14pacing Florida with about 17.4 points per game while leading the team in minutes,
00:19while big man Ruben Chandler was becoming an absolute beast on the board as being one of the
00:23top rebounders in the game at 10.7 rebounds per game. Alex Condon,
00:29the center that came back to school, is not just facilitating,
00:33he's getting about three assists in about 1.4 blocks a game.
00:36Sort of versatility. So what stands out? Balance.
00:40You notice that I haven't even talked about the two-star transfers,
00:45Puggy Flannan and Zavian Lee. That's how balanced Florida is.
00:50They get scored from multiple spots. They crash the glass.
00:52They don't rely on one-shot creator, right?
00:55They also have improved defensively, holding teams for about 71,
00:5972 points per game, which is a leap for a team that's as offensively paced as
01:04what they are.
01:06So why is it working? Pace and patience.
01:09They move the ball, cut without it.
01:11They get back and treat it in transition.
01:12They don't give up easy baskets.
01:14Teams that try to slow them down,
01:16get punished on the boards or in the open court if they want to run.
01:19Their outlook, they're already ranked at the top near in the AP poll,
01:24and they're stacking quality wins.
01:26With depth and rebounding strength,
01:27they can grind and march and slug with elite teams.
01:30Florida isn't just back.
01:32They're one of the most balanced teams and they're national contenders
01:36and they're defending champions.
01:38And this team can easily make another deep run in March.
01:42Let's go to a team we have not talked about at all this year,
01:47and that's the St. Louis Billikens.
01:49They're one of the best surprise stories in college hoops right now,
01:52not just because they cracked the AP top 25,
01:55but they're at 18-1 and unbeaten in the 8-10,
01:59playing some of the most efficient basketball in the country.
02:02Statistically, strong at both ends.
02:05Average about 92 points a game, holding teams around,
02:08points per game, which gives them a huge scoring margin
02:12and ranks them on one of the best mid-major teams offensively.
02:16They crush you on the boards, 43 rebounds a game.
02:18They get 19 assists per game.
02:20So that reflects their selflessness off, you know, on the floor,
02:25either side.
02:26Individually, you know where I'm going.
02:29Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
02:31Robbie Avila is back.
02:33And it feels like he's been here forever.
02:35I mean, he's been here for four years, so this is probably forever.
02:38But Robbie is playing 12.8 points per game, 4.3 rebounds, four assists,
02:43while shooting 50% from the floor,
02:46which is really efficient for a big man who also operates as a facilitator.
02:50But Brown, Green, McCotty, Jones, Thames,
02:54they're all giving you around 10 points per game a night.
02:58So you've got six guys that are giving you double digits.
03:03That means you don't know who's going to go off.
03:07And in the day of college basketball,
03:09where you try to scheme to let one person beat, like, you know,
03:12the guy that can't shoot beat you, can't score beat you,
03:15St. Louis has got this all covered.
03:18They're not sloppy defensively.
03:19Their whole team's low shooting percentage.
03:21And they're just solid defensive efficiency relative to their mid-majors,
03:25which is why they've stayed undefeated in conference.
03:29On their march towards March,
03:31this depth-of-bounds attack could make them a really dangerous NCAA tournament.
03:35Know what player you can lock into.
03:37That being said, the 8-10 is deep this year.
03:40If the Billikens lose their cohesion and or sub-defensively,
03:44they can be vulnerable by the time you get to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament.
03:48St. Louis isn't just a dark horse.
03:50With six double-digit scores and share the ball identity
03:53that are one of the most dangerous unseated threats in the field, possibly.
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