The Florida Gators men basketball team has gotten one step closer to sealing the deal on a NCAA Tournament bid with a strong win Thursday night. Now there is one to go. With many teams falling apart like South Florida and Memphis in their conference tournaments, it looks like a win tonight by the Gators over Mississippi State equals a stamped ticket to the big dance.

The Gators come off a good performance Thursday by beating the Auburn Tigers 78-69. Tonight they meet the Bulldogs who they beat back in February 69 –62. So what seems to be an easy walk to the dance could come with a few cautions.

Mississippi State lives and dies by the three. They shoot a lot from downtown and fortunately against the Gators in February did not convert on a lot of those shot. The Gators zone defense is vulnerable to the three point shot because a lot of times they do not get all the way out to cover their opponent, choosing instead to seal off the inside and force their opponent into the less dependable shot from the perimeter. Remember back to that Feb. 6th game when the Bulldogs closed within 5 in the final minutes largely due to two big three point shots by Georgia’s Ravern Johnson and Barry Stewart.

The Gators have the advantage in overall team quality with especially great play off of the bench. But be warned , if they leave the Bulldogs to roam free outside all night it could be another trip to the NIT. The Gators need to tighten up inside and be aggressive and go out and disrupt these outside shooters. If you watch the game tonight rest assured this will be the game changer and the difference on where we are playing next week.

By: Kelly Meggs