The Boilermakers are far from the tallest team Florida has played this season. Carl Landry is the inside presence and goes 6-foot-7. But he is one of those players who imposes his will on you.
I talked to UF assistants Donnie Jones and Lewis Preston before the Purdue-Arizona game and they compared Landry to former Gator Udonis Haslem. It’s an excellent comparison. He’s not tall, not long, but the next thing you know he’s not another rebound.
This Purdue team played hard Friday night. They got after Arizona and forced 17 turnovers. They outrebounded the taller Wildcats. But it has to be noted that Arizona has been considered an underachieving team all season.
I like guard Chris Kramer, who is strong and could be a physical problem for Florida. The guy has a real high basketball IQ.
One thing that could help Florida is that Landry played 38 minutes. But he’s a high energy guy. Purdue plays eight players and Chris Lutz can be dangerous off the bench from behind the arc.
Overall, I think it’s a good matchup for Florida. Seeing Purdue in person made me think that if Florida shoots well, there’s no way the Boilermakers can score with UF. But, like always, it’s still predicated on Florida playing well, say, like the Gators did in the second half Friday night.
