The Florida Gators men’s basketball team made some adjustments last week that resulted in some much-needed back-to-back wins over Florida A&M and Stetson.
But the Gators (6-3) will get a chance to assess the progress they’ve made when they host No. 5 Connecticut (9-0) Wednesday night at the O’Connell Center in the final of a three game match. host family.
After:Florida Basketball: 3 takeaways from the Gators’ 89-51 rout of Stetson
Florida has won its last two games by an average margin of 39 points by digging deeper defensively. First-year coach Todd Golden’s decision to crush fewer players on the offensive glass resulted in better transition defense. Florida has allowed opponents to shoot 33.9 percent from the floor in its last two games and 12 of 35 (34.2 percent) from 3-point range.
“Part of measuring our progress or growth is consistency, and it’s just a little too early to determine whether we’re consistent or not,” Golden said. “We haven’t been as much as I would like. I feel like in the last two weeks we’ve shown a lot of promise and some really good times.”
Florida entered the week at No. 69 in the NCAA’s NET college rankings. The Gators will host a non-conference Top 10 team for the first time since falling 71-62 to No. 1 Baylor on Jan. 25, 2020. Florida’s last win at home against a non-conference Top 10 team dates back to the 30 January. , 2016, when the Gators knocked out No. 9 West Virginia, 88-71.
“It’s a meaningful win if we get this win,” Florida freshman guard Riley Kugel said. “I believe the top five ranked team in the country. That would just be a great accomplishment and it would create a great journey for us.”
An elite opponent
The Huskies were on a tear to start the season under fifth-year coach Danny Hurley, winning all nine games by double digits. They are fourth nationally at KenPom, with a No. 9 ranking in adjusted offensive efficiency and a No. 10 ranking in adjusted defensive efficiency.
UConn’s offense starts inside with center Adama Sanogo (18.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg) and extends to the perimeter with scorer, point guard Jordan Hawkins, a transfer from Carolina East, who is averaging 13.3 points and 3.7 assists while making 3.9 3-pointers per game. In total, five players have led UConn in scoring in its first nine games, and six players led his team in rebounding.
“They’re solid in all three phases – offensive, defensive and on the glass,” Golden said. “A team that came together even faster than expected.”
On offense, Florida will have to be wary of UConn’s pressure on the ball. The Huskies force 13 turnovers per game. Staying strong with the basketball was a big deal in Florida’s last loss, an 84-55 thrashing by West Virginia at the PK85 tournament in Portland, Oregon, as the Mountaineers scored 20 of 14 points reversals in Florida.
“They’re just a really solid defensive team,” Golden said. “They don’t pressure to the same extent that West Virginia does, but they can sometimes, and they do try to disrupt your action and get you out of what you want to do. That’s going to be part of the challenge, see if we can compete offensively enough to stay in our stuff.
PG Kyle Lofton a game time decision
Golden said point guard Kyle Lofton, who has missed Florida’s last two games with back spasms, is scheduled to practice Tuesday.
“We’ll kind of make a decision during the game whether he can go or not,” Golden said.
Lofton, who posted a 29-11 assist-to-rotation ratio, would provide a big factor in dealing with pressure on the ball from UConn. His absence opened up opportunities for other players in the backcourt. Kugel made his first two career starts with Lofton and averaged 5.5 points, 1.0 steals and 1.0 assists during the streak. Golden said Kugel, an athletic 6-foot-5, gained time on the court based on his quality of defense.
“I’m definitely playing my game,” Kugel said. “I don’t really watch that, you know, obviously they’re out which means more playing time for everyone. But I still take it like I like every other game, even when they’re here. I just play my game and whatever comes, comes.
