GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Andrew Nembhard's recent performances have helped the Gators' campaign for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

The freshman guard scored a a career-high 21 points in the game against Alabama on Saturday, going on a perfect 9-of-9 shooting performance.

“I think I possibly have before, but not taking this many shots," said Nebmhard. "It was a good one for me... I think I just got good shots. My teammates found me in good spots. I didn’t have to rush anything or force anything.”

"To get to where you go 9 for 9 in an SEC road game against a potential NCAA Tournament team speaks to his development in that area," said White. "He's been really consistent in just about every other area, so it's not like he came here with five or six things that are glaring weaknesses at all. He's mature beyond his years and he's played like an experienced point guard in a lot of areas, and you complement that with scoring it efficiently and you've got a heck of a player."

In the last week, Nembhard averaged averaged 15 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists, which was good enough for SEC Freshman of the Week honors.

However, the first year Gator has been consistently improving his shot over the course of the last six games - shooting 62 percent from the floor and 64 percent from three.

"Obviously when shots fall, you’re going to feel confident on offense," said Nemhard about his confidence level. "I think I just gotta stay confident and aggressive.”

White was not shocked by Nembhard's recent outings.

"I would like to credit him for being in the gym a lot and logging heavy minutes. He comes in on days off," said the Florida head coach. "He came in again Sunday just to get some extra shots. Even if it's form shooting, spot shooting, just working on his technique. He comes in and watches just a ton of film. He's shot it well outside of games for the most part and sometimes in games. And the game comes a little bit easier when a guy's making open shots and layups, and we did that in Tuscaloosa led by him."

Nembhard came to Gainesville with a lot of expectations on his shoulder. His passing ability and basketball IQ is often on display, however, the guard is focused on improving even more to help his side reach the NCAA tourney.

"Next thing for him, probably individually, if you would have asked him a few months ago would probably be shooting the ball, scoring the ball, finishing, and he's gotten better," said White. "Still got a ways to go, but he's working at it."

"Scoring from all levels is a high priority in the summer, trying to work on my game," said Nembhard. "I think I just had good opportunities last game. My teammates found me and I think it just all fell into place.”

Nembhard is the latest Gator to score over 20 points for the team this year. White and company hope that this additional spark can help Florida ink its name in the NCAA bracket.

“We have to win in this little stretch going forward, so any wins from now on are going to be crucial for us," said Nebmhard.