GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Florida basketball may just have had a breakthrough. The Gators are coming off their best game this season, however, Mike White had a clear message, one game is not enough.
"That Butler game, it was one game," said White. "We played well, we played very well one game. If you’re going to be a good team, you’ve got to do that in a bunch of games."
The Gators dominated Butler to a 77-43 win last Saturday with five Gators ending the night in double figures.
"Butler’s very good. A team that had already beaten us. Really defended at a high level, got off to a high tart, maintained intensity in the second half playing with a lead, played with some maturity," said White. "More than anything offensively we just found some rhythm. Took good shots, converted, executed better, especially in the half court.”
"Defensively, I feel like we were all on the same page," said added Florida guard Jalen. Hudson. "Obviously, coming into it we took a step back there. I feel like defensively it was probably one of our better performances of the year. We’re just trying to build on that.”
“That’s what we’re hoping to do. That was a good game, so we’re gonna try to build on that. I definitely think we can build on that and continue to improve.”
According to White, he saw his team take a step offensively, however, they still need to find consistency. A way to find consistency is to make sure each team member understands their roles.
"Still have to continue to define roles, especially offensively," said White. "And then again if this team’s going to be good, individually we have to figure out the 8-9-10 guys that we know we can count on night-in and night-out and figure out how they can contribute to this team.”
White and his staff will hope to find those roles for their SEC opener on Saturday, against South Carolina.
“Toughness, intensity, physicality, discipline - both offensively and defensively. They make you defend," White said of South Carolina."They’re very talented. I think South Carolina is one of those teams that could make a big jump during the next couple of months. They’re relying upon a bunch of young guys, they’re very talented, they’re getting better and they’re be as competitive as any team in our league. Going into games you just got to know playing these guys you better be ready, you absolutely better be ready. This is a program a couple of years off a Final Four. They’re dealt with a couple of injuries, but they’re very, very capable. They’ve got guys on that team that played in a Final Four and have very young talent to complement those guys.”
White says conference play will offer several challenges to his side, however, it offers an opportunity to start fresh.
"We are 0-0 in league play," said White. "We all have a clean slate individually we have a clean slate as a team. That said, I don’t think there’s a huge adjustment for us being Florida and probably a number of teams in our league, because of the fact that our non-conference schedule is so difficult."
"A bunch of battles around the corner so it’s an exciting time," said White.
GATOR CHOMPS
Injuries
"Gak is in the same place....I think he’s our only guy right now. Isaiah Stokes has made it through practices in their entirety. He’s making more wind sprints now. That's about it."
Chase Johnson need a change of scenery?
"That's what he expressed to me. Wanted a fresh start. That's the theme for the day: fresh start. It's unfortunate. Yeah, just unfortunate for him. I know we were disappointed, but it's part of it. It's part of college basketball. Part of athletics in general, and heck, outside of athletics, people transfer. People need fresh starts because of one reason or another. Chase is a great kid and we wish him the best. We hope that he finds a situation that he can be successful on or off the court.”
