GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Florida basketball (15-9, 7-4 SEC) had one of its best outings against Texas A&M midweek.
"I feel like that was one of our best games together on the offensive end," said guard Noah Locke. "Defensively we were just locked in and playing aggressively on defense, just a combination."
“I think as far as our connectivity as a team, I think it was on point at both ends of the floor," said freshman Scottie Lewis.
Ball movement certainly looked improved in the Gators' 78-61 win over Texas A&M with White's men looking for that extra pass.
"Hopefully our guys can continue to understand that the more he [Kerry Blackshear] and Andrew [Nebmhard, and our better offensive players and decision makers, touch the ball, not necessarily mean that they have to shoot it when they get it, but the more the ball moves, the more efficient they can be offensively," said Mike White. "Hopefully we gain some confidence with that."
The Gators shot at over fifty percent and recorded 14 offensive rebounds in the win over the Aggies. The sophomores lit up the night with Keyontae Johnson recording a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while also serving up a team-high of six assists.
Andrew Nembhard netted a team high of 24 points in the win, while Noah Locke added 21.
White hopes this was the lights on moment the Gators needed.
" I think it was more of a selflessness decision by the guys that were put in the game," said the Gators head coach. "Everybody that played for us the other day, I thought was more connected defensively. But I thought it started on that offensive end. The way that they simply shared it and played the game the way it is supposed to be played.
"We have struggled all year with, 'I can affect change with this time. I can help win this game by scoring.’ Scoring should be a bye product of playing the right way, executing and moving it, and playing for each other. We were as good at that in those categories as we have been all season. And hopefully we see that again, hopefully we see that tomorrow."
On Saturday the Gators are set to welcome Vanderbilt (9-15, 1-10 SEC), two weeks after facing off against the Commodores in Nashville. In their last meeting, Florida secured the 61-55 win over Vandy.
But two weeks is a long time.
Since UF's matchup with Vanderbilt, the visitors managed to beat LSU by scoring 99 points, while also fighting Kentucky hard in its last outing.
"I think their confidence level is just through the roof right now," said Lewis. "You know they’ve been up 10 on LSU, Kentucky and other games that they’ve played. They obviously finished LSU game but to be up 14 against Kentucky and kinda lose that game I think it’s a learning point for them. The fact that they can be up on a team like that and kinda sustain that for a little while shows that they can play against anyone, that they can compete."
Vanderbilt is still without Aaron Nesmith, who averaged 23 points in 14 games prior to his injury. Guard Saben Lee is the team's leading scorer in Nesmith' absence, averaging 17 points a game, while fellow guard Scotty Pippen Jr. averages 11.3 points per game.
Under the glass, Dylan Disu has recorded an average 5.8 rebounds per game, a team-high.
"I think they're shooting it well first and foremost," said White. "They make you play a little differently defensively. We'll see that tomorrow. They've got good young players, they run really good stuff, their guards are terrific.
"Saban Lee is one of the hardest guards in our league to contain off the bounce. They can play a five-out lineup where all five guys can make threes. When you connect all that with some made shots, you've got a different team. I just think they're playing with a high level of confidence," added White. "Scottie Pippen Jr. continues to improve. His confidence level continues to grow. He's tough. He's a good player. Maxwell Evans is a different player than he was. I mean, he put 31, I think, on LSU. We played really, really well defensively but they missed some shots for us in Nashville. And the next game they put 99 on LSU. And had a chance at Mississippi State, if I'm not mistaken. All the film runs together. And then they were up 14 at Kentucky. It's a different team. They're playing really well."
Florida's win over Vanderbilt saw White's side play better defensively, holding Vandy to its third-lowest point total with the Commodores shooting 38% from the field and 27% from three-point range. But the Gators did allow Vandy to come back.
UF went ahead by as much as 18 points but the Commodores managed to cut Florida's lead to just five twice. Locke and Keyontae Johnson put the game away in the final minutes to secure the win.
"We played really well defensively against them in the first I’d say like 15 minutes of the game before," said Lewis. "We need to play a whole 40 this time. So we are excited to play against them. They’re going to be way more competitive than they were before just cause their confidence level is at an all time high.”
The Gators hope that their game against the Aggies was the 'aha' moment they needed.
"I think Texas A&M was kind of that game for us," said Lewis. "Hopefully we can carry it on to a big game tomorrow night against Vandy. Our leaders are doing what we’re supposed to be doing, and that’s carrying out to the rest of the team and I think it’s going to carry out to the rest of the season."
