GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Florida basketball will return to action on Saturday as it battles Utah State in the Orange Bowl Classic.
The Gators (7-3) have won all four of its neutral site games this season and will look to remain perfect against the Aggies.
Mike White's men are coming off a game that saw them shoot 50.9 percent from the field and connect on 18 three-pointers in their double-digit win over Providence.
“Backcourt was really good. It was as well as we’ve played offensively, probably led by that spark that we got from those freshmen guards. Just playing downhill with more confidence, more assurance of themselves,” White said. “And I thought it was simply a carryover from practice. We’ve seen that a lot with Ques (Glover). I thought Tre (Mann) had his best practices of the year in between those last couple games, and I was happy to see some work pay off for him.”
According to White, there was just a different intensity when it came to practice from his group.
“Guys were locked in and we were competing a lot better than what we were before. Guys weren’t complaining, they just wanted to get better,” Noah Locke said. “I guess we just got tired of being bad in practice. We just got tired of it, and we just wanted to get better.”
Now the Gators will hope for the same intensity on Saturday when they line up against Utah State (11-2), one of the tallest teams in the country.
"They are a pretty big team," said Locke."I feel like we got some pretty good big guys too. It should be a good matchup."
Kerry Blackshear is one of those guys that will need to step up. The senior forward has had some issues with getting into foul trouble, but with Florida squaring off against a talent like Justin Bean, who ranks fifth in the nation in rebounding at 11.6 per game.
"KJ’s got to stay out of foul trouble at a higher level for us. He’s got to manage his emotions as well as anyone on the team," said White. "He’s got to improve in that area, because everything he does is an example for our younger guys. And then obviously we need him on the court, and in a game like this where these guys they’re very big, and Bean’s not necessarily huge at his position, but wow does this guy play hard.
"We showed clips to our guys yesterday for the first time and our guys were wide-eyed when they saw him attack the glass, as I was the first couple times I saw these guys play this year. He attacks balls ferociously. He plays extremely hard, he’s aggressive. He’s just got a nose for the ball, and so overall we’ve got to rebound by committee, our guards got to help rebound."
It's not just Bean. Utah State is a veteran team filled with talent, like Sam Merrill, the reigning MWC Player of the Year, who averages 17.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
“His overall feel. Toughness. Experience and understanding of the game," White said about what stands out about Merrill. "Everything is set up with his elite ability to shoot the basketball with size and quick release. You’ve got to crowd him, but then he understands how to drive it. He plays angles. He’s really skilled and strong. Has a quick first step. Really quick thinker. He’s one of the best players in college basketball and one of the better players we’ll have to defend all year. If he gets an inch, it’s going in. He’s a high, high level shooter, but also a really good shooter.”
"They look like an old, disciplined team," added Tre Mann. "I know it’s going to be a tough battle. We have to come out and play disciplined as well. Sam Merrill is No. 5. We know he can score. We saw him hitting step back jumpers. He takes his time. He never seems sped up or rushed. Everything just flows for him.”
"Got a lot of respect for their program and how they execute; transition offense, offensive glass, the way they shoot it and share it," added White about the 11-2 Utah State. "Really good passing team and defensive team. Great opportunity for us.”
Utah State and Florida will tip off at 2:30 P.M.
