Gators transfers buy in to defense first attitude
When Mike White first arrived in Gainesville six years ago, he pitched Gator nation a hard-nosed, defense-first vision for his team.
White quickly shaped his team around this philosophy, as during his first two seasons Florida enjoyed a pair of excellent defensive squads that culminated in an Elite Eight appearance.
But with a revolving door of players and a number of highly-rated, NBA-bound recruits coming to Gainesville, Florida’s defense-first culture has all but evaporated. The Gators finished 41st in adjusted defensive efficiency last season, which followed an even worse 61st ranking in 2019 for the same metric.
But with Florida replacing a majority of its roster from last season, White has made rebuilding his team’s defensive identity a top priority. White lured in Phlandrous Fleming and Brandon McKissic, the defensive players of the year in the Big South and Summit conferences respectively, along with an excellent athlete in C.J. Felder and the active hands of Myreon Jones.
These newcomers have brought their passion for defending to Gainesville, and all believe that the Gators could be an excellent defensive team.
"We have a very high, very high ceiling with the defense capability, McKissic said. “And I just knew that I was getting brought in, you know, to do what I do best; play defense, you know, be a dog on the court.”
Even among Florida’s current players, the Gators return notable defensive talent. Colin Castleton returns after finishing 29th in the nation in block percentage and Tyree Appleby finished in the top 160 in steal percentage.
And while each of the four transfers comes in as their previous team’s leading scorer, players have attested that everyone on the team has “checked their egos at the door” and worked towards building a team-first mentality.
“I don't deserve anything,” Fleming said. “I don't deserve to be here. I just got a great chance because of COVID. They gave us an extra year so I'm just thinking of being grateful and trying to make the best of my opportunity.”
This collective attitude is extremely important in building a defensive-oriented team, as Fleming asserts that being a scrappy, effective defender comes from will and mindset.
“It is definitely a mindset,” Fleming said. “I think my biggest positive that I have is my motor. That just goes into hustl{ing} and getting loose balls, getting charges, get steals, get rebounds and outworking other players.”
Florida’s young defense struggled with consistency, often falling behind or out of games due to extended runs by the opposition due to mental mistakes and disinterested defending.
This season, however, Florida will boast one of the most experienced lineups in the country, with every player expected to see significant minutes this season, besides Kowacie Reeves, being a junior or senior.
UF players believe that this level of maturity, one not seen in Gainesville during the Mike White era, will be greatly beneficial.
“I think that also goes into us being an older team,” Fleming said. We’ve got a lot of different transfers. Us being older, that's more maturity on the team and that's going to help us a lot."
The Gators roster has remarked about how well the team has bonded this off season, and this years Florida team may finally resemble the gritty, lockdown style of play White envisioned more than five years ago.