GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Florida basketball is running out of time. The Gators fell to 11-8 (3-3 in the SEC) after losing to TCU 55-50 over the weekend.
"We hope they feel a sense of urgency every day they step between those lines," Mike White said on Tuesday.
White tired to instill that level of urgency on Saturday at halftime.
"I said guys, if you want to play postseason, if we want to have a winning record, if we want to play postseason, if you want to have a chance to play in the NIT, play in the NCAA Tournament, we’ve got to win some of these game, guys," said White."It’s not just going to happen if we don’t take it, if we don’t capitalize, if we don’t execute offensively and defensively, if we don’t take great shots every time down, if we don’t value the ball at a higher level, as we struggled with earlier in the game. It’s out there."
"I feel like in the first half of that game, we weren’t playing with a lot of energy and not playing as hard as we could," freshman guard Noah Locke said. "I feel like we stepped it up in the second half, but, I mean, we couldn’t make as many shots as we could to win.”
The Gators did manage to make the game closer, however, Florida's lackluster start, being down 18-3 early, was just too much for the team to overcome.
"I was concerned how many we could score, of course, and what we could score out of, where we could get our points. Those were concerns," said White about the loss over the weekend. "I didn't anticipate it being that rough for us at the start.”
However, the Gators will need to brush this loss aside, and they need to do so quickly. UF is set to host Ole Miss on Wednesday night.
”I think that they've got one of the best backcourts in the country," White said about the Rebels. "I think that Shuler is much improved and the other two are potential all-league guys, both of them. Potential pros. Kermit is terrific. We're very familiar. We were in the same league with him. Al worked for Kermit for eight years, Coach Pinkins. Changing defenses, team speed, especially those three guards. Got guys that can post a little bit. Bruce Stevens can shoot it at the 5 position. It gives you can an added weapon, run good stuff. Defensively, unique. The 1-3-1 to 2-3 zone, not many teams play. Again, how often they change defenses is very effective for them. Turn you over in the passing lanes. They're very good."
Although the Gators have struggled most of this year, White has seen the team develop in certain areas. After only starting one freshman, Andrew Nembhard, in the first game, White is now trusting three first year players to start.
"With all three of our freshmen, we've had to change practice," said White. "These guys were all winding up their seniors years last year and we got a ways to go in this season. He'll continue to get better."
"Coach Nichols and coach Mincy come up to us all the time and just say like, we have to grow up," Locke said about the first year shouldering more of the responsibilities. "We have to grow up and like, we pretty much sophomores now. And we feel that we have enough experience to step up and be one of the big factors on this team. And I feel like with us playing this amount of minutes, we have to play with maturity as if we’ve been playing on this level for a while. And I feel like we can do it. I feel like we have the potential to do it. We’ve been helping the team well lately, and we just have to take a step further to help even more."
"I think that Noah's made a big jump during the season, Keyontae Johnson's growing, playing better," said White. "I think KeVaughn Allen and Kevarrius Hayes are playing the best defense of their careers. And at times, I think we show offensive growth, in spurts. And then we take a couple steps back, and then take a couple steps forward. That’s, as we all know, our biggest issue right now. We show growth at times, just not all the time.”
At the end of the day, time is of the essence. The Gators understand if they want to play in the postseason they need to find that consistency they have lacked the last few weeks.
"I mean we have to pick it up if we want to make it to the NCAA Tournament," said Locke. "I feel like it is some urgency that we have to play with for us to get there.”
