GAINESVILLE — A message from Coach K was further proof to Todd Golden he’d arrived.
A visit to No. 4 Duke, where Mike Krzyzewski built his legendary career, is another opportunity for Florida’s coach and his No. 15 Gators to make a statement.
UF (5-2) can supercharge its national title defense by silencing the “Crazies” at Cameron Indoor Stadium Tuesday night and stunning the Blue Devils (8-0) on their storied home court.
“In a way, these are more enjoyable because you don’t have as much to lose,” Golden said Monday. “You go into this game like, if we go into Cameron and win, it’s going to be the best resumé win in the country all year. If you go in and lose. I don’t think people are going to hold it over your head, unless you have a poor effort, which I don’t anticipate us having.
“You don’t have to be afraid to fail in this game.”
The Gators, with road losses to Arizona and TCU, have yet to fully find their stride since last season’s run to a national title.
UF’s 65-63 win against Houston in San Antonio led Krzyzewski, a five-time national champion, to reach out to Golden following his first one — the 40-year-old hopes of many.
Golden soon appeared on the podcast, “Basketball and Beyond with Coach K.”
The Cameron Crazies taunt Miami’s Jalil Bethea (3) during the second half against Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, in Durham, North Carolina. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images/TNS)
“When that request came across (the) desk, to hop on that podcast, it was a pretty special moment, for sure,” Golden recalled.
Duke and Coach K have been synonymous with excellence in college basketball as long as Golden has been alive.
In 1986, the year after Golden was born, Blue Devils reached their first of 13 Final Fours under Krzyzewski, 78.
The Goldens kept a close eye on Duke, while enjoying close ties to prestigious university in Durham, N.C., where two of Golden’s uncles were alums.
“Growing up loving college basketball, Duke was a program that I followed closely, had family members that attended there,” Golden said. “To be able to in the professional part of my career get an opportunity to go coach there is really special, and obviously we’re looking forward to the opportunity.”
Tuesday night’s game highlighted a non-conference slate expected to test, embolden and potentially expose the Gators ahead of SEC play, beginning Jan. 3 at Missouri.
A season-opening 93-87 loss to Arizona in Las Vegas highlighted some defensive shortcomings. Last Thursday’s 84-80 loss to TCU in San Diego featured 19 turnovers and saw the Gators squander a 10-point second-half lead.
UF bounced back Friday to defeat Providence 90-78 as slumping shooting guard Xavian Lee scored a game-high 20 points behind four 3-pointers. The Princeton transfer had made just one 3-pointer in 21 tries during a three-game stretch.
“It was a tough little stretch for him — couldn’t really get it to fall,” said fellow guard Urban Klavzar, who averages 14.8 points the past four games. “But I kept telling him to keep shooting because we know how good he is. He really enjoyed playing the other day. So it was really nice to see that.”
The Gators will need everyone’s best effort to upset Duke and slow down Cameron Boozer, son of former Blue Devils star Carlos Boozer. The 6-foot-9, 250-pound true freshman, a former UF recruit, averages 22.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists, all team highs.
“Cam is a different beast,” Golden said. “I’d probably take him No. 1 (in the NBA draft) if I was a GM, based off his personality as a young man, and also the poise in which he plays and the comfort that he has out there, being a go-to guy early in his career. He’s phenomenal.”
Boozer, a talented supporting cast and the Cameron Crazies pose perhaps the toughest challenge the Gators will face all season.
After facing Duke, the Gators will have another tough matchup Dec. 9 against No. 5 UConn at the Jimmy V Classic in New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
“You want to make sure that you enjoy and kind of take a moment to appreciate the opportunity,” Golden said. “But after that, if you don’t get locked in, it could be a long night.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
