GAINESVILLE — Florida coach Todd Golden welcomed new players and coaches, changed playing styles and shifted his non-conference scheduling philosophy.
While impractical to expect similar results after a national-championship season, many did. At times, even the Gators were victim of their own unrealistic expectations during a 5-4 start after opening the season ranked No. 3.
Turns out, Golden’s team may have just needed a little time. Florida now heads to Vanderbilt on a roll and increasingly resembling like Final Four material.
“They’ve done a really good job of staying the course,” Golden said Friday. “In this day and age when you’re not winning all the games, it’s really easy to get selfish and pull away from the team. Our guys never did that.”
The No. 19 Gators (12-5, 3-1 SEC) have scored more than 90 points during three straight wins and continue to dominate opponents inside after leaning last year on three veterans guards — Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard — now in the NBA.
Florida dropped four non-conference games, including losses to current No. 1 Arizona, No. 3 UConn and No. 6 Duke, while embracing a frontcourt focus and getting inconsistent play from transfer guards Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee.
Fland has been the face of the Gators’ recent resurgence. He followed a season-high 23 points — 12 points above his season average at the time — during last Saturday’s 92-77 win against Tennessee with a 17-point night during this past Tuesday’s 96-79 win at Oklahoma.
Against the Sooners, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound Arkansas transfer also tied his season-high with seven assists, Fland’s fifth straight game with at least five dimes.
“Every path is different. You got to go through what you got to go through to come out better on the other side,” he said Friday. “As you see, the season didn’t go how I planned it, how we planned it, and just coming out on the other side, I feel like it’s clicking right now.”
Florida guard Boogie Fland (0) gestures during the Gators’ 96-76 win Jan. 13 at Oklahoma. (AP Photo/Gerald Leong)
Florida now faces its toughest SEC test to date.
Vanderbilt (16-1, 3-1) suffered its first loss Tuesday at Texas. But the Commodores are 9-0 at home, including a 96-90 track meet Jan. 7 with high-scoring Alabama.
First-year coach Mark Byington’s squad is sure to challenge the Gators’ improving defense.
Since UConn shot 50% during a 77-73 win Dec. 9 in Madison Square Garden, Florida has held six of seven opponents to 43% shooting or worse — Missouri finished 45.5% from the floor during its 76-74 SEC-opening home victory on Jan. 3.
Vanderbilt shoots 49.6% behind the talented backcourt duo of Taylor Tanner and Duke Miles, who average a combined 34.7 points and 9.6 assists while shooting 49% from the field.
Keeping track of Tanner and Miles will be critical.
“Mark has answers for the different ways teams guard [them],” Golden said. “Just seeing how they attack different defenses, they are creative. You’re going to get yourself in trouble if you try to guard them the same way for 40 minutes.
“They will figure that out.”
Florida also will have to take care of the ball. The Gators average just under 10 turnovers the past six games compared with 14.1 one during the previous games. Vanderbilt forces an average of 14 turnovers.
“We’re taking much better care of the ball now, which has kind of snuffed out some of our volatility,” Golden said.
The Commodores, meanwhile, must counter the Gators under the basket. Florida’s frontcourt features four players ranging from 6-foot-9 to 7-foot-1 while Vanderbilt’s tallest starter is 6-foot-8, 230-pound senior Devin McGlockton, who averages 10.4 points and 7.4 rebounds. Senior Jalen Washington (6-10, 245) is a top reserve.
At Texas, the Commodores could not keep up on the glass while getting outrebounded 42-24 during a 80-64 loss to the Longhorns.
Florida leads the nation with a plus-15 rebounding margin, along with an average of 17 offensive rebounds and 46.7 overall.
“They definitely guarded them and controlled the boards, and provided a blueprint to beat Vanderbilt,” Golden said of the Longhorns. “But that’s easier said than done.”
Winning at Memorial Gymnasium intensifies the challenge.
Florida is just 47-19 playing in an arena where the court is raised and team benches are located on the baselines. Communication with players is difficult for opposing coaches unaccustomed to the configuration.
“It’s terrible,” Golden said. “We can walk on the sideline a little bit. It’s not ideal. It’s definitely a real thing. It’s a unique setup, and there’s a reason why there’s only one school in America that does it this way.”
But the Gators have overcome adversity, tough losses and a loss of confidence to get on track entering the heart of the conference schedule.
“Progress is never a straight line,” Golden said. “It’s a challenge. But we kind of pride ourselves in figuring that stuff out and not being satisfied. Obviously we’re in a good rhythm right now. But I told our team yesterday we’re only as good as our last game.
“If we go into Nashville and we don’t play great, people are going to be doubting us again.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
Up next …
No. 19 UF (12-5, 3-1 SEC) at No. 10 Vanderbilt (16-0, 3-1)
When: 2 p.m., Saturday
Where: Memorial Gymnasium, Nashville, Tennessee
TV: ESPN
Favorite: UF by 3.5 points
