Florida Gators basketball: Early returns show plenty of potential

Rueben Chinyelu sets up in the paint (Photo by Chris Spears)

Check out Franz Beard’s new book The Golden Season. Ordering info below:

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Since dropping the season opener to Arizona, the Gators have run off three straight wins, two against really good (but not great) teams from the ACC in Florida State and Miami. It's easy to see the potential in this team. Todd Golden has once again shown he is a true master builder when it comes to putting together a roster. The Gators are taller than everybody else and they're more experienced. The pre-conference schedule is tougher than it's ever been but by the time January arrives Florida will be head and shoulders above the rest of the SEC.

Four games into the 2025-26 season here is what we know about the Florida Gators:

1. Potentially an elite defensive team: Already, the Gators are No. 5 defensively in the kenpom.com analytics. They will get better. They’re defending the three better (27.4 percent now, 29.4 percent last year) and Todd Golden is showing a willingness to use his quick guys to pick people up and pressure full court. The in the paint defense is exceptional.

2. The offense will be fine: The Gators are already averaging nearly 88 points per game and this is without much from the 3-point line. The big guys ability to put the ball on the deck to break out of the pack to start the break is worth 10 or more points per game. Sloppy ball handling is a problem now but should improve as Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee grow more comfortable in their roles.

3. Tommy Haugh is better than expected: He is a stud. Early mock drafts have him borderline lottery pick. He’ll be a lottery guy despite the fact he will be 23 when the NBA drafts next year. He’s averaging 19 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He can play four positions on the court effectively. His confidence is soaring.

4. The lights have gone on for Rueben: In the last two ball games, Rueben Chinyelu has gone beast mode. Good for the Gators, bad news for those who think they can stop him. He is the Nigerian Nightmare now that he’s stopped hesitating down low and instead just going up with harmful intent. He’s getting way too many cheap fouls called against him. That’s the only concern right now.

5. Boogie and Xaivian are elite but need to shoot better: Watch these guys make the transition from defense to offense. Truly elite speed in moving the ball up the court, excellent court vision and outstanding passing skills. XLee needs to beat people off the bounce and get into the lane more where he can dump it off to a big. Boogie needs to trust his pullup jumper from midrange. Both should get better on 3-pointers. Everything XLee shoots hits front of the rim, which means it’s a mechanical issue with him.

6. Beware Urban Klavzar: What you saw against Miami is what to expect. The kid is a real bomber with Walter Clayton Jr. range although not as creative. He can, however, get his own shot. He’s not just catch and shoot. The Miami shooting is what Todd saw when he began recruiting him.

7. Best front court in the nation: A lot of people questioned when Todd decided to go with the traditional lineup of three bigs and two perimeter guys, but it’s working out fine. The versatility of the lineup makes the Gators extraordinarily hard to scout and plan for. Condo can shoot threes. Rueben has gone beastly. Haugh is all over the place and off the bench comes Micah, who is a truly elite offensive rebounder. Todd has a lot of combinations he can work with. Best of all, he has four big guys who can run so the game doesn’t have to slow down.

8. Right now, the Gators go nine deep: The starting five of Haugh, Condo, Rueben, Boogie and XLee is backed up by Micah, Urby, Isaiah Brown and CJ Ingram. Brown and Ingram are in for their defense, quickness and ability to operate in an open court game, but they have skills and the coach’s confidence. AJ Brown coming back from injury will help and Alex Lloyd is fine offensively but currently a defensive liability. When those two get locked in, the Gators will be scary deep.   

Handlogten will be fine: Micah Handlogten was conspicuously absent in the second half of the Miami game. Prior to some other reports, it was a not serious head injury. He was held out of the second half as a precaution but will be just fine.

Haugh SEC Player of the Week: By the end of the season he will be SEC Player of the Year. He’s that good.

Associated Press top 25: 1. Purdue 4-0; 2. Houston 4-0; 3. UConn 4-0; 4. Arizona 4-0; 5. Duke 4-0; 6. Louisville 4-0; 7. Michigan 3-0; 8. Illinois 4-0; 9. BYU 3-1; 10. FLORIDA 3-1; 11. Alabama 2-1; 12. Kentucky 3-2; 13. Gonaga 4-0; 14. St. John’s 2-1; 15. Texas Tech 3-1; 16. Iowa State 3-0; 17. Michigan State 3-0; 18. North Carolina 4-0; 19. UCLA 3-1; 20. Tennessee 3-0; 21. Arkansas 3-1; 22. Auburn 3-1; 23. Wisconsin 3-0; 24. Kansas 3-1; 25. North Carolina State 3-0

Coaches top 25: 1. Purdue 4-0; 2. Houston 4-0; 3. UConn 4-0; 4. Duke 4-0; 5. Arizona 4-0; 6. (TIE) Michigan 3-0; Louisville 3-0; 8. Illinois 4-0; 9. FLORIDA 3-1; 10. BYU 3-1; 11. Alabama 2-1; 12. Gonzaga 4-0; 13. Kentucky 3-2; 14. Iowa State 3-0; 14. Texas Tech 3-1; 16. St. John’s 2-1; 17. Tennessee 3-0; 18. Michigan State 3-0; 19. North Carolina 4-0; 20. UCLA 3-1; 21. Wisconsin 3-0; 22. Arkansas 3-1; 23. Kansas 3-1; 24. Vanderbilt 4-0; 25. Indiana 4-0

SEC in kenpom.com analytics (national rank): 8. FLORIDA 3-1; 11. Kentucky 3-2; 12. Tennessee 4-0; 13. Vanderbilt 4-0; 21. Alabama 2-1; 30. Auburn 3-1; 32. Missouri 5-0; 33. Georgia 5-0; 34. Ole Miss 5-0; 38. LSU 3-0; 39. Texas 4-1; 43. Arkansas 4-1; 45. Mississippi State 2-1; 65. Oklahoma 2-2; 73. Texas A&M 2-2; 89. South Carolina 3-0

SEC in Joe Lunardi Bracketology

Joe Lunardi of ESPN has released his latest brackets. Although he projects 11 will make the NCAA field, only reigning national champ Florida and Kentucky rate a No. 3 seed. Lunardi loads up once again on the Big Ten. There are 18 teams in the Big Ten. Joe has 24 of them in the NCAA field. Sarcasm. Hope you caught it. Actually he has 12, which is way too many.

No. 3: FLORIDA (East); Kentucky (Midwest)

No. 4: Alabama (South); Tennessee (West)

No. 6: Arkansas (West); Vanderbilt (South)

No. 7: Auburn (South)

No. 8: Missouri (Midwest)

No. 9: Ole Miss (East)

No. 10: Texas (East)

No. 11: Georgia (Midwest)

SEC BASKETBALL

No. 11 Alabama (2-1): Tarleton State transfer forward Keitenn Bristow, who missed the first three games, will be a game time decision for Illinois. Wednesday: at No. 8 Illinois (4-0)

No. 21 Arkansas (4-1): Nick Pringle scored on a layup with 11 seconds left as Arkansas rallied past underdog Winthrop 84-83. Arkansas scored the final six points in the last 1:13. Friday: Jackson State (0-3)

No. 22 Auburn (3-1): Keyshawn Hall suffered a lateral ankle and foot sprain in the loss to Houston. No timetable has been set for his return. Hall has scored 20 or more points in all four Auburn games.  Wednesday: Jackson State (0-3)

Georgia (5-0): Despite the 5-0 start, Georgia’s outside shooting is in the tank. The Bulldogs are hitting a miserable 26.1 percent from the 3-point line.  Friday: at Xavier (2-2)

No. 12 Kentucky (3-2): Kentucky has beaten three cupcakes and lost to the only two decent teams they’ve played. The Wildcats were embarrassingly bad in getting blown out by Michigan State, 83-66, Tuesday night.   Friday: Loyola Maryland (2-3)

LSU (4-0): The Tigers remained unbeaten with an easy, 107-81, win over Alcorn State. LSU has scored 90 or more points in all four wins.  Friday: Omaha (1-3)

Mississippi State (2-1): Josh Hubbard is averaging 22.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. Thursday: at Kansas State (4-0)

Missouri (5-0): Mizzou is off to a 5-0 start for the first time in three years … The Tigers are averaging 91.4 points per game. Thursday: South Dakota (3-2)

Oklahoma (2-2): Nigel Pack, a sixth-year player who spent the last three at Miami, leads the team at 19.3 points per game. Pack is closing in on 2,000 points foo his collegiate career. Thursday: Oral Roberts (1-3)

Ole Miss (5-0): Former French Pro A leaguer Ilias Kamaradine had 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as the Rebels beat Austin Peay, 72-65.

South Carolina (4-0): South Carolina improved to 4-0 with an 87-58 win over Radford Tuesday night. Mike Sharavjamts had a double-double for the Gamecocks with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Friday: at Butler (3-1)

No. 17 Tennessee (3-0): Israeli national Ethan Burg had his best game yet for the Vols against Rice with 11 points, four rebounds and three assists. Thursday: Tennessee State (2-2)

Texas (4-1): Xavier transfer Dailyn Swain scored 26 points to lead Texas past Rider.

Texas A&M (2-2): Rylan Griffin scored 17 points to lead the Aggies past Montana, 86-81, Tuesday night. Friday: Manhattan (2-2)

Vanderbilt (4-0): Duke Miles, who is with his fourth team in six years, leads the Commodores at 16.3 points per game. Previous whistlestops were Troy, High Point and Oklahoma. Thursday: Texas Southern (0-4)

ASSESSING THE SEC

Florida is the best team in the league. Period. Second best? That’s Tennessee where Maryland transfer Ja’kobi Gillespie is a more than adequate replacement at the point for Zakai Ziegler and freshman Nate Ament is better than advertised.

Alabama can score but can’t rebound and is going to be killed on the inside. Arkansas needs chemistry but the freshmen Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff Jr. are the real deal. The Hogs have to beat people in open court games. They won’t deal well with big teams that pound it inside.

Kentucky is overhyped and hasn’t much in the way of chemistry. What do you want to bet Denzel Aberdeen is having buyer’s remorse about now?

Auburn would have beaten Houston double digits if it had made some free throws. Steven Pearl completely outcoached Kelvin Sampson. You can coach them up but you can’t shoot free throws for them.

Ole Miss is going to be very good. That’s a team to beware of.

Lump Georgia, LSU, Vanderbilt and Missouri together. Good enough to beat most teams when the stars and planets align. Bad enough to get their doors blown off on nights when they don’t.

A lot of SEC teams will make the NCAA field, but in no way is the league as good as last year. Florida can make the Final Four. Tennessee, Arkansas and Ole Miss can make the Elite Eight.