Gators face Dartmouth in tuneup before the SEC schedule kicks in

Rueben Chinyelu (9) scores against Saint Francis (Photo by Chris Spears)

The last warmup before the games that matter most will be played at the O-Dome tonight (6 p.m., SEC Network) when Dartmouth (5-6) comes to Gainesville to face 22^nd-ranked Florida (8-4). Dartmouth is a 34.5-point underdog and the Gators should cover if they’re focused and not looking ahead to Saturday when Southeastern Conference play begins at Missouri.

A season ago, the Gators breezed through their non-conference schedule with a 13-0 record. This season, in light of losing the best backcourt in all of college basketball (Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin), Todd Golden intentionally scheduled tougher to break in a new backcourt and get the Gators ready for the grind of 18 SEC games. What the Gators proved in going against the likes of No. 1 Arizona, No. 4 UConn and No. 6 Duke is they can play with teams that are on everyone’s short list as possible Final Four participants. The Gators lost those three games, but they were all on the road and by a combined 11 points. There is no doubt that Florida could have won those games along with that 4-point loss to TCU in a game played in San Diego.

It was issues in the backcourt that were the serious questions early on, but the combination of Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland is coming together. Lee, in particular, is on a roll. The Princeton transfer is averaging 17.3 points while leading the Gators in scoring five of the last six games. He should find Dartmouth a particularly interesting opponent since he scored 33 against the Big Green last season. Fland is averaging 11.5 points per game and seems to be finding his niche when he puts the ball on the deck and drives to the rim.

Finding adequate backup help for Lee and Fland has been somewhat of an on again, off again affair. Urban Klavzar is a certifiable 3-point bomber who lost his stroke for a couple of games, but seems to have regained his touch. Golden has played both Isaiah Brown and CJ Ingram off the bench, plus he has inserted Sacramento State transfer Alex Kovatchev into the last two games.

There is also the possibility that Golden will lift the redshirt off Ohio U transfer A.J. Brown. The plan has been for A.J. to sit this season and have two years of eligibility, but he’s a 6-4 guard with outstanding shooting range and like brother Isaiah, serious hops. At Ohio, Brown averaged 13.2 points last season when he nailed 38.8 percent of his 3-pointers. Currently, the Gators are shooting 30.6 percent on 3-pointers as a team with Klavzar’s 34.9 percent best on the team.

When asked when a decision is forthcoming regarding A.J. Brown, Golden responded after the Gators hammered Colgate last week, “That’s top secret.”

There is no problem with Florida’s 4-man inside rotation of Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, Tommy Haugh and Micah Handlogten. Condon (14.9 points, 8.9 rebounds), Chinyelu (10.2 points, 10.8 rebounds) and Haugh (17.3 points, 6.2 rebounds) start with the 7-1 Handlogten (5.0 points, 6.1 rebounds) coming off the bench.

The Gators average 46.42 rebounds per game, which ranks second nationally. The Gators lead the nation in both offensive rebounds at 16.67 per game and rebounding margin at 15 per game.

Game notes: Per the kenpom.com analytics, the Gators are the No. 11 team in the nation in defensive efficiency and 24^th in offensive efficiency … Florida’s strength of schedule ranks 25^th nationally, which is third in the Southeastern Conference (Alabama has the toughest schedule and Auburn is No. 11. The other strengths of schedule for SEC teams: Mississippi State 66, Arkansas 69, Vanderbilt 76, Tennessee 124, Kentucky 138, Ole Miss 140, Oklahoma 267, LSU 291, Texas 314, Texas A&M 328, Georgia 338, Missouri 348, South Carolina 350 … Haugh ranks seventh in the SEC in scoring (17.3) while Chinyelu leads the conference in rebounding (10.8) and ranks ninth nationally. Condon ranks third in the SEC in rebounding (8.9). Chinyelu (3.92), Handlogten (3.09) and Condon (2.73) rank first, third and sixth in the SEC in offensive rebounding.

ANTICIPATED STARTING LINEUPS

NO. 22 FLORIDA (8-4): Alex Condon (6-11, 236, JR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-11, 265, JR); Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215, JR); Xaivian Lee (6-4, 185, SR); Boogie Fland (6-3, 185, SO)

Dartmouth (5-6): Jackson Munroe (6-8, 220, SR); Brandon Mitchell-Day (6-8, 205, SR); Kareem Thomas (6-5, 195, SO); Jayden Williams (6-6, 185, SR); Connor Amundsen (5-11, 165, SO)

SEC TEAMS IN NCAA NET RANKINGS

6. Vanderbilt; 19. Alabama; 21. Georgia; 22. FLORIDA; 25. Tennessee; 26. Kentucky; 29. Arkansas; 40. LSU; 41. Auburn; 52. Oklahoma; 55. Texas; 64. Texas A&M; 92. Missouri; 98. Ole Miss; 117. South Carolina; 127. Mississippi State

SEC TEAMS IN KENPOM.COM ANALYTICAL RANKINGS

8. Vanderbilt 12-0; 12. FLORIDA 8-4; 15. Tennessee 9-3; 17. Alabama 9-3; 19. Kentucky 9-4; 26. Georgia 11-1; 28. Arkansas 9-3; 37. Auburn 8-4; 40. LSU 11-1; 46. Texas 9-4; 48. Texas A&M 9-3; 51. Oklahoma 9-3; 59. Ole Miss 7-5; 63. Missouri 10-3; 87. Mississippi State 7-5; 91. South Carolina 84

GATORBAIT POWER RANKINGS FOR THE SEC

1. FLORIDA (8-4): The Gators have proven they can play with anyone. Now they get to prove they’re the best team in the SEC.

2. Tennessee (9-3): The Vols play the best defense in the SEC. They played Houston tough but got hosed by Illinois.

3. Arkansas (9-3): Good wins over Louisville and Texas Tech. Played Duke and Houston close.

4. Alabama (9-3): The losses are to Purdue, Gonzaga and Arizona. The losses to the Zags and Zona were decisive. Bama’s in trouble if the threes aren’t falling.

5. Vanderbilt (12-0): The win over Saint Mary’s was impressive but there are a lot of wins over weak teams.

6. Kentucky (9-4): The Wildcats aren’t nearly as good as the preseason hype. At the current pace, they’ll be holding a conclave to bring in a new pope in March.

7. Auburn (8-4): The Tigers should have beaten Houston but were blown out by Michigan, Arizona and Purdue. Rebounding is going to be an issue.

8. LSU (11-1): The Tigers score a lot of points, but they don’t have anything close to a signature win.

9. Georgia (11-1): The Bulldogs have played one of the easiest schedules in the country. They lost to a good but hardly great Clemson team.

10. Texas (9-4): The Longhorns played UConn close on the road but got blown out by Duke and Virginia.

11. Oklahoma (9-3): The losses are to Gonzaga, Nebraska and  Arizona State. There is a decent win over Oklahoma State.

12. Mississippi State (7-5): The Bulldogs have won three in a row, among them a win over a decent Utah team.

13. Texas A&M (9-3): The Aggies have loaded up on wins against a weak schedule. The losses are to Oklahoma State, UCF and SMU, and the closest thing to good wins are bad Pitt and FSU teams.

14. Ole Miss (7-5): The Rebels have played good teams like Iowa, Utah and St. John’s close. The wins are over weaklings.   

15. Missouri (10-3): Losing by 20 to Kansas and 43 to Illinois said everything.

16. South Carolina (8-4): They can’t shoot (29.9 percent from 3) and they can’t rebound. And this is against bad teams.

SEC BASKETBALL

Monday’s games

Dartmouth (5-6) at No. 22 FLORIDA (8-4)

New Haven (5-7) at No. 11 Vanderbilt (12-0)

Yale (11-1) at No. 14 Alabama (9-3)

James Madison (7-6) at No. 18 Arkansas (9-3)

Long Island (6-6) at No. 23 Georgia (11-1)

Southern Miss (7-6) at LSU (11-1)

Mississippi Valley State (1-12) at Oklahoma (9-3)

Queens University (5-7) at Auburn (8-4)

Alabama State (3-9) at Mississippi State (7-5)

Alcorn State (1-10) at Ole Miss (7-5)

Prairie View A&M (5-7) at Texas A&M (9-3)

Tuesday’s games

Albany (4-10) at South Carolina (8-4)

South Carolina State (1-13) at No. 19 Tennessee (9-3)

Saturday’s games

No. 22 FLORIDA (8-4) at Missouri (10-3)

No. 11 Vanderbilt (12-0) at South Carolina (8-4)

Kentucky (9-4) at No. 14 Alabama (9-3)

No. 19 Tennessee (9-3) at No. 18 Arkansas (9-3)

Auburn (8-4) at No. 23 Georgia (11-1)

Ole Miss (7-5) at Oklahoma (9-3)