Gators Finish Pre-Conference Schedule with a 10-3 Record

With 10 wins prior to January 1 for the first time since the 2016-17 season and a 6-game winning streak, the Florida Gators are being projected as an NCAA Tournament team by bracketologists Joe Lunardi of ESPN and Jerry Palm of CBS Sports. While acknowledging that the Gators are playing well heading into their first Southeastern Conference game next Saturday against Kentucky (12:30 p.m., Stephen C. O’Connell Center, ESPN), Todd Golden knows his team still has a way to go to reach their potential.

Guard Zyon Pullin had 16pts 1st Half - Photo FloridaGators.com

“It’s a lot of new guys playing together, right,” Golden said Saturday after the Gators ran their record to 10-3 with a 97-72 blowout of Quinnipiac (9-4) at the O-Dome. “We only had two guys that really played last year that returned, and everybody that’s in the program has a different role than last year, and everybody that’s new to the program has a different role than they had in their last spot, so it’s going to take a little bit to get to our potential, but I do feel like we’re slowly getting there.”

Playing for the first time since a win over Grambling prior to Christmas, the Gators shot well (35-68, 51.5 percent) overall and from the 3-point line (10-26, 38.5 percent) while turning in one of their better defensive efforts of the season. Quinnipiac hit only 33.3 percent (25-75) overall and 22.7 percent (5-22) from the 3-point line.

Although the Gators have had several games this season when they haven’t shot the ball all that well, they’ve consistently put points on the scoreboard. They’re averaging 86.3 per game through their first 13 and 99.7 over their last three. In the last three games, the Gators have 63 assists and 39 turnovers.

“You know, our ball-screen defense has improved quite a bit,” Golden said. “I think that’s one area that has really improved, and then offensively we’re just moving the ball really well.”

Saturday, the Gators heated up early, a first half in which they hung 52 on Quinnipiac. Taking the lead for good on a 3-pointer by Zyon Pullin with 17:17 left in the first half, the offense ran so smoothly in the first half that the Gators hit 9-18 from the 3-point line to go with nine dunks. Will Richard, who has averaged 17.4 points in the last five games, went 4-7 on 3-pointers in the first half and finished 5-9 from distance for the second straight game. He finished with a season-high 22 points, Pullin hit 3-4 on his 3-pointers, all in a first half in which he scored all 16 of his points.

With Richard and Pullin leading the way, the Gators had five players in double figures for the third straight game. Walter Clayton Jr. scored 12, Tyrese Samuel 11 and Riley Kugel 10.

Samuel posted his third straight double-double with 10 rebounds to go with his 11 points. It was his fourth double-double in Florida’s last five games. Freshman Alex Condon grabbed nine rebounds while Micah Handlogten had eight and freshman Thomas Haugh had seven to go with his eight points off the bench.

Following a 3-day break for Christmas, the Gators regrouped and turned in some of their better practices of the year in preparation for Quinnipiac.

“I was really, really pleased with how we practiced the last three days going into this game,” Golden said. “We’ve played at a high level in some of our games, but we’ve also played not at our best in some games. I think consistency is something we’ve been looking for and tried to make sure we’ve improved in that way. We obviously played really, really good against Grambling [on December 22], then we came back and we had really, really good practices the last three days.

“As a coach that gives you confidence that you can go out and perform well, but that’s the next step for this team: To make sure when we’re out there practicing and competing at a high level that we understand that’s what’s going to prepare us for the games. We’re not going to be able to just show up and go out and hoop against Kentucky. We got to make sure we have a great week of practice that can prepare us to be ready to go against those guys.”

Kentucky will come to the O-Dome ranked top ten nationally so it will be an opportunity for the Gators to showcase their improvement since back-to-back losses to Baylor and Wake Forest back in November.

“I think we got a full week to prepare for Kentucky, which is great, but we’re about as ready as we can be,” Golden said. “I think we did a good job of navigating this non-conference schedule, a lot of neutral games, just not in our home gym as much as a lot of other high-major teams were and we gutted out some tough games in December, first time undefeated month since 2021, right, and that’s the only other time since the 2014 team that rallied 30 in a row or something like that. So, big time for us to kind of hit that milestone and our guys are coming together. I feel like there’s a lot of joy in that locker room right now, guys happy for each other’s success, and I know they are excited for conference play to start.”

SEC basketball

Saturday’s scores: FLORIDA (10-3) 97, Quinnipiac (9-4) 72; South Carolina (12-1) 94, Florida A&M (2-9) 62; Alabama (8-5) 101, Liberty (10-4) 56; Georgia (10-3) 93, Alabama A&M (1-12) 73; Missouri (8-5) 92, Central Arkansas (3-12) 59; Vanderbilt (5-8) 69, Dartmouth (4-9) 53; Arkansas (9-4) 106, UNC-Wilmington (9-3) 90; Texas A&M (9-4) 79, Prairie View A&M (5-8) 54; Auburn (10-2) 101, Chattanooga (8-5) 66

Tuesday’s games: Norfolk State (9-6) at No. 6 Tennessee (9-3); Pennsylvania (8-6) at Auburn (10-2)

Saturday, January 6 games: No. 8 Kentucky (10-2) at FLORIDA (10-3); Mississippi State (10-2) at South Carolina (12-1); Georgia (10-3) at Missouri (8-5); Auburn (10-2) at Arkansas (9-4); Alabama (8-5) at Vanderbilt (5-8); No. 24 Ole Miss (12-0) at No. 6 Tennessee (9-3); LSU (8-5) at Texas A&M (9-4)

SEC in kenpom.com rankings: 5. Alabama (8-5); 7. Tennessee (9-3); 8. Auburn (10-2); 18. Kentucky (10-2); 23. Texas A&M (9-4); 31. Mississippi State (10-2); 34. FLORIDA (10-3); 60. South Carolina (12-1); 62. Arkansas (9-4); 82. Ole Miss (12-0); 85. Georgia (10-3); 90. Missouri (8-5); 102. LSU (8-5); 209. Vanderbilt (5-8)

SEC in NCAA Net Rankings (through Friday, December 29): 7. Tennessee; 10. Alabama; 18. Texas A&M; 23. Kentucky; 24. Auburn; 33. Mississippi State; 44. South Carolina; 52. FLORIDA; 60. Ole Miss; 97. Georgia; 98. Arkansas; 108. Missouri. 141. LSU; 280. Vanderbilt