Keys to deal with Duke: Don't foul, limit the turnovers, make shots
- Franz Beard
- Dec 1, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 3, 2025
Based on the two games of the Rady Children’s Classic in San Diego last week, Todd Golden has a rather good idea what it’s going to take for 15th-ranked Florida (5-2) to deal with 4th-ranked Duke (8-0) tonight (7:30 p.m., ESPN) in the SEC-ACC Challenge at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Gators split two games in San Diego, dropping an 84-80 decision to TCU in the first game, then bouncing back with a 90-78 win over Providence. In the loss to TCU, the Gators committed way too may fouls, turned the ball over 19 times and missed shot after shot from the outside. Against Providence the Gators committed only four turnovers in the last 36 minutes of the game, fouled less and had the best shooting game of the season from the 3-point line.
Florida’s 3-man backcourt rotation of Xaivian Lee, Boogie Fland and Urban Klavzar combined for 55 points with Lee and Fland making four three pointers and Klavzar three. It was important especially for Lee to get untracked. He had a season high 20 points while making 4-9 of his 3-pointers.
Until the Providence game, Lee had been the missing ingredient. A two-time All-Ivy League selection at Princeton and a career 37 percent 3-point shooter, Lee had hit only two of his previous 22 threes prior to Providence. Not only did his perimeter shooting take a step up, but so did his entire offensive game.
Golden knows that for the Gators to have a chance to make a deep run into March that Lee has to be a true offensive threat. He has already proven he can handle the ball, pass, rebound and play good defense, but the shot making was absent until Providence. Can he sustain it?
“It’s no secret,” Golden said Monday afternoon. “We need him to be better for us to be good, to be the best we can be.”
Limiting the turnovers was huge against Providence. It needs to carry over to tonight’s game. Cameron is one of the more difficult arenas in all of college basketball and teams that get sloppy with the ball ignite the crazies in the stand to take their harassment to a whole new level.
“If we take care of the ball we can be pretty effective offensively,” Golden said.
The Gators are averaging 85.9 points per game which is rather remarkable considering the Gators are only shooting 44 percent from the field and 27.7 percent from the 3-point line. If the guys on the perimeter can continue to rain in shots, the Gators will be very good. Combine making shots with taking care of the ball and Florida will be one of the more dangerous teams in the country.
Duke has a tall, talented front line led by freshman Cameron Boozer, a Miami Columbus product who Florida recruited heavily. Boozer is averaging 22.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. He is joined on the front line by 6-11 Patrick Ngongba and 6-8 Dame Sarr. Ngongba averages 12.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while Sarr averages 7.5 points and 4.1 rebounds.
Florida will counter with its own tall, talented front line led by 6-9 Tommy Haugh, the Gators’ leading scorer at 17.9 points per game. Alex Condon (6-11), who missed the Providence game scores at 15.7 while Rueben Chinyelu (6-11) is averaging 11.1 points and 10.1 rebounds.
“I think our roster is built in a way that could potentially give them some issues,” Golden said. “Their front court is fantastic, Cam Boozer obviously playing like one of the best players in America. My hope is our front court, our size and physicality can provide some good defense that way.”
It isn’t a must win game since it’s just now December, but it will be a good measuring stick for Golden to see how far the Gators came during their seven games in November and how far they need to go in December to prep for the SEC portion of the schedule.
“This is a great opportunity for us to go out there tomorrow night and see how well we’re able to play,” Golden said.
Anticipated starting lineups
No. 15 FLORIDA (5-2): Alex Condon (6-11, 235, JR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-11, 265, JR); Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215, JR); Xaivian Lee (6-4, 185, SR); Boogie Fland (6-3, 185, JR)
No. 4 Duke (8-0): Cameron Boozer (6-9, 250, FR); Patrick Ngongba (6-11, 250, SO); Dame Sarr (6-8, 190, FR); Isaiah Evans (6-6, 180, SO); Caleb Foster (6-5, 205, JR)
Associated Press top 25: 1. Purdue 7-0; 2. Arizona 7-0; 3. Michigan 7-0; 4. Duke 8-0; 5. UConn 6-1; 6. Louisville 7-0; 7. Michigan State 7-0; 8. Houston 7-1; 9. BYU 6-1; 10. Iowa State 7-0; 11. Gonzaga 7-1; 12. Alabama 5-2; 13. Tennessee 7-1; 14. Illinois 6-2; 15. FLORIDA 5-2; 16. North Carolina 6-1; 17. Vanderbilt 8-0; 18. Kentucky 5-2; 19. Texas Tech 6-2; 20. Auburn 6-2; 21. Kansas 6-2; 22. Indiana 7-0; 23. St. John’s 4-3; 24. Southern California 7-0; 25. Arkansas 5-2
Coaches top 25: 1. Purdue 7-0; 2. Michigan 7-0; 3. Arizona 7-0; 4. Duke 8-0; 5. UConn 6-1; 7. Houston 7-1; 8. Michigan State 7-0; 9. Iowa State 7-0; 10. BYU 6-1; 11. Gonzaga 7-1; 12. Alabama 5-2; 13. Tennessee 7-1; 14. FLORIDA 5-2; 15. Illinois 6-2; 16. Vanderbilt 8-0; 17. North Carolina 6-1; 18. Kentucky 5-2; 19. (Tie) Texas Tech 6-2; Indana 7-0; 21. Kansas 6-2; 22. St. John’s 4-3; 23. Arkansas 5-2; 24. Auburn 6-2; 25. Iowa 7-0
SEC BASKETBALL
Tuesday’s games
No. 15 FLORIDA (5-2) at No. 4 Duke (8-0)
No. 13 Tennessee (7-1) at Syracuse (4-3)
No. 16 North Carolina (6-1) at No. 18 Kentucky (5-2)
Missouri (8-0) at Notre Dame (5-3)
Georgia (7-1) at Florida State (5-2)
Miami (6-2) at Ole Miss (5-2)
Texas A&M (6-2) at Pittsburgh (5-3)
Oklahoma (5-2) at Wake Forest (6-2)
Virginia Tech (6-2) at South Carolina (5-2)
Great analysis and counsel as usual. tt's a major test for our Gators. Win or lose, it will be a valuable experience from which they will benefit for the rest of the season. I'm in Chapel Hill with multiple reasons to be in front of the TV rooting my Gators at 7:30. I'm really eager to see how this match-up resolves.