White Expects Gators' Energy to Return vs Rebels

Tuesday, February 9

Gainesville, FL

9:00 PM

Florida Gators

Ole Miss

UF coach Mike White was disappointed with his team's effort Saturday at Kentucky, especially on the defensive end.

White Expects Gators' Energy to Return vs Rebels

Monday, February 8, 2016 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry

By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- It had been less than 24 hours since his Florida basketball team had been undressed on the road at Kentucky in a manner Coach Mike White had not experienced as Gators coach. It wasn't like the UF players weren't alerted as to the attention to detail, energy and mental toughness it would take just to stay in the game at Rupp Arena. Those were coaching staffs top talking points.

And yet they brought next to none of those things -- any of them -- in falling behind by 19 just over six minutes after the opening tip. The Gators were never in the game.

"The coaches gave us the answers to the test," senior forward Dorian Finney-Smith said after the eventual 80-61 drubbing at the hands of the No. 20 Wildcats. "It was up to us to execute."

So there was White during Sunday's practice blowing the whistle and stopping action just to remind his players they'd been beaten by 19 iin a game they were never really competitive.

"It was YESTERDAY! Anybody remember that?"

The feeling -- something that combines pride, anger and maybe a little fear -- should be one the Gators (15-8, 6-4) carry with them the rest of the season, starting Tuesday when they host Ole Miss (15-8, 5-5) at the O'Connell Center in a game between two Southeastern Conference teams that need to stockpile wins for their postseason resumes. Whatever that was at Kentucky wasn't good enough. Not just against the Wildcats, but anybody.

"You have to own up to your mistakes," junior guard Kasey Hill said. "Everybody has to take it personally."

Especially, on the defensive end.

After holding four of the first five teams in SEC play to less than 41-percent shooting from the floor and another five under 30 percent from the 3-point line, UF's last three opponents have shot incrementally better:

* West Virginia -- 43.1 percent on its field goals and and 35 percent from deep.
* Arkansas -- 45.3 percent and 47.6 percent, including 10 made 3s.
* Kentucky -- 51.7 percent and 60 percent, with 12 made 3s.

Florida won the first two, both at home, but those numbers represent a trend far from what White and his staff are looking for, especially from a defense that a week ago rested in the top 10 in overall efficiency.

The inability of the Gators to locate Kentucky sharpshooter Jamal Murray, whether in the halfcourt or transition, on his way to a career-high 35 points and 8-for-10 from the deep, sent White over the edge. Finding him on defense was one of the scouting reports absolutes entering the game.

They absolutely didn't do it.

"Our guys are a little beat up and disappointed in our effort and the fashion in which we were beat," White said. "I'd be surprised if we don't come out [Tuesday] and play really, really hard. That's what's most important for this team. What happens after that, I don't know."

What White does know is his team is at its best when the effort level is tapped out. That's what happened when UF went to Ole Miss last month and smothered the Rebels from the outset. The Gators scored the game's first eight points, shot 62 percent in the first half, led by 19 at the break and never trailed.

Along the way, freshman guard KeVaughn Allen busted out for 27 points, while the Florida defense put Mississippi shoot-first point guard Stefan Moody in a cup. The SEC scoring leader needed 15 shots to finish with 20 points (nearly five below is average at the time), went just 3-for-10 from deep, to go with six turnovers and only one assist.

Unlike Murray, the Gators had no trouble locating Moody. That'll be the assignment again Tuesday.

"He's going to come in here ready to light it up," UF freshman guard Brandone Francis-Ramirez said.

After all, anybody remember what he did in the O'Dome last year?

Here's a history lesson.

Moody will have the Gators' attention.

But will it by undivided? And will their energy be unmatched?

"We're going to have to be on our toes, but it starts with our energy and effort level at the tip," White said. "That's something that should be easy for us to control."