Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — With less than two minutes to go, freshman forward Chase Johnson was the only Florida player suited up who had not scored in Sunday's preseason finale. The Gators had a fat lead on Division II Tampa when the 6-foot-9, 205-pound Johnson, fresh out of concussion protocol and having missed his first five shots in a UF uniform, drove baseline and threw down a reverse dunk to put his team up by 40. 

Johnson hit two more baskets in the final minute. 

When the horn sounded moments later, the Gators had a 94-57 exhibition victory at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center and each of their 10 players had tallied at least six points, led by senior swingman Jalen Hudson's 18, plus another 12 points and six rebounds from redshirt sophomore forward Keith Stone. Freshman guard Michael Okauru had 11 points off the bench and made five of his six field-goal attempts. 

Afterward, UF coach Mike White called the game another "opportunity to see where we are." 

That's fitting because, right now, the Gators are far from the team they want to be. Oh, they could play and maybe keep pace with some of the best in the country because they can score the ball. But White and his staff will continue to harp, hound and harass this bunch — to the Nov. 13 season-opener against Gardner-Webb and beyond — about their approach and intensity on the defensive end.

Not that the Spartans exposed them. UF held UT to just 26-percent shooting in the first half, including 0-for-13 from the 3-point line, on the way to building a 51-22 advantage at the break.  At one point, Florida scored 22 consecutive points and led by 41 with just under 12 minutes to go. Along the way, though, there were some glaring lapses on ball-screen defense, some boxing-out issues and not enough communication between the lines. 

As the two teams went through the post-game handshake line, White stopped Tampa 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward Duke Shelton, who raked the Gators for 22 points on 9-for-19 from the floor and cleared 11 rebounds, six on the offensive end. The way Shelton took it to Florida's defense, White told the Spartan, just may have gotten him drafted. 

"We're much more talented offensively, but defensively we're nowhere near last year," White said afterward, once again referencing a UF squad that in 2016-17 was one of the best defensive teams in the country, based on advance metrics. "It starts with our mentality. It starts with what's important to us, and what we want to hang our hats on." 
 
That's why watching the Gators shoot 54 percent for the game and go 12-for-25 from deep doesn't get White excited. With weapons like Hudson (3-for-5 from 3), junior shooting guard-turned-tempoarary-point-guard KeVaughn Allen (11 points, a couple 3s), and grad-transfer forward Egor Koulechov (a trio of 3s), Florida is going to score this season. 

Right now, White's concerned about the other team scoring more. 

Last year's Gators had an elite on-ball defender in Kasey Hill and some terrific length in forward Devin Robinson, whose defense went next level in the second half of the season, especially his ability (and willingness) to stunt and drop with help when drawn from the perimeter, as Florida went on a run to the Elite Eight. 

UF expects to get senior point guard Chris Chiozza (shoulder) back inside of two weeks. That will help. Center John Egbunu, the 6-11, 255-pounder, is recovering from season-ending knee surgery and is on track to be cleared in January. He was playing some of the best defense of his career when injured last Valentine's Day. Once back, he figures to be a huge factor in the post. 

Until then? 

"We feel our identity right now is to continue to expand and grow, as we try to figure out what works for us and how we can work together," junior center Kevarrius Hayes said after scoring six points, grabbing seven rebounds and blocking four shots in 19 active minutes. "We definitely can work harder on defense. We know we're capable, but we have to do it a full 40 minutes." 

And in real games. 

Because from now on, they all count.