Florida Gators

INDIANAPOLIS — Forgive Tre Mann if he shows up for Friday's opening-round NCAA Tournament game a tad hunched over and looking a bit weary. 

Carrying a team can be exhausting. 

Mann, Florida's first-team All-Southeastern Conference guard, is on a wicked scoring run, averaging 22.6 points and shooting 58 percent from the floor over his previous five games. In the Gators' last outing, Mann poured in a career-high 30 in defeat against Tennessee in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. Mann had a ridiculous 28 points in the second half of a game that was never close, so it's safe to assume things would have that much more difficult to watch had the 6-foot-5, 190-pounder only been half as a good. 

That said, this is the time of year when one hot hand can take over, but anyone wearing orange and blue understands this team is going to need more — much more — than just Mann if they plan on making any hay in the South Region bracket. If the seventh-seeded Gators (14-9) don't give Mann some much-needed assistance in against No. 10-seed Virginia Tech (15-6) at Hinkle Field House, than they likely won't get a second chance to do so. 

"We got to have more balance," UF coach Mike White said. 

[Read senior writer Chris Harry's "Pregame Stuff setup here]

Yes, they do. Because while Mann's shooting percentage during his hot streak — which dates to the Feb. 20 win against Georgia — approaches 60 percent, the rest of his teammates have hit at collective 41.3 percent, a run that includes the regular season-ending loss at Tennessee that Mann missed due to a migraine. And while Mann played, and made eight of his 19 shots (along with five 3s and nine of 10 free throws) against the Volunteers in the conference tournament, the rest of the Gators were a collective 12 of 39 (or 30.7 percent). 

"It's been different games where different guys score points or get rebounds or block shots," Mann said. "I feel like when we put it all together, though, we're going be pretty good." 
 
Now would be a good time for that to happen, given the stakes and all. The Hokies, who finished third in the Atlantic Coast Conference, are a well-balanced bunch on offense. No matter how they choose to defend Mann at the other end — Will they focus trying to lock down Mann or perhaps let the UF star get his and put their attention elsewhere? — other Gators have to be heard from. 

Preferably loudly. 

"Our assist-to-turnover ratio has got to be better. Our shooting percentage has got to be better. We've got to be able to score better on the interior," White said. "We've really struggled in those games against teams kind of comparable to [Virginia Tech], with girth, physicality. They fight you for every inch on the floor. They pack it in a little bit and swarm to the ball to where our big guys get post touches. They might not be quite as deep as they are against other teams. And their ability to get it in there might be a little bit harder. And then once we put it on the floor and try and make individual plays, those walls might be a little bit thicker and taller. So we've got to find ways to help Tre, to compliment Tre, and the way he's scoring it and playing at an all-time level of high confidence. We've got to get some other guys going."

Fourth-year junior point guard Tyree Appleby has come the closest to playing Robin to Mann's Batman. He's got eight straight games scoring in double figures, with an average of 12.4 points in that span, but at just 36.5 percent from the floor. Against Tennessee last time out, he hit just three of 13 shots. 

Earlier this season, 6-foot-11 forward Colin Castleton was doing work and giving the Gators a serious threat in the post. At one point, Castleton had a spell of four games in nine where he scored at least 20 points and was at 64 percent on the season. In the nine games since, Castleton is at 48 percent from the floor, with his decreased numbers coinciding with his return from a COVID pause. 

And then there's Scottie Lewis, the talented guard who also had a lengthy midseason break due to health and safety protocols. Six weeks ago, Lewis was averaging 10.5 points and four rebounds a game. In his last nine games, Lewis is at 5.0 points and 2.2 rebounds. He had three straight games without a rebound and scored one point in two SEC Tournament games. He has missed his last seven field-goal attempts and five 3-pointers. 

Do not interpret this as finger-pointing in the direction of Appleby, Castleton, Lewis or any other Gator. Any of those three -- as well Noah Locke or Anthony Duruji, even reserves Omar Payne and Samson Ruzhentsez -- are capable of providing much-needed sparks and contributions that could further the Florida cause. Everyone in the locker room knows this. Mann, included. 

"Some shots aren't falling for some people right now," Mann said, playing good soldier. "Everybody goes through slumps. I have confidence in our guys that that'll pick up when it's time." 

Check your watch (and the calendar), Gators. It's March.

It's time.