Defender deluxe Niels Lane (44) executes a Gator chomp as he exits the floor after UF's win last week at Missouri.
Stayin' In His Lane
Wednesday, February 9, 2022 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Niels Lane started the first game of his Florida basketball career Saturday. He played 28 minutes for the Gators. He finished with no points and four fouls.
And was terrific.
"Obviously, my role on the team isn't the most attractive role in Gator basketball. I'm energy and a defensive stopper," Lane said Friday with a smile and an eye toward Wednesday night as the Gators (15-8, 5-5) seek a fourth consecutive win when they face Georgia (6-17, 1-9) at Exactech Arena. "At the end of the day, that's what I do best. I understand my defensive game is on a different level than my offensive game. That makes it easier for me to accept."
[Read senior writer Chris Harry's "Pregame Stuff" setup here]
Two words jump out of that brief but very illuminating Lane quote. Let's take the second one first: "accept." Imagine the humility and team-first attitude required to accept an assignment that calls for you, basically, to defend at the highest level, while understanding your offensive services will only be required in limited circumstances.
The other word: "role."
"You want to talk about being glue, being great in role," UF coach Mike White said when asked about Lane after his team's came from nine down in the second half to beat Ole Miss 62-57 in overtime Saturday. "Using that word in 2022, players don't like hearing that. But when Niels was out there, he played really well."
EAT THAT! Niels Lane elevates to return a shot by an Oklahoma State player during UF's comeback against the Cowboys.
That's been the case since White and his staff decided to throw Lane on the floor at halftime of the team's game against Oklahoma State on Jan. 29. The Cowboys had absolutely carved up the Gators, shooting 63 percent in the first half and 70 from the 3-point line on the way to a 16-point lead. White was so livid with his team's performance he not only benched three starters, but he rolled out Lane, who had not played in a game since Dec. 22 against Stony Brook.
To that point in the season Lane had logged all of 45 minutes over seven games with 13 DNPs, yet he was under orders to make a difference on defense, since no one else was doing so. No one told him not to shoot or be aggressive on offense, but at 25 percent from the floor, 0-for-2 from 3, 4-for-8 from the free throw and two assists to seven turnovers in very limited minutes, those instructions pretty much were implied.
His assignment: Lock up, wall up and man up.
In the two and a half games since, Lane hasn't scored a point. You know what else hasn't happened? The Gators haven't lost.
He's been on the floor 59 minutes, gone 0-for-2 from the floor, grabbed four rebounds, blocked two shots, netted a steal and — get this — posted a plus-22 in the plus/minus column, while taking his turn on the opponent's best perimeter offensive player. He's also been called for 10 fouls along the way, including a disqualification in the win at Missouri, so he's definitely getting his money's worth out there.
"I hadn't played that much in a competitive basketball game in years; since by senior year in high school, so it was nice," said Lane, the rangy 6-foot-5, 206-pounder, with bounce and solid footwork, from Freehold, N.J., where back in his club circuit days he held the likes of future lottery picks Cade Cunningham (now in Detroit) and Jonathan Kuminga (Golden State) to single-digit outings. "My approach, really, is that getting scored on his embarrassing. Thousands of people are watching, so I'm going to do whatever I can not to get scored on."
Against Ole Miss, the marked man was guard Matt Murrell, who made eight of 12 shots, including three of five from deep, when the Rebels ripped UF 70-54 just 10 days earlier in Oxford. With Lane chasing him, Murrell finished with 14 in the rematch, but only made four of 14 shots and missed six 3s.
Along the way, Lane has won the admiration of his teammates, who praised him for staying the course when riding the bench and being ready when opportunity knocked; probably like it will again Wednesday against Bulldogs guard Kario Oquendo, who is coming off a 25-point eruption in UGA's last-second 74-72 loss to No. 1-ranked Auburn four days ago.
"When you love defense — like I do, like other guys on this team do — you would never have a problem with a role like that. It's a pride thing," grad-transfer guard Brandon McKissic said. "I think Niels has that pride thing going where he is not going to let his man score on him. We see him doing it and it's become infectious."
Added fifth-year point guard Tyree Appleby: "I think he's doing amazing."
