GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A year from now, maybe five years, possibly 10 and certainly 20, Mike White will look back on Saturday's 71-63 home defeat to seventh-ranked Kentucky with a different perspective than what he was feeling in the game's immediate aftermath.
And even his perspective at that time was far from the norm.
"Tough loss. We didn't play well enough to win," White said of the defeat that left program's hopes for fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament on life support. "But what a really cool, memorable moment for everyone in the building."
In the short-term, UF (19-12, 9-9) had to settle for the send-off it gave to seven players on "Senior Day," most notably the mini-passion play that unfolded for Keyontae Johnson, who 15 months removed from his harrowing collapse in Tallahassee was afforded the opportunity to put a Florida uniform and for one last time — and with the blessing of UK coach John Calipari — line up for an opening tip-off that, well, wouldn't count. After Johnson, with his family in tow, was honored along with his UF classmates, he was introduced as part of the Florida starting lineup and took the floor for the Gators as the O'Dome rocked.
Colin Castleton tipped the ball to Johnson, officials blew the whistle and the game was stopped. With that, Johnson exited to an adoring Exactech Arena ovation, with hugs from players and coaches from both teams on his way to the UF bench.
Keyontae Johnson embraces Coach Mike White as he leaves the floor before Saturday's "Senior Day" game against Kentucky.
Johnson stayed on the bench briefly, then bolted to the locker to change out of his uniform and into his civies.
"I'm all about the fashion, so … ," he said.
And those early few minutes were all about Johnson, but once the ball became live — for real — the game became all about the Wildcats and their incomparable, indefatigable forward Oscar Tshiebwe. Like he did three weeks ago in UK's blowout 21-point win at Lexington, Tshiebwe was a manchild in the paint on his way to a 25th double-double this season. The West Virginia transfer scored 27 points on 11-for-16 shooting and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line to go with 15 rebounds and three steals. Point guard Sahir Wheeler, a transfer from Georgia, added 13 points and four assists, shooting guard Kellan Grady had 11 points, and backup guard Davion Mintz came off the bench to score 10 points.
The Wildcats (25-6, 14-4) shot 51 percent a game and were in utter control from the opening tip; the real opening tip, that is. Therein may have lied a problem.
But Johnson's situation — and how it played out — took the annual ritual to another level. For both sides.
"I got a little emotional at the beginning because, c'mon, this kid, his whole life was about being in this moment and this kind of game, and it was taken from him," Kentucky coach John Calipari said. "Good for Florida for figuring out a way to really honor him and their fans."
It was handled beautifully for someone beloved within the program. And the emotion of it all may have impacted how the Gators started the game.
It had no bearing on how the Cats started.
Once again, Kentucky forward Oscar Tshiebwe (34) was a big problem for Anthony Duruji(4) and the Gators. The favorite to win SEC Player of the Year finished with 27 points and 15 rebounds.
After Fleming missed a layup on the first "live" possession, UK needed about five seconds for freshman guard TyTy Washington to score in transition at the other end. A turnover by Appleby on the second position turned into a run-out dunk by Keion Brooks Jr. Fleming's errant 3-pointer on UF's third possession was answered by a 3-point from Wheeler.
Just like that, barely a minute into the game, Kentucky led 7-0; before Johnson had even made it back to the bench. Kentucky's hot start led to a 16-point lead that eventually stood at 12 at the break, thanks to 50-percent shooting for the Cats, including 4-for-10 from 3, compared to 37 for the Gators, who hit just two of their 10 long-ball attempts. Fleming, sensational at both ends the last two games, went 0-for-9 from the floor. Jones was 2-for-8 overall, including one of seven from deep.
"I think these senior nights and senior days sometimes have a huge positive impact and sometimes can backfire a little bit. We know that and I don't want to take anything away from Kentucky," White said. "But we've been mentally tougher than that lately."
Some of that toughness reared itself early in the second half and in the waning moments of the game. The Gators scored the first five points out of the locker room, forcing Calipari to call a timeout with his lead down to seven. But them Tshiebwe, who earned his NCAA-best 25th double-double this season (most in the nation) with 12 points and 11 rebounds by halftime, scored the Cats' next 11 points, as the lead swelled to as high as 14 and sat on that number with six minutes to go.
The Gators didn't give in, though. Their 12-2 run, half from Castleton (23 points, 11 rebounds), made it a six-point game, 65-59, with 51.3 seconds to go. At that point UF called a timeout and out of the stoppage forced the Cats into a turnover. Fleming had a good, clean look at a 3-pointer that would have made it a one possession game, but the ball rimmed short with 40 seconds left, with Kentucky rebounding and closing out with free throws from there.
UF forward Colin Castleton (34), mostly facing Oscar Tshiebwe, worked for 23 points and 11 boards.
Afterward, Johnson came to the media room for his first in-person news conference since, given COVID and everything else, the end of the 2019-20 season.
"It's the best feeling I've had in a while," Johnson said. "This is one of the days you will never forget."
Also one the Gators will recall in an altogether different way down the line. White, especially.
At one point during his post-game session, White had to check himself when trying to find the right words when asked year another question about, as he's stated many times, the best player he has ever coached and how this swan-song played out.
"A unique day. A weird day. You could go so many different ways with it, but it's a special day, a great day, but a really, really tough day," White said. "I'll remember the L. I take Ls hard. But I'll also remember the opportunity to celebrate these guys, especially Keyontae's situation. He's a special, special guy. What our administration did and what our fans did, I'll never forget that."
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