A New Defensive Mindset

Thomas Haugh defending Sam Alexis / Fall practice 2024

Returning sophomore Thomas Haugh gets up into junior transfer Sam Alexis during a scrimmage this week in the O'Dome, as the Gators look to make a huge jump on the defensive end of the floor in '24-25.

Thursday, October 3, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry

By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The teams were not evenly matched, but that's usually the case this time of year.

The start of the college basketball season is barely a month away and the Florida Gators are forging their identity. On Tuesday, it was the Blue team of top-rotation players against the White squad of mostly backups going hard during a scrimmage (complete with Southeastern Conference officials) inside the empty Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center. Blue was having its way on both ends, with Walter Clayton Jr. keying the fast-paced offense with his array of shot-making and sharp-shooting Will Richard dropping 3s. Coach Todd Golden was definitely pleased, as he worked the crowded sideline and commanded his players to push the tempo, share the ball and get good shots.

Across the floor, John Andrzejek paced alone up and down his sideline, pointing and prodding players into position. Andrzejek's attention wasn't on the Blue team's high-octane offense. He was zeroed in on the defense.

He was pretty pleased, too.

"This is better than yesterday," Andrzejek said. "I went to sleep p—ed off last night."

Andrzejek is in his second season as a UF assistant, but his first with the role of defensive coordinator. Golden handled defense the first two seasons on the job, but in evaluating all things within his program — like the best CEOs do — decided to delegate defensive duties to Andrzejek, a trusted colleague he has worked with at three stops and knew would immerse himself in the responsibility.

Gators defensive coordinator **John Andrzejek** watches Tuesday's scrimmage in the O'Dome.

Golden was an assistant and Andrzejek the director of basketball operations on the staffs of Kyle Smith at both Columbia and San Francisco. When Smith left the latter for the head job at Washington State, Andrzejek went along as an assistant and was mentored there by a coach with a philosophy rooted in defense. In Smith's four seasons with the Cougars, they finished ranked in the nation's top 28 three times in defensive efficiency before he bolted last spring to be head coach at Stanford.

Andrzejek, the Ivy League grad, brought those principles with him to UF.

"I would describe him as very smart, very hard-working and someone who takes a lot of pride in being prepared, whether it's games or practices or whatever," Golden said of his DC. "He's had a lot of experience working with me before, so he knows how I like to defend and guard. I felt like it would be a pretty easy transition."

For Andrzejek, 31, the charge is a simple one (though certainly not easy). Make the Gators better — a lot better — on the defensive end of the floor, where despite going 24-12 (with the most victories in seven seasons) and reaching the first NCAA Tournament in three years they ranked 93rd nationally in defensive efficiency, per KenPom.com advance metrics, and were dead-last in the SEC when it came to forcing turnovers.

Fifth-year transfer guard **Alijah Martin** (right), the transfer from FAU, gets in a stance against sophomore point guard **Kajus Kublickas** (30) during Tuesday's scrimmage.

Getting where they want to go has required a drastic altering to the practice routine, with defense drilling, teaching and training not only getting commensurate attention to offense all offseason and into the early preseason, but being greeted with a welcomed and spirited execution by the players.

"We're making progress, but we're a work in progress," said Andrezjek, who praised the collaborative effort of the entire staff in accentuating the defensive message. "You get 30 practices before the first game. We're now [six] practices in. We're better than we were yesterday. The defense has improved, but there's still a ways to go. We're going to keep going at it, day by day, brick by brick, and build it on a solid foundation."

That foundation begins with an emphasis on four things:

Getting back, walling up and taking away transition opportunities.
Fighting harder through ball screens.
Limiting straight-line drives.
Better defensive rebounding.

These facets are not just talked about daily, but now drilled and re-drilled. Does that mean they were absent before? Of course not, but the sheer volume of defensive work now, with huge blocks of practice time devoted to one-on-one "pride" drills, wing denials, pick-and-roll and, yes, lots (and lots) of ball-screen work, as well as some zone actions that have been practically non-existent during Golden's first two seasons, has been pronounced.

Communication, as in constant live-ball talking, has been outstanding, with Andrzejek's voice a constant (and loud) soundtrack through it all.

"We're stressing defense more right now," Richard said. "It's been a huge jump in our focus."

Added Golden: "I think this group has the ability to concentrate a little longer. We've tried to be, if nothing else, 50-50 across the board [during practice], but we've probably leaned a little more toward defense. That's OK."

CHARTING THE GATORS
A look back at where Florida ranked in the SEC and NCAA (out of 362 teams) in three key defensive categories during the 2023-24 season, per KenPom.com.

SEC	Efficiency (pts per 100 possessions) / NCAA rank	Turnover pct. / NCAA	Rebounding pct. / NCAA
1	Tennessee (90.2) / 2nd	Missouri (18.6) / 76th	Ole Miss (27.8) / 123rd
2	Auburn (96.7) / 6th	Tennessee (18.6) / 80th	South Carolina (27.9) / 125th
3	Mississippi State (95.9) / 22nd	Mississippi State (18.4) / 90th	Texas A&M (27.9) / 128th
4	Georgia (99.6) / 58th	LSU (18.2) / 101st	Tennessee (28.2) / 139th
5	Texas A&M (100.5) / 68th	Auburn (18.1) / 104th	Florida (28.8) / 168th
6	South Carolina (100.5) / 71st	Ole Miss (18.1) / 106th	Vanderbilt (29.3) / 195th
7	Florida (101.8) / 94th	Texas A&M (16.7) / 198th	Arkansas (29.9) / 218th
8	LSU (102.2) / 99th	Georgia (16.1) / 243rd	Auburn (30.2) / 223rd
9	Kentucky (102.9) / 109th	Vanderbilt (15.9) / 257th	Kentucky (30.3) / 234th
10	Alabama (103.0) / 111th	Kentucky (15.9) / 263rd	Georgia (30.5) / 246th
11	Arkansas (104.1) / 133rd	Alabama (15.2) / 296th	Alabama (31.0) / 277th
12	Ole Miss (104.5) / 141st	Arkansas (15.1) / 301st	LSU (31.4) / 294th
13	Missouri (106.6) / 181st	South Carolina (15.0) / 307th	Missouri (35.7) / 358th
14	Vanderbilt (107.4) / 281st	Florida (14.5) / 318th	Mississippi State (36.2) / 359th

Last season, because of personnel, the emphasis overwhelmingly was at the other end, as the Gators ranked 12th nationally in offensive efficiency and, under coordinator Kevin Hovde, averaged 85.6 points per game, the highest in the program's 108-year history.

It all made for a highly entertaining brand of basketball, but ultimately the Gators' defensive flaws cost them in the NCAA Tournament when Colorado shot 63 percent — at one point making 11 consecutive field-goal attempts — in a 102-100 first-round defeat. Florida's last eight opponents averaged 86.8 points.

Golden not only knew the UF approach had to change, but so did the makeup of the defenders he was putting on the floor. The Gators went into the transfer portal looking for defensive difference-makers.

"We didn't have all the guys buying into playing defense last year and when you don't have that it's definitely hard. Guys this year, we really talk about it, break it down and really have pride in defense," said sophomore forward Alex Condon, an All-SEC Freshman Team selection last season ticketed to start at the "4" spot this season. "We kind of sacrificed our defense for our offense, but this year we've done a much better job of balancing that side of the ball while still being a lethal offensive team."

Golden, who has stated a top-40 defense as his goal in '25, has no problem admitting that defense didn't get the attention it deserved last season because he knew the Gators, with their personnel, could be elite on offense. And they were.

This year, with the addition of guard Alijah Martin, a transfer from Florida Atlantic, on the perimeter, as well as long/physical center Rueben Chinyelu (Washington State) and forward Sam Alexis (Tennessee-Chattanooga) up front, along with the return of Condon and Haugh, the Gators believe they can be special on both ends.

And don't sell short the new-found defensive commitment from both Clayton and Richard, following their participation in the NBA evaluation process last spring and the feedback they received.

"They heard about it from different voices than ours; from NBA decision-makers," said UF director of basketball strategy and analytics Jonathan Safir. "I think it's given those two guys a renewed enthusiasm on the defensive end, a renewed purpose to do something that would be more beneficial for the team, but mutually beneficial for themselves down the line."

UF coach **Todd Golden** (left) and assistant/offensive coordinator **Kevin Hovde** (right) are hoping improved defensive numbers will lead to more transition opportunities.

Despite the loss of their second- and third-leading scorers — All-SEC selections Zyon Pullin (a point guard who checked in at No. 50 nationally in offensive rating and as the league-leader in assist-to-turnover ratio) and Tyrese Samuel (a forward with special skills to break down defenders and attack from the high post) — the Gators believe they're on solid footing on offense, with what Hovde has done with his ball-screen plan and UF's scoring punch (Clayton, Richard, Martin and Denzel Aberdeen) on the perimeter.

Now, if those guards can get in sync with their defensive-minded front court brothers, what were Florida's weaknesses last year could become strengths.

What if ball hawks like Martin and Haugh can generate significantly more steals (only seven power conference teams were worse than the Gators on that front)? What if Chinyelu equals his 9.6 block-shot percentage (almost twice as high as Condon's team-high 5.8 last season)? What if the the Gators' new guys (Chinyelu at 25.8 percent, Alexis 25.4 and Martin 15.9) play to their '23-24 numbers on the defensive glass? What if they exceed them?

Answer: It would mean more transition opportunities for an already explosive Florida offense, which will make Hovde very happy.

And send an equally pleased Andrzejek to bed in a better mood.

"We won't have any stones unturned," Andrzejek said. "If we're not good enough on that end of the floor this year it won't be for lack of effort at trying to figure out what gives this team the best chance defensively."