Path to Postseason is Crystal Clear

Saturday, February 24

Gainesville, FL

1 PM

Florida Gators

Vanderbilt

UF coach Todd Golden and his leading scorer, junior guard Walter Clayton Jr., are eyeing the home stretch of the regular season, with an optimistic eye (presumably) toward the postseason.

Path to Postseason is Crystal Clear

Friday, February 23, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry

By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Gators have won seven of their previous nine games, with the two losses – 67-66 at Texas A&M three weeks ago and 98-93 in overtime at 13^th-ranked Alabama on Wednesday – both coming down to their final offensive possessions on the road. They've put themselves not only in solid position for the program's first NCAA Tournament berth in three years, but in position to further distinguish themselves on a national scale in Coach Todd Golden's second season.

Now, it's about winning more games, especially the ones the Gators (18-8, 8-5) are supposed to win, starting with Saturday afternoon's sold-out home date against Vanderbilt (7-19, 2-11) at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center.

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

UF has five regular-season games remaining, including three at home, plus at least one in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, set for March 13-17 at Nashville, Tenn. The Gators will be prohibitive favorites in three of those games (maybe even a slight favorite in a fourth), and if they continue to grow at their current trajectory it could make for potentially the most interesting postseason in these parts in several years.

But with all that said, it's really about nothing other than the next game. At least that's the tact Golden and the Gators are taking (and need to take) into the weekend.

"We have a ton of things to play for and you have to win the games and put yourselves in position to do that – and Vandy has our respect," Golden said Friday. "They've had a couple tough games in a row, but they've proven the capacity to compete at a high level in our league, even though their won-loss record is not great. I think our team has matured in our approach, regardless of the opponent. We've come out and competed pretty well and can't be any different [Saturday]. We've got to make sure we come out and respect but not fear Vanderbilt."

The Commodores were 5-8 when they opened the season with two close losses; the first by just three against Alabama at home, then by eight at LSU. Their nine losses since, however, have been by double-figures, including a 35-point drilling at Tennessee a week ago. Vandy, though, earlier this month defeated Texas A&M on a circus, buzzer-beating shot by point guard and scoring leader Ezra Manjon. That result, given the struggles Florida had against the Aggies, ought to have the Gators' attention.

The Commodores will be at a significant size disadvantage against a bigger and elite rebounding UF squad. Frankly, they be at a pronounced talent disadvantage, also.

**Walter Clayton Jr.** (1) and the Gators are 11-1 this season at the O'Dome, which will be sold out for the fifth consecutive weekend game, something that has not happened since 2014.

That abundance of check marks in Florida's favor should make the game – the predicament – all the more dangerous, what with the potential of the home team getting too comfortable. The Gators have talked about that very threat.

"Just come out and treat them as if they're Bama or treat them like they're Kentucky or treat them like they're the best team in the country," UF junior guard and scoring leader Walter Clayton Jr. said. "In college basketball, anything can happen. Just got to come out and do what we do."

These days, Florida is doing offense as well as just about any team in the country, but even with the loss the other night the Gators are doing a lot of other things pretty well, too. According to Bart Torkvik computer analytics (one of the bibles of the college basketball industry), UF's all-encompassing metrics since Jan. 20 place the Gators as the fifth-best numbers in the nation over that span, with only Connecticut, Houston, Iowa State and Purdue having played more efficiently on both ends of the floor. That's pretty good company they're keeping.

The next challenge will be keeping it against a severely overmatched opponent in front of a fifth consecutive weekend sellout crowd. Complacency can't be an option.

"Very important," Clayton said of the stakes. "Obviously, coming off a loss, back on our home floor ... we can't lose at the crib."