Coach Todd Golden will look for high energy from the outset, especially on the road, as the Gators look to bounce back from Saturday's home loss against Auburn.
Humbled Gators Look for Reset at SC
Wednesday, January 28, 2026 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Remember the Missouri game last season?
Third week in January. A solid opponent eventually bound for the NCAA Tournament came to Gainesville and pounced on heavily favored Florida behind a guard, Caleb Grille, who seemingly could not miss. That team (named the Tigers, by the way) built a 19-point first-half lead that proved too much, despite a furious rally, for the Gators (yes, even those Gators) to overcome.
Almost a year to the day, another talented bunch, this one from Auburn (yes, the Tigers), rolled in and rolled to an 18-point lead, with guard Keyshawn Hall pouring in 22 first-half points. The Gators made an ambitious run, but spent all their energy playing catch-up and were unable to finish. The loss, like the one on Jan. 14, 2022, was as humbling as it was hurtful; especially to UF's collective feelings.
In his Tuesday gaggle with local media, Florida coach Todd Golden didn't make the comparison, but he did – like the aftermath of the Missouri game last year – point a finger at himself.
"Obviously, I did a poor job," Golden said.
Over the previous weeks, as UF won five straight Southeastern Conference games, the team received universal praise – "rat poison," as Nick Saban calls it – for appearing to round into its reigning national-champion form. If Golden, admittedly, did a poor job curbing his players' enthusiasm of the hype, his players did an equally poor job buying into the acclaim. Next scene: UF was surrendering shots they normally contest and getting blasted on the glass in a manner no one on either Florida team the last two seasons was used to.
"Can't happen," junior forward and team scoring leader Thomas Haugh said after the 76-67 defeat.
Point guard Boogie Fland(left), forward Thomas Haughand the rest of the Gators need to be the aggressors on the road Wednesday.
Now, comes the reset. Just like last year, when a booming-voiced associate head coach (See Hartman, Carlin) delivered a perfectly timed and worded soliloquy about identity and remembering where they came from, the Gators (14-6, 5-2) need to close ranks and get back to their defense-minded, rabid-rebounding ways, starting with Wednesday night's road date against South Carolina (11-9, 2-5) at Colonial Life Arena.
[Read senior writer Chris Harry's "Pregame Stuff" setup here]
A team that struggles so much to shoot the ball can't afford to be anything less than completely locked in and on edge to start a game in the SEC. Especially a team with league championship ambitions. Especially on the road.
"As a program, we weren't mentally and physically at the level we needed to compete to beat a very good Auburn team in the first half. I thought we got there in the second half. Too little, too late – not OK," Golden said. "They did a very good job schematically. I'm not saying that wasn't part of the issue, but regardless of that, I thought, for us, it's more about just making sure we're mentally and physically ready to compete from the jump."
And the jump Wednesday is a late one, 9 p.m., so whatever it takes for Alex Condon (2 points, 4 turnovers vs. Auburn) or Xaivian Lee (7 points, 3 turnovers) or Boogie Fland (4-for-12 overall, 0-for-4 from 3) or anyone wearing the UF road blues to get ready, stay ready and be ready for tip is what needs to be done.
Yes, human nature can be a thing, but now the Gators have been reminded of that and need to take the necessary measures.
"We, as a staff, try to make sure we do everything we can to ramp our guys up. For a majority of these opportunities, our guys are ready to go, and they compete the right way," Golden said. "I felt like we kind of were playing like we had something to lose, and [with] a little fear of failure in the first half, and they stunned us. I thought we got back on our feet a little bit in the middle of the first half, and then they stunned us again. Couldn't get right until halftime. Then we did, but it was too little, too late. We're not going to change up too much of what we do. We just can't let it happen."
Florida Men's Basketball | Head Coach Todd Golden Media Availability | South CarolinaFlorida Men's Basketball | Head Coach Todd Golden Media Availability | South Carolina
Tuesday, January 27
Todd Golden Media Availability | South CarolinaTodd Golden Media Availability | South Carolina
