UF center Rueben Chinyelu likes when things get physical ... and they will be Saturday against Tennessee.
With Shots Not Falling, Gators Embrace Playing Nastyball
Friday, January 9, 2026 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Todd Golden held the box score, but didn't need to review it any further.
His Florida Gators were minutes removed Tuesday night from a dominant victory over 18th-ranked Georgia in a game that highlighted their strength (rebounding), accentuated their weakness (shooting) and proved a prototype of how this team has to play to be successful.
"The more we accept and take pride in being that kind of ugly, gritty, physical team, I think we'll continue to see good results," Golden said.
The Gators pulverized the Bulldogs on the glass, 56-35, a tally that included 22 on the offensive end and fell in line with UF's standing as the nation's leader in rebounding margin. They also hit just six of 25 shots from the arc, making for a 10th such game this season under 30% for statistically the worst 3-point shooting power conference team in college basketball.
Numbers can change, of course, and UF's struggling long-range shooters will continue to work on their craft. Half a season, though, is a pretty healthy sample size. So, for now, this is who the Gators are and Golden basically confirmed as much in his post-game remarks. And assuming the 3-pointers continue to clang Saturday, Florida (10-5, 1-1) will need to be at its "ugly, gritty, physical" best when 21st-ranked Tennessee (11-4, 1-1) visits sold-out Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center for a high-noon Southeastern Conference showdown more suitable to be played across the street in "The Swamp."
[Read senior writer Chris Harry's "Pregame Stuff" setup here]
This will be big-boy basketball, folks.
"I am juiced up for every game, but knowing it's going to be a physical contest — a very physical contest — adds to my juice," said UF 6-foot-10, 265-pound center Rueben Chinyelu, the SEC's leading rebounder at 10.3 per game. "It's going to be a beautiful game and I look forward to going out there and doing what I'm doing ... doing what we've been doing."
Last Saturday, Florida did not do what it had been doing. The Gators went to Missouri for their SEC opener and played an inferior opponent even on the glass — while shooting a familar 25.9% from distance — and paid for it in a tough-to-swallow two-point loss. The aftermath message from the coaching staff did not focus on missed shots, but on rebounding, defending and protecting the ball, three elements that had shown up in the team's victories.
They showed up against Georgia and need to show up against Tennessee.
UF may lead the nation in rebounding and rebound margin, and rate second in the country in offensive rebounding percentage, but guess what? The Volunteers rank No. 1 in the latter. UT gets back 45.2% of its missed shots. Florida gets back 44.2.
Translation: A gangfight game within in the game will commence when the ball is in the air.
"We can't be soft," said forward Alex Condon, who at 8.6 rebounds per game ranks third in the league. "We have to initiate the physicality."
UF forward Alex Condon(21) goes right at UT center Felix Okpara (34) during the Gators' win over the Volunteers in the 2025 SEC Tournament championship game last March in Nashville.
Tennessee has 6-11, 243-pound senior Felix Okpara roaming the low post, one of six Vols who average at least four rebounds per game. Forward Jaylen Carey, a transfer from Vanderbilt, grabs 20.1% of his team's missed shots when he's on the floor. That ranks fourth in the nation individually.
UT's prowess on the offensive glass makes UF's ability to counter it all the more important. The Vols, by the way, don't struggle shooting the basketball like Florida. They're a top 60 team nationally in 2-point percentage (56.7) and sixth in the SEC from the 3-point line (35.0%).
Tennessee teams under Rick Barnes, the second-winningest active coach in Division I, always understand and play to their blue-collar identity.
Golden's 2025-26 team, minus the array of outstanding shooters of last season's national-championship squad, will be best served playing to a similar one.
"It's humbling and we have to be OK with it, but the reality is there are certain times and teams that have to be ugly to win, and we're one of those teams, right now," Golden said. "We have guys that want to win, and we have guys that can look in the mirror and reflect and understand that we're not doing certain things well enough. If winning is as important as we think it is — to a man, I think these guys are that way — they'll continue to try to execute that."
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu. Find his story archives here.
