Mighty mo, on to Mizzou
The Gators look to capitalize on their recent momentum
GAINESVILLE — UF coach Mike White entered the season with a set lineup and proven game plan.
But a change in philosophy with White’s wardrobe has coincided with a much-needed makeover for his Gators.
Since White’s decision not to discard his sports jacket during the opening minutes of UF’s SEC opener against Vanderbilt, the Gators have looked like a different team than the one that stumbled into the holiday break.
The 40-year-old White said the new look might suit him, as well.
“We all have to grow up at some point in our lives, right?” he joked.
White, who said he has a three-jacket rotation, insists he is not superstitious.
Even so, expect whatever jacket he chooses to wear today at Missouri to stay in place as long as the Gators continue to play with the offensive rhythm and defensive edge they’ve shown during decisive wins against Vanderbilt and No. 11 Texas A&M.
Last Tuesday’s 83-66 win in College Station against the short-handed Aggies was UF’s most complete effort since November and most important win of the season.
“Heading into the Christmas break, we didn’t have a lot of positive momentum,” White said. “We
played as well as we’ve played this season.”
The Gators (10-4, 2-0 SEC) shot a blistering 17-of-28 from 3-point range against Texas A&M, led by a 5-of-6 shooting effort from senior Egor Koulechov despite his battling plantar fasciitis. Meanwhile, a 4-of-6 night beyond the arc highlighted sophomore power forward Keith Stone’s career-high 18-point performance.
“We’ve talked about it a lot in here; it’s what we’ve seen in practice for a long time,” White said. “We were really ready for him to breakout.”
The same goes for junior center Kevarrius Hayes, who contributed in every facet of the game. Facing one of the SEC’s top frontcourts, the 6-foot-9, 228-pound Hayes ran the floor and defended with a newfound intensity to tally eight points, seven rebounds, five blocks and four assists.
“I thought it was his best game,” White said. “He played with a ton of energy and physicality for him. That’s what we’re looking for.
“If we can get that performance every night from Kevarrius, we’d certainly be a better team.”
The Texas A&M rout was a reminder of how dangerous UF can be when everything is clicking. The opposite extreme was back-to-back losses to Florida State and Loyola Chicago a month ago after the Gators reached No. 5 in the national top 25 polls.
The question, of course, is which team shows up at Missouri. But this also is true of the surprising Tigers, in their first season under former Tennessee and Cal head coach Cuonzo Martin.
Mizzou (11-3, 1-0) hit 14 3-pointers to end a string of 32 straight SEC road losses with a 79-68 win Wednesday at South Carolina. Jontay Porter, the 6-foot-11, 240-pound freshman brother of injured star Michael Porter Jr., had five 3s on his way to a career-high 19 points and added four blocked shots before fouling out.
“Last night was one of the best performances I’ve seen in college basketball,” White marveled Thursday. “Certainly, one of the best performances in our league at this point, if not the best.”
The Tigers’ effort came following an 11-day layoff. Meanwhile, UF seems to have regained its bearings after an eight-day respite for the holidays.
The key now is to keep it going.
“We’ll be ready, they’ll be ready,” White said. “I think everything will come down to whether or not we can match their intensity, defend the 3, rebound with those guys and how disruptive they are to us offensively.
“It’ll be a really competitive SEC game.”