No. 15 Gators aim to continue win streak

GAINESVILLE — At this point, coach Mike White’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament essentially is a given.

The question is how well the Gators are playing and where they’re playing during the opening rounds of the Big Dance.

Florida (20-5, 10-2 SEC) is riding a six-game win streak and rose two spots Monday to No. 15 in the Associated Press top 25 rankings entering Tuesday’s visit to much-improved Auburn (16-9, 5-7). During Saturday’s win against Texas A&M, the NCAA Tournament selection committee released a preview bracket that listed UF as a No. 3 seed in Orlando.

White is banking on nothing going forward, despite his team’s success.

“I think we’re in a good place right now,” he said. “All of that can change with how you play, of course.”

The Gators had plenty of shaky moments and overcame a sub-par performance by senior point guard Kasey Hill during this past Saturday’s 71-62 home win against Texas A&M.

Following three rocky seasons, Hill has been one of UF’s most dependable performers. But he managed just three points and three assists, while committing five turnovers against Texas A&M.

“That game was a little bit out of the norm for him because he has been very consistent,” White said.

The coach said Hill admitted Sunday he might have been a bit too comfortable, considering how well he has been playing.

“Didn’t quite possess that edge that he’s had here, of late, that you’ve got to have,” White said. “He knows that. He’s a senior. I think he’ll bounce back.”

With four of the final six regular-season games on the road, Hill and the Gators will need the right mentality in order to end on a high note and enter the postseason with momentum.

UF wilted down the stretch a season ago during White’s first season in Gainesville, losing four consecutive games during the final three weeks to miss out on the NCAA Tournament.

Senior forward Justin Leon said the Gators have discussed last season’s swoon and concluded players were focused on individual goals. UF’s defense and rebounding — indicators of collective effort and teamwork — have picked up during the recent win streak. Meanwhile, six different players have led the team in scoring.

“That’s one of the main focuses,” Leon said. “Just make sure we keep playing how we’ve been playing and not letting any noise come creep in. I think the team we have this year is a lot more mature than last year.

“We can see, obviously, that us focusing on the right things is working for us.”

UF’s resolve is sure to be tested during the season’s final three weeks, beginning Tuesday.

Losers of nine straight and 19 of 20 games to UF, Auburn is no pushover in coach Bruce Pearl’s third season. The Tigers start four talented freshmen, led by 6-foot-5 shooting guard Mustapha Heron. The fivestar recruit from Connecticut averages 15.3 points and 5.7 rebounds, while shooting 43.4 percent from 3-point range.

“They’re very, very dangerous,” White said.

The Gators, though, have a decided experience edge over pretty much any opponent they’ll face — seven players have combined for 362 career starts — and are battle-tested on the road. Renovations at the O’Connell Center forced UF to play its first 11 games away from home.

“All of our experiences away from home out of necessity in the fall, I think, have helped us,” White said.

RON IRBY/AP Florida head coach Mike White says he is banking on nothing going forward, despite his team’s success.