Gators hope Auburn game not an aberration
UF MEN’S BASKETBALL their play it helps, for sure,” White said. “When he’s playing that well, and with the growing experience of [sophomore forward] Keyontae [Johnson], complemented by Blackshear’s talent and experience, it gives you a pretty good frontline.”
The Gators were dominant up front against Auburn. The Tigers entered the game leading the SEC with an 6.8 rebounding margin but were beaten 44-29 on the backboard.
UF will need at similar effort Tuesday night in Baton Rouge. In SEC games alone, UF and LSU are tied for second in rebounding margin (8.4) behind Mississippi State. The Bulldogs visit the O’Connell Center next Tuesday.
By then, the Gators are sure to be back in the rankings for the first time since late November if they are able to get by LSU and Baylor.
No team in college basketball might have a tougher week ahead of them than the Gators do.
Last season UF and LSU met three times, splitting two overtime games during the regular season. The Gators won the rubber match 76-73 in the SEC Tournament.
“Three great college basketball games with those guys,” White said. “If we play really well — we’re going to have to play really well — it should be a really good game. Hopefully that’s the case where you just have a chance late in these road games in league play, but we’re going to have to play well.”
The Gators’ last road trip turned into a major reality check. White called a 91-75 loss at Missouri on Jan. 11 his team’s worst defensive effort during his five seasons in Gainesville.
UF, though, responded with a solid win against an undermanned Ole Miss squad and a beatdown of an Auburn team coming off a Final Four appearance last spring and a 15-0 start to the season until last Tuesday’s loss at Alabama.
The Gators’ performance before a sellout crowd Saturday at the O’Dome provided an emotional lift for a young team in need of one.
“Every win is a little bit of confidence,” sophomore point guard Andrew Nembhard said. “But I think our confidence is high.”
White said freshman guard Tre Mann was all smiles Monday following an encouraging performance.
A five-star recruit considered the Gators’ best pure scorer, Mann has struggled badly with his shot and confidence all season, but he hit a couple of key baskets against Auburn and looked like he belonged.
“He feels good about himself, as he should,” White said. “That’s as well as he’s played. Both defensively and offensively, his activity level, his confidence level — he took a step. We need more steps from all these freshmen.
“But I’m glad to see that version of him and hopefully he can build upon that.”
If Mann and his teammates are able to do so, the Gators could look back on this three-game stretch as the turning point of their season.
“I mean it definitely seems like that,” Nembhard said. “But we’re not really too focused on the whole outcome of the big picture; just kinda look it as one game — LSU and just getting better, really.”