Gators prepare for fight against elite Duke

GAINESVILLE — UF coach Mike White never had a problem beating his dad in basketball.

“Might have been 3 years old,” the Florida Gators’ coach joked Monday. “Dad wasn’t a basketball player.”

Kevin White ran track and coached the sport in high school and college before he entered sports administration. But Mike White’s next win on the hardwood against his dad’s team is going to take some doing.

Now the athletics director at Duke, Kevin White oversees one of the game’s elite basketball programs and the next opponent for Mike White’s Gators.

The one-on-one, father-son matchup Tuesday night in Madison Square Garden is not even on Mike White’s radar. The No. 5 Blue Devils’ host of high school All-Americans and holdovers from the 2015 national title team have his undivided attention.

“I really haven’t thought much about it all,” White said. “I know my family is probably talking about it 24-7. But we’ve got our hands full … my goodness.”

Duke (8-1), coached by Mike Krzyzewski, the game’s all-time wins leader, is the only school with two national titles since 2010 and currently is the nation’s No. 1 offensive team, according to longtime stats guru Ken Pomeroy.

The Blue Devils also are comfortable being center stage in a venue like Madison Square Garden during the Jimmy V Classic.

“Duke’s one of the most historic basketball programs, playing in one of the most historic arenas,” UF senior wing Canyon Barry said. “It’s kind of just a whirlwind.”

But Tuesday’s matchup is not the mismatch some might have expected entering the season.

The No. 21 Gators (7-1) actually are No. 3 in the Ratings Percentage Index, while Duke is No. 44. A big reason is UF’s grueling road schedule while the renovations of the O’Connell Center are completed ranks No. 13 in the nation. Duke’s schedule is No. 149.

Each school also has lost its most high-profile game. The Gators fell 77-72 to Gonzaga, ranked No. 8 in the latest AP top 25 poll and Duke lost 77-75 to No. 3 Kansas.

To beat the Blue Devils, White said it will be critical that his team grow from the Gonzaga loss. The Gators led the Bulldogs 37-34 at the half, but Gonzaga shot 60.7 percent from the floor after intermission and pulled away.

“We were a different team in the second 20 minutes,” White said.

Yet nothing has prepared the Gators for what awaits them Tuesday night. White is eager to see his team settle down and just play basketball.

“I’m not gonna lie,” White said. “Our guys are gonna be so jacked up. I’d be very, very surprised if we don’t come out and play really, really hard and be excited about the challenge and the opportunity.

“I’m more concerned with how we handle the stage and the bright lights in Madison Square Garden and playing Duke.”