Time has come for changing of the point guard for Gators

Speedier offensive pace is goal after 2 seasons of more methodical style

GAINESVILLE — The Florida Gators must replace a two-year starter at point guard, but they could be better for it.

If nothing else, Mike White’s squad will be a lot different without the ball in Andrew Nembhard’s hands.

Promising sophomore Tre Mann headlines a trio of players embroiled in a fierce competition to replace Nembhard and run the show — literally — after two seasons too often played at a paint-drying pace.

“I anticipate a significant increase in level of tempo,” White said during a Wednesday videoconference. “But that’s easier said than done. You know we’ve got a lot of work between now and then.”

Nembhard’s deliberate style was at times effective, yet delivered too few signature wins, particularly during a frustrating 201920 season that saw Final Four aspirations fizzle early in the season.

White’s callow squad — the youngest, he said, among schools in Power Five conferences — proved it did not merit a No. 6 preseason ranking. En route to a 19-12 record before the pandemic shut down the postseason, the Gators either led or trailed by 10 points during 27 of 31 games — a telltale sign of the team’s wild inconsistency.

The one consistent remained a lack of tempo on offense.

A season after only nine of 353 Division I teams played at a slower pace than the Gators, UF ranked 326th in adjusted tempo, according to Ken Pomery’s analytics.

A KenPom devotee, White knows the numbers well.

Nembhard’s transfer to Gonzaga and plodding center Kerry Blackshear Jr.’s departure now give the Gators a chance to shift gears and produce an exciting basketball mostly missing in Gainesville since the team’s 2017 Elite Eight run.

“We’re quicker, we’re faster, we’re more athletic and I’m hopeful that we’re deeper,” White said. “We definitely have more potential depth. We have more parity. We have more versatility.”

The Gators’ shift in personnel and philosophy could unleash Mann’s many talents following a disappointing freshman season. The former McDonald’s All-American never found his role or shooting touch while losing his swagger.

Mann sprouted at least 2 inches and gained 15 pounds during offseason to check in at 6-foot-5, 190. The 19-year-old’s confidence also has grown while battling for the starting job with redshirt junior Tyree Appleby, a Cleveland State transfer who sat out last season, and sophomore Ques Glover, the Gators’ backup point guard last season.

“It’s up to those guys; they’re fighting it out,” White said. “These last two, three practices, Tre Mann’s been really good.”

Whoever is running the point will have plenty of places to go with the ball. All-SEC forward Keyontae Johnson, SEC All-Freshman wing Scottie Lewis and high-flying 6-7 Louisiana Tech transfer Anthony Diruji are custom fit for a fast-paced style.

The Gators’ transformation is expected to require some trial and error.

White plans to apply fullcourt pressure defensively, but only if he is confident it will lead to easy baskets for the Gators — not their opponent.

“We’re going to pressure — how much will depend on how good we get at it and how committed we are,” White said. “Pressing is hard. It’s hard mentally and it’s hard physically. We’re pressing a lot right now.

“How effective will it be early season, midseason, we’ll see.”

MICHAELCONROY/AP UF coach Mike White enters his fifth season with the Gators aiming for his team to push the tempo following two seasons spent playing a more deliberate style.