A long journey coming to an end for Florida Gators basketball

The Florida Gators basketball team has been road warriors this season. Nine neutral site games (including next game) and two true road games have tested Florida’s toughness and maturity, but the end is near. The Gators will finally get a short break from the road after Saturday’s game against Charlotte.

While Florida has suffered three losses in its first ten games, it is actually pretty amazing what this team has been able to do. Most choose not to admit it, but playing on the road not only wears players down physically but also a strain mentally. The fall semester is now over, but for a majority of this stretch, players were also having to try to keep up with school work while being on the road several days a week.

“Just the arduous traveling,” guard Canyon Barry said was the toughest part. “Every day getting up, missing class, going to the gym, flying, bussing, getting back late at night, having classwork, schoolwork. I think we’ve handled it pretty well. Everyone is fresh and rested. It’s good to be done with school. We’re excited to win some games.”

According to Mike White, the players have not let the constant adversity of traveling phase them. Some mental exhaustion has shown in the last couple of outings, but for the most part, this team hasn’t looked like a team that has been on the road for more than a month.

“I think not only have my guys dealt with it well, I think they’ve grown from it,” said White. “I think they’ve used it to their advantage to help with maturity and consistency and togetherness, overcoming adversity, some mental toughness, most of all just maturity. It hasn’t been an issue. It hasn’t even come up. Credit the administration and my staff … they haven’t allowed it to be an issue, but our guys, that’s who — after bus trips and plane rides and so on and so forth — that’s who’s got to get their ankles taped and get out there between the lines and sprint up and down the court when they’re mentally and physically fatigued at times. They have not let it become an issue.”

In the end, even with a few losses, this road stretch could benefit the Gators. An 11-game stretch away from home against tough competition to start the season will be a major point on Florida’s résumé later on.

With SEC play coming up, the Gators have a major advantage over most teams. While other teams have played from the comfort of home for a majority of the season so far, Florida has already been tested on the road and dealt with adversity.

The biggest hurdle for the Gators will be dealing with hostile environments in conference play since FSU and UNF were the only true road games. Duke had a crowd advantage in the game in New York, but besides that, most of the stands at neutral sites have been filled with orange and blue.

“We’ve had a lot of experience on the road,” Barry said. “We’ve played in some big-time arenas against some big-time teams. I think that’s only going to help us prepare for the SEC and the great teams this league has, obviously playing away in some hostile environments. I think we should be ready for it.”

 

 

Bailiegh Carlton
A lifelong sports fan, Bailiegh Carlton knew from a young age that she wanted to work in sports in some capacity. Before transferring to the University of Florida to study journalism, she played softball at Gulf Coast State College. She then interned for Gator Country for three years as she worked toward her degree. After graduation, Bailiegh decided to explore other opportunities in the world of sports, but all roads led her right back here. In her time away, she and her husband welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world. When she isn't working, she can almost always be found snuggled up with sweet baby Ridley, Cody and her four fur babies.