Gator Country was live at Florida basketball’s preseason practice inside the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Here’s our inside notes from Tuesday afternoon.
– Florida started practice with a one-on-one drill. Sophomore forward Thomas Haugh stole the show here, scoring on all but one of his opportunities (a three pointer), displaying great balance and body control at the rim. Against the 6’11 Viktor Mikic, Haugh drove to the right from the top of the key before displaying a beautiful spin move and finish with his left hand. Haugh also hit a step back, fadeaway mid-range jumper against Mikic and scored on an under the basket reverse layup vs freshman guard Isaiah Brown.
WATCH: https://x.com/marcinko_nick/status/1841185482727940294
– After some team drills, the Gators transitioned into two eight-minute segments of five-on-five.
Team blue: Clayton, Martin, Richard, Condon, Chinyelu, Haugh, Aberdeen
Team white: Klavzar, Brown, Alexis, Mikic, Pazmino, Kublickas, Rioux
It was a slow start for both teams offensively, but team blue ended up dominating on both sides of the ball, defeating team white 54-22 in 16 minutes. Team blue caught fire behind three long balls from senior guard Walter Clayton in eight minutes. Will Richard and Alijah Martin also knocked down threes. That success from three-point range continued throughout the second segment of five on fives, with Richard logging three in the second eight-minute segment.
– There wasn’t a lot going offensively for team white, but freshman guard Urban Klavzar was much more involved in the offense today compared to last week, displaying efficient three-point shooting throughout five on fives. Klavzar has more to his game than a three point shot too. He was also highly effective in the midrange, creating a lot of space despite his smaller frame. The issue with Klavzar is his defense, which is still a work in progress. If his defense comes around, Klavzar will play a significant role this season as he’s advanced offensively, especially for a true freshman.
WATCH: https://x.com/marcinko_nick/status/1841190877479518370
– Alijah Martin stood out defensively today, logging multiple steals from opposing guards at the top of the key. He was able to deflect the ball away using his quick hands. Two of his three steals led to points on the other end. Martin did a great job of keeping his eyes downcourt in transition, and it led to a number of assists. He also knocked down a pair of three pointers in the first 16 minutes. It’s clear that Martin is a high IQ basketball player that provides the Gators with playmaking ability given his athleticism.
– Florida exceled at protecting the rim, particularly Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon, who combined for five plus blocks in the first 16 minutes of five on five. Even when Chinyelu wasn’t blocking shots, he was affecting them with his 7’8 wingspan, making it incredibly hard for players to shoot over or around him. Florida is looking to make a massive jump defensively; Chinyelu and Condon will play a major role in that. Chinyelu didn’t pose as a threat offensively but made it nearly impossible for the other team to score on him. Chinyelu and Condon were also effective on the glass.
– After a dominating performance from Florida’s starters, Todd Golden switched the teams up, making the next eight minutes much more competitive. Denzel Aberdeen impressed as the starting point guard for team white, draining a corner three while also drawling a foul on a fast break after a beautiful feed from Alijah Martin.
– Walter Clayton looks to be transitioning into the point guard role smoothly. He was even more efficient as a scorer this week and didn’t have any careless turnovers. He had several highlight passes including a full court transition pass through a tight window to Alijah Martin for the finish.
– Todd Golden brought refs to Florida’s scrimmage today, which proved to be valuable as the refs were able to explain to the players why fouls were being called in real time. The Gators are emphasizing defending without fouling this year.