This offseason saw the Gators bring in a number of new faces and that means that fans and media alike have been doing their best to predict what Florida’s starting lineup might be. Adding to the conversation is the fact that the Gators also bring back names like Niels Lane and Kowacie Reeves that many are hoping will see more of a role–with many calling for starters spots for the returners.
Adding to the conversation has been a running narrative that Todd Golden is likely to use multiple starting combinations. It’s rooted in an idea that he likes to use practice stats that combine traditional numbers as well as hustle stats, a way of evaluating players that’s unique to Golden’s program. It has added some spice to the conversation regarding Florida’s starters, as many of these back and forths end with something like “well we know that Golden likes to use different starting lineups.”
It’s an idea that’s been floated out there, but not one that can be attributed to Golden in many scenarios. So, is it true?
Let’s look at exactly what his lineups at San Francisco looked like to see just how much variation there was in his starter decisions:
2021-22
Here is every player that started a game for San Francisco last season, along with how many games they played in and how many games they started:
Jamaree Bouyea: Started 34 of 34 games played.
Khalil Shabazz: Started 34 of 34 games played.
Gabe Stefanini: Started 34 of 34 games played.
Patrick Tape: Started 34 of 34 games played.
Yauhen Massalski: Started 32 of 32 games played.
Josh Kunen: Started 2 of 34 games played.
…that’s it. Those are the players that started games for San Francisco last season. If not for 2 games when Massalski was injured and unable to play, the Dons almost certainly would have played a single starting lineup for the entire season, a massive departure from the narrative that Golden is looking to change up starting lineups a bunch.
Perhaps it’s an anomaly. Let’s check out the year prior.
2020-21
Jamaree Bouyea: Started 25 of 25 games played.
Khalil Shabazz: Started 25 of 25 games played.
Taavi Jurkatamm: Started 23 of 25 games played.
Josh Kunen: Started 21 of 25 games played.
Dzmitry Ryuny: Started 21 of 25 games played.
Damari Milstead: Started 4 of 22 games played.
Samba Kane: Started 4 of 23 games played.
Jonas Visser: Started 2 of 23 games played.
Okay, we have a bit more variation but still–there was a consistent lineup for 21 of 25 games which isn’t exactly the lineup blender that some might expect with the narrative surrounding how Golden likes to treat his starting lineups.
Let’s go back to Golden’s first year as a coach:
2019-20
Charles Minlend: Started 34 of 34 games played.
Jamaree Bouyear: Started 34 of 34 games played.
Jimbo Lull: Started 34 of 34 games played.
Jordan Ratinho: Started 34 of 34 games played.
Josh Kunen: Started 24 of 34 games played.
Remu Raitanen: Started 5 of 34 games played.
Taavi Jurkatamm: Started 3 of 24 games played.
Khalil Shabazz: Started 2 of 34 games played.
Four full-time starters, with a bit of variation over 10 games for the fifth spot–but functionally the same starting lineup for the entire season.
For reference, the Gators had 11 different players start a game last season. The year prior they had 9 different players start a game.
That isn’t to say it’s a bad thing, and quite frankly the fewer starting lineups the better most of the time. You want there to be five players that clearly present themselves as the most talented and the players that work best together, and starting them consistently builds continuity and adds chemistry.
Looking at his time at San Francisco, Todd Golden did essentially the opposite of what some people think he will do with his lineups at Florida. He has found a five-man group that he thinks he can do damage with and he rides with them. Will that be the same case at Florida? Perhaps not. He will have the luxury of far more depth than he did at San Francisco, and with a team that’s still a majority of players he didn’t recruit there will be some searching to find out who will be the best starting group.
However, if you think that Golden is constantly going to blend his starting lineups throughout the season, well, there simply isn’t much basis for that based on his career as a head coach.
Knowing that, the battles for starting spots out of the gate have become a lot more interesting, because the guys that start game one could be the guys that Golden is looking to stick with.
Will he still use practice stats as a motivation tool for players? Perhaps. Will it dictate playing time? Well, maybe. But if Golden’s career so far has been any indication, he’ll be looking for a clear starting five that can carry the team throughout the season.