Mike White took to the podium on Tuesday for the Florida Gators basketball media day as the team starts practice on Friday.
White discussed several things about the 2019-20 team including the high expectations that the Gators are facing heading into the season.
GatorCountry brings you a Florida Gators basketball media day notebook from what White had to say to the media on Tuesday.
- White says he doesn’t blame everyone for the high expectations but the team has a lot of work to do because they don’t even know who’s going to start right now.
- White says they have nine new players and they will get better each week that they go through the season.
- Seven guys have a chance to be a leader according to White. White says they might have more leadership on this team then he has ever had.
- When asked about this roster, Mike White says he really likes this roster this year.
- White calls Kerry Blackshear very talented and he says he’s smart and understands the game. Also calls him tough and hard to defend and also a good defender.
- White calls Blackshear one of the best passer for a big man that he has ever coached. White calls Blackshear the old man in the locker room.
- Andrew Nembhard became a better leader and became harder on his teammates late in the season according to White. White says Nembhard’s leadership was big in the NCAA tournament last year.
- White says Friday will be the first open practice that they will have 13 healthy players on the court.
- Scottie Lewis is very talented on and off the court according to White.
- White says Andrew Nembhard was invited and has been a member of team Canada for a long time.
- White says Gorjok Gak has been very good, fighting through injuries and rehab. White says Gak has played with a lot of confidence.
- The offense is more versatile this year according to White but they have to find out their strengths and who they want to play through.
- Tre Mann is really talented with the ball and White says he had a heckuva a high school career. Mann’s passing improved later in his high school career and White says Mann is always in the gym.
- White says they talked to the guys about the expectations from day one and says they just want to worry about today and get better everyday.
- White says that practice will be a lot more competitive this year compared to last year’s practice. He says guys are getting after each other.
- Kerry Blackshear is really unselfish and doesn’t want to step on anyone’s toes according to Mike White. Blackshear wants Florida to win.
- Mike White says Blackshear called him during a Gator Club event to tell him that he wanted to be a Gator. Blackshear at first messed with White about where he was going.
- White jokes that Florida is “grad transfer U,” says put that out there.
- White says both of the freshmen big men have a ways to go in getting in better shape to play.
- Florida shouldn’t have to play small as much this year as White says they’re healthy and have the guys to play big. White says they can play big more than they have in the past.
- Blackshear and Nembhard are the two guys that White says he will rely on for leadership early on in the season.