Florida had a slow start offensively but you wouldn’t know it from the final score as a second half explosion led them over the South Florida Bulls 98-83 for a season opening win. From the opening tip the Gators took some time to get their feet underneath them and it made for some rocky possessions and they entered halftime down 40-39. However, when they came out in the second it was clear that the warm up period had ended and they started firing on all cylinders winning the final twenty minutes 59-43 and coming away with a convincing win. While they would have loved a cleaner start, overall things went as well as the Gators could have hoped with the team playing with a lot of energy on both ends of the floor, giving fans a glimpse of what the team will be looking to do this season.
Midseason Form
Walter Clayton returned to the Gators as an All-American hopeful and he played like he was trying to show everyone he’s one of the best scorers in the country posting 29 points on efficient 10-15 shooting while also adding 4 rebounds and 2 assists. It was a bit of a slower start as he began the game with the ball in his hands as a point guard which led to some shaky turnovers and missed reads, but as soon as he got off the ball and turned on scoring mode the offense started to find him and shots quickly started falling. It’s clear that last year’s offensive output was no fluke and Clayton was once again able to hit from range and get to the rim at will, and his 29 points actually seemed rather quiet–almost like he could have scored a lot more if he was really trying to put up as much individual production as possible. It’s clear that the Gators have one of the best point producers in the country in Clayton as he displayed tonight with his effortless scoring.
Depth Win
While Walter Clayton was the best offensive player on the floor, he wasn’t solely the reason the Gators won–it was their versatile offensive attack that eventually wore down the Bulls. Will Richard was the player that really got the Gators going in the first half and he finished with 25 points (usually enough to lead a team in scoring), Alex Condon had 13 points on the inside, and Alijah Martin had 13 points as a driver. South Florida was able to hang with Florida’s explosive scorers for a half but they simply didn’t have the depth to hang with Florida for forty minutes, and when the Gators have offense spread out like this it’ll be difficult for them to lose.
New Faces
With it being the first game of the season it was our first opportunity to see Florida’s incoming transfers. As predicted Alijah Martin was Florida’s most important transfer as he finished with 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. Right from the jump Martin was tasked with taking South Florida’s most talented perimeter scorer giving Walter Clayton a chance to take an easier assignment, and he showed why he has been known as one of the best backcourt defenders in the country over the last two seasons. Offensively he struggled greatly to shoot going 0-6 from three, but he had a lot of success driving and using his powerful frame at the rim. Joining Martin in the starting lineup was Rueben Chinyelu who finished with 2 points and 4 rebounds in 15 minutes. It was a rather frustrating game for Chinyelu who was out of place on both ends of the floor, getting bested repeatedly by South Florida center Jamille Reynolds for bucket after bucket. It was not a good debut, but the Gators have trust in their young big. Coming off the bench was Sam Alexis who was excellent with 6 points, 4 rebounds, and a huge block, showing what made him successful at Chattanooga. He’s a versatile defensive player who is limited on the offensive end, though he’s got nice touch with hook shots that can allow him to get some easy points in the paint as seen against the Bulls.
Final Thoughts
In the first game of the season it’s easy to have high expectations for every player and then overreact to everything you see on the floor, but when you zoom out and look at what the Gators put out there you have to have some optimism. Florida was able to get offense from a number of sources, and they also showed some serious explosiveness after starting the game cold. Defensively it wasn’t the performance they wanted, but you could see how improved they are from a year ago particularly when it comes to guarding one on one on the perimeter. Playing a good mid-major to open the season things went just about as well as you could have hoped, and fans should come away happy.