No. 21 Florida has been doing just fine on the court after a pair of season-opening wins. It’s the recent off-court concerns with Title IX allegations against coach Todd Golden that have dominated the news.
In a home battle with Grambling on Monday in Gainesville, Fla., the Gators will try to keep the focus on a promising hoops season.
The Gators (2-0) come in off a 98-83 win over South Florida and an 81-60 victory over Jacksonville in the first week of the season. After 24 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth in Golden’s second season, Florida is well-positioned to continue an upward trend.
The Gators have been led by a powerful scoring quartet who have accounted for over 77 percent of the Florida offense. Senior guards Walter Clayton and Will Richard have averaged 19 and 18 points per game, respectively, while Aussie sophomore Alex Condon (18 ppg) and junior guard Alijah Martin (14 ppg) complete the high-scoring group.
Florida has connected on 72.9 percent of its 2-point attempts through two games, which is among the nation’s leaders. The Gators’ biggest early weakness has been the glass, where they have a net-zero rebounding margin.
Despite two early wins, Golden has room for concern with the Gators.
“Fundamentally, we’re not great right now,” he said after Florida’s win over Jacksonville. “Part of it is a combination of being too amped up and trying to run in and trace down the ball, as opposed to hitting bodies.”
Golden later reiterated, “We did not rebound well enough if we want to be the team we’re capable of.”
Meanwhile, Grambling (1-1) is led by veteran coach Donte Jackson and presents a legitimate challenge. Jackson led the Tigers to 21 wins and the school’s first NCAA Tournament berth last season.
This year, Grambling topped NAIA-level opponent Southern-New Orleans 92-42, then dropped a close battle with No. 24 Ole Miss, 66-64. The Tigers led by eight points at halftime in that game but were eventually done in by 22 turnovers.
Four Tigers are currently scoring in double figures, led by Kintavious Dozier at 15.0 ppg. Dozier earned all-SWAC honors last season. Among the other top Tigers are Mikale Stevenson (13.5 ppg), NC State transfer Ernest Ross (12.5 ppg) and Antwan Burnett (12.0 ppg, 8.5 rebounds per game).
The Tigers, unlike their hosts, have been excellent on the boards, outrebounding opponents by 10.5 rebounds per game, including a plus-six margin at Ole Miss. On the downside, they are one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the nation at just 59.4 percent.
Ole Miss coach Chris Beard spoke at length in praise of Grambling after his hard-fought win.
“We didn’t play our best, but the reason we didn’t play our best was a lot on the other team — Grambling,” Beard said. He later clarified, “They had our full attention. This isn’t going to be one of those deals where Ole Miss didn’t play well. That’s an NCAA Tournament team. That’s where we’re trying to get.”
