Prior to Florida’s 52-50 win against Alabama on Tuesday, shooting guard Michael Frazier II said the Gators were desperate for a win.
To coach Billy Donovan, the junior’s choice of words were not because of UF’s three-game losing skid heading into the game at Coleman Coliseum or any of the team’s other struggles that have surfaced throughout the season.
Instead, Donovan said he interpreted Frazier’s words in the sense of being motivated.
"In this league and at the level of competition we’ve played against in our schedule, you have to have desperation," Donovan said. "That’s not being afraid or fearful, but you gotta be so desperate to play at a high level."
Florida (11-9, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) will need to play at that high level when it faces Arkansas (16-4, 5-2 SEC) at 1 p.m. on Saturday in the O’Connell Center.
The Razorbacks, winners of their last three games, lead the SEC in scoring with 81.7 points per game while making 45.9 percent of their baskets from the field.
"At this point in time, you’re going to have two teams that play to their identity," Donovan said. "They have a system in place that (Arkansas coach) Mike (Anderson) has incorporated for his time there and he has a belief in the way he plays. … Going into a game like that, you have to get prepared for a lot of different things."
One player Florida will need to watch out for is Arkansas forward Bobby Portis.
The 6-foot-11 sophomore leads the SEC with 17.5 points per game and is fourth in the league with 8.5 rebounds per contest.
Portis has recorded double-doubles in five of the Razorbacks’ last six games and is making 54.4 percent of his shots from the field during that span.
"Clearly, he’s one of the best front court players in the league this year," Donovan said. "He can do it inside and out. His versatility is really good and Mike gives him the opportunity to step away from the basket and shoot."
While the Razorbacks have their offensive foundation in Portis and guards Michael Qualls and Rashad Madden, the Gators are still yearning for consistency on the offensive end.
Florida showed promise in the first half against Alabama on Tuesday, making 13 of its 26 shots to take a 35-22 lead into halftime.
But the offense sputtered in the final 20 minutes, putting just 17 points on the board on 7-of-20 shooting.
"We’ve gotten better as the season’s gone on with teams defending us differently and adjusting to that," Donovan said, "but we’ve gotta be able to, in certain situations, to be able to put the ball in the basket at a higher level."
Eli Carter, who scored a team-high 13 points against Alabama on Tuesday, said he saw improvement in the team’s continuity against the Crimson Tide.
But the redshirt junior guard also noted that Florida needs to play hard on a consistent basis for the improvements to continue.
"We just got to continue to put a 40-minute game together," Carter said. "We haven’t done that much this year. We’ve just got to try to fight through when adversity hits."
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126
Arkansas forward Bobby Portis, center, shoots a layup as Tennessee forward Armani Moore, right, guards during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, in Fayetteville, Ark. Arkansas defeated Tennessee 69-64.
