Florida coach Mike White despises one-handed rebounding.
So much so that it’s become a point of emphasis during practice.
When a player attempts a one-handed rebound during a drill, there is a price to pay.
Coaches sometimes bark at the players, ordering them to start the entire drill over again.
Or worse.
Sometimes players are sentenced to grueling extra conditioning from strength and conditioning coach Preston Greene.
“Our one-handed rebounding the other day was incredible,” said White, whose team was outrebounded 41-32 by Georgia on Saturday. “For whatever reason, our focus in that regard wasn’t very good. But we got back to it yesterday (in practice). We didn’t have any one-handed attempts yesterday.”
With every sweat-stained jersey, aching body and sore leg, Florida’s focus has been on one thing this season — improving.
And in year two under White, the Gators (14-3, 5-0 SEC) are slowly, but surely, scratching the surface of their potential. At No. 19, Florida has finally made its return to the top 20 — something UF fans were routinely accustomed to under the guidance of Billy Donovan. The Gators, who have the eighth-toughest schedule in the country, according to KenPom, are currently in the midst of a seven-game win streak that includes victories over gritty teams like Arkansas, Georgia and Alabama.
No Florida team prior had a win streak longer than four games since the 2013-2014 squad that went 36-3 with no conference losses.
Every shot, every game and, most importantly, every win has drawn coach White and his team an inch closer to returning Florida basketball to the glory it sustained under Donovan.
The team is undoubtedly improved — as reflected by its record — and its success will likely culminate in UF’s first NCAA tournament bid in three years. Florida averages 79 points per game, surrenders only 67.1 points per game and ranks second in the SEC in steals (8.4 per game).
But are the Gators, who face a tall task in dismantling No. 24 South Carolina (14-3, 4-0 SEC) in Columbia tonight at 6:30, playing their best basketball of the season?
“No, we’re not,” White said. “We’re not the toughest team in this league. We’ve gotten tougher, but that’s an area where we definitely could make some improvement in.”
Despite its success, Florida has also had its struggles.
The Gators rank 12th in the conference in rebounds (35.2), and with ailing center John Egbunu slowly working his way back toward a starting job and sophomore forward Kevarrius Hayes struggling with foul trouble, the frontcourt continues to be problematic.
As UF lurks deeper into its schedule, its challenges will only get more difficult — just in time for the postseason.
But for now, Florida is taking it one day at a time.
“We don’t really pay attention to the rankings. We just kind of focus on the next game at hand,” graduate transfer Canyon Barry said. “And right now, it’s South Carolina.”
Contact Ray Boone at rboone@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @rboone1994.
UF head coach Mike White looks on in Florida's 80-76 win against Georgia on Jan. 14, 2017, at the O'Connell Center.
