Florida men’s basketball was one of four teams in this year’s NCAA Tournament bracket that were forced to wait until the First Four round ended to learn who they’d take on in the Round of 64.
When the final buzzer went off in a matchup between Boise State and Colorado in Dayton, Ohio, Wednesday, the Gators were finally able to begin their preparation for a Buffaloes team that was victorious 60-53, has won nine of their last 10 games and may just be hitting their stride at the right time.
UF will have its hands full in what has the potential to be one of the more competitive Round of 64 matchups in all of the 2024 tournament.
“I think a big key for us tomorrow is making sure we control the tempo and pace of the game," Florida head coach Todd Golden said. “Even though they are very efficient in transition, they can operate pretty well in the half court. We want to get this game up and down a little bit and see if they can run with us. We're at our best when we're playing that way.”
Another major point of emphasis for the Gators will be to put their physicality on display while containing CU on the boards. The Buffaloes’ frontcourt poses multiple threats in 6-foot-11 senior center Eddie Lampkin Jr. and 6-foot-8 senior forward Tristan da Silva.
The 265-pound Lampkin will be a handful for a Florida team that suffered a major blow to its frontcourt with the loss of sophomore Micah Handlogten to a left leg injury in the SEC Championship. Lampkin is one of five Colorado players that averages a double-digit scoring mark and is the Buffs leading rebounder at just under seven per game.
Da Silva is a versatile forward who can stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting ability. This season, he knocked down 58 3’s on the season. The senior scored a game-high 20 points in Colorado’s First Four round victory over Boise State and showed the ability to put the ball in the basket from all parts of the floor.
“He's [da Silva] one of those guys that doesn't need a lot of plays ran for him,” Golden said. “But he's also really, really effective and picks his spots really well, shoots the ball really well, really efficient scorer, and we're going to have to throw some different looks at him to keep him off balance and keep him uncomfortable.”
Florida’s frontcourt, consisting of graduate student forward Tyrese Samuel, and freshmen Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh, will be faced with the tall task of shutting down Colorado’s big men. It will not be an easy feat for the Gators, especially after losing their second-leading rebounder in Handlogten who has posted 108 offensive boards on the season.
Samuel will be playing in what could be the final game of his collegiate career if Florida doesn’t take care of business. The Seton Hall transfer is well aware of just how important this opportunity is and how crucial a run during March Madness could be for UF’s basketball program.
“We all came here with this goal of making March Madness and now we're here,” he said. “So when you accomplish your goal, it feels good. And now we're focusing on making a run in this tournament, clicking, and making sure we make it to the Final Four and put Florida back on the map.”
The battle of the boards will be a key factor for 40 minutes. Colorado was the No. 1 defensive rebounding team in the PAC 12 and had the second-best rebounding margin in the conference. However, Florida is the third-ranked offensive rebounding team in the entire nation.
With the loss of Handlogten, it will be pivotal for Samuel and Condon, who combined to average 13.8 rebounds per game, to step up and battle CU’s bigs to keep Florida’s season alive.
The backcourt matchup between Florida and Colorado isn’t lacking any firepower either. UF graduate student guard Zyon Pullin and junior guard Walter Clayton Jr. have been one of the best duos in the SEC all season long. CU junior guard KJ Simpson has been sensational for the Buffaloes this year and can take over a game at any moment.
Pullin and Simpson are two All-American candidates who have been leaders throughout their team’s journey to the NCAA Tournament. Simpson comes into the matchup averaging 19.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game on the season. He scored 16 points in the Buffaloes’ win over Boise State and will be a focus point for UF defensively.
Pullin may not be as much of a scoring threat as Simpson, but his solid play throughout the season led to posting double-digit scoring marks in 31 of the Gators’ 32 games. He protected the ball at an impressive rate en route to a 3.76-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, good for fourth in the nation. The UC Riverside transfer will seek to make the most of the opportunity that lies ahead.
“It's always something you dream of as a kid growing up watching the games," Pullin said. “Just to be a part of something like this is special, and to do it with these guys is even better. So I'm really looking forward to the experience.”
Clayton Jr. rounds out a Florida backcourt that has proven to be explosive offensively. The Iona transfer finished seventh in the SEC at just over 17 points per game while knocking down 89 3-point attempts on the season to lead UF’s deep ball attack.
The level-headed Clayton Jr., who doesn’t show much emotion during the course of a game, seemed just as poised when asked if he would be doing anything differently in preparation for what will be the biggest game of the season for his squad.
“No, our preparation is not going to be different, Clayton Jr. said. “Obviously, the coaches are going to give us a great game plan, we're going to watch film, do all of those things. Not going to change anything in preparation, just got to get ready to play.”
The Buffaloes play a slower style of play and will want to slow the Gators down. Florida wants to run-and-gun while pushing the ball up the floor at a fast tempo. The point guard who can control the pace of play and protect the ball at a higher rate will give their team a great chance of earning a Round of 64 victory.
“Obviously, Colorado is going to be a really tough opponent, Golden said. “They should have some confidence after their win last night. But we'll be ready for them, and again, I think this team has the capacity to make a run, if things go our way tomorrow.”
Tip-off for Florida’s Round of 64 matchup against Colorado will be Friday at 4:30 p.m. at Gainebridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Contact Max at mtucker@alligator.org. Follow him on X @Max_Tuckr1.
Max Tucker is a junior transfer student at UF. After obtaining his A.A. in Journalism from Santa Fe College in 2023, he chose further his education at Florida's College of Journalism and Communications. Max is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Journalism with a specialization in sports and media. He enjoys golfing and going to the beach with his friends in his free time. Max will be covering the Gators Golf teams this Fall for The Alligator.
