During the Gators’ record 27-game winning streak in the O’Connell Center, Florida has hosted and defeated non-conference opponents such as Kansas, Florida State and Wisconsin.
However, coach Billy Donovan and company tied another equally as impressive record Saturday afternoon against Texas A&M.
With the Gators’ 69-36 rout over the Aggies, they extended their Southeastern Conference home winning streak to 13, which ties the school record set in 1967-69 and 2006-08.
Senior Patric Young, who recorded a career-high 14 rebounds Saturday, said the team’s selflessness and cohesiveness are the keys to its endurance during the record-tying stretch.
“We just feel no one can beat us here,” Young said about playing in the O’Dome.
“When we come and put these white jerseys on, coach prepares us the right way, we come with a great attitude, great chemistry and no one is selfish on this team. We just all want to get it done together and accomplish a team goal.”
During Florida’s streak from 2006-08, the offense carried the Gators throughout the home SEC matchups and into the NCAA Tournament, which they won two straight years during the streak.
The 2006-2008 squad averaged 77 points per game throughout its stretch of SEC home wins while shooting about 50 percent from the field, 37 percent from behind the arc and 69.1 percent from the free throw line.
Throughout UF’s current streak, the Gators managed to maintain the efficiency of the previous record-holding team by sacrificing more than four points per game.
From Jan. 9, 2013, which was when Florida began its SEC home winning streak in a 77-44 win over Georgia, the team has averaged 72.92 points per victory while also shooting about 50 percent from the field, 37.4 percent from behind the arc and 68.4 percent from the free-throw line.
Despite the slight dropoff in point production from the previous streak, the Gators have made up for it with a stingy defense.
During the 13-game streak, Florida has held its opponents to about 49 points a contest. The 2006-2008 squads gave up more than 65 points per game.
Michael Frazier II said the most encouraging part of the Gators’ defense is its ability to adapt and improve by learning from dominant performances like Saturday’s against Texas A&M.
“It’s scary because I think we can get a lot better defensively,” Frazier said.
“Not a lot of teams have the opportunity to be great, but we feel like inside our team we have enough pieces to be great. Whenever we don’t chase greatness, whenever we get outside the process, we are doing ourselves a disservice.”
Donovan, who earned his 200th career conference win and 182nd with the Gators on Saturday, agreed with Frazier that his team can keep improving its historic defensive effort by focusing on chemistry among the players and selflessness on the court.
“I think we’ve got a group of guys in there that care,” Donovan said.
“I think they understand there’s good chemistry there, there’s good connectivity. I don’t think they’re the kind of guys that want to let each other down.”
The team’s continuity changes in a positive way when Florida attempts to break the school’s SEC home winning streak record Tuesday night against Missouri.
Freshman Chris Walker, who was approved to play by the NCAA on Wednesday, will join the Gators’ frontcourt and make his collegiate debut. Donovan said he will play Walker, but the freshman phenom will appear as more of a role player Tuesday.
Follow Jonathan Czupryn on Twitter @jczupryn
Michael Frazier II attempts a layup during Florida’s 69-36 win against Texas A&M on Feb. 1 in the O’Connell Center.
