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Friday, March 29, 2024
<p>Florida guard Jalen Hudson said the team's No. 6 ranking sounds nice, but doesn't take much stock in it. "Every night, you have to show up."</p>

Florida guard Jalen Hudson said the team's No. 6 ranking sounds nice, but doesn't take much stock in it. "Every night, you have to show up."

Six games into the season, Florida's offense is already garnering national attention.

The Gators sit atop the country in scoring offense at 99.5 points per game and have scored over 100 points in four of their six contests.

  1. Column: Coach Mike White needs to start trusting his freshmen

“(We've) learned that we’re a talented offensive group, for sure,” coach Mike White said. “That we’re willing to share the basketball.”

After a home game against New Hampshire in which the team totaled three assists, sharing became a priority.

Through the next three games, Florida averaged 18.7 assists per game.

“Shoot good shots,” guard Jalen Hudson said. “Give up good shots for great shots. I like it. I think it’s a good offense.”

With four players averaging over 13 points per game, there is a wealth of options for the Gators if they need an offensive jolt.

UF's defense is still a work in progress

Throughout the Gators’ three games at the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, Oregon, they surrendered a little over 43 points in the paint per game.

White said that isn’t going to be acceptable if Florida wants to make a deep postseason run in March.

“We’re struggling with our interior defense, from our interior guys, as much as anything else,” White said. “And they’re capable of more than that. They’ve shown that in the past.”

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Centers Kevarrius Hayes and Gorjok Gak and forward Keith Stone continue to anchor the defense while the Gators await the return of arguably the team’s best defensive player, John Egbunu.

Smaller players know they must pick up the slack as well, especially when playing against bigger opponents.

“It’s a team sport, so you’ve got to make sure that you’re helping others as well,” Hudson said. “If they get beat, you have to be there to help them as well.”

Florida has a long way to go to become the top-five defense it was last year, a unit that allowed just 66.5 points per game.

White and players not paying attention to UF news, polls

With the hiring of Dan Mullen as the new Florida football coach, White was asked if he is happy that the news is helping the basketball team keep a low profile.

It doesn’t seem like he even noticed.

“I wouldn’t know because I promise you I don’t read it,” White said. “I don’t listen to it. I’m oblivious to any of it.”

That mindset appears to be the same for the players. After rising to No. 6 in the AP poll, Hudson restated White’s philosophy.

“Yeah, it sounds nice, honestly,” Hudson said. “But every night, you have to show up no matter who you’re playing.”

You can follow Skyler Lebron on Twitter @SkylerLebron, and contact him at slebron@alligator.org.

Florida guard Jalen Hudson said the team's No. 6 ranking sounds nice, but doesn't take much stock in it. "Every night, you have to show up."

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