Florida Must Show The Ability to Bounce Back In Year Four of Mike White Era

The Gator men’s basketball team hoped to go into Tallahassee on Tuesday night and pull off a road upset to open the 2018-2019 college basketball season. The exact opposite happened as Florida State dominated the Gators on both ends of the court winning the season opener 81-60.

Disappointing Start to The Season

Quite frankly the Gators looked overmatched at times in their first big test of the season. It felt as if their was a lid on the rim for UF. They shot a poor 37% from the field and just 25% from the arc.

Final: FSU 81, UF 60. UF's first season-opening loss since 1990. Mike White drops to 0-4 v the Seminoles … but it's only one game of 31 games in the regular season. #Gators need to grow, for sure.

— Kevin Brockway (@gatorhoops) November 7, 2018

Sometimes the shots don’t fall. There is only so much a team can control when it comes to shooting.  What you can control are the turnovers. Florida wasn’t very good there either as they turned the ball over 16 times.

Friday’s Game Will Be Telling

Under head coach Mike White, the Gators have never lost a season opener, in fact, they had never won a season opener by less than double digits, until Tuesday.

It will be extremely telling how the team will bounce back in the home opener against Charleston Southern on Friday night. Unlike against Florida State, seniors Jalen Hudson, KeVaughn Allen and Kevarrius Hayes will need to step up and lead the younger guys.

It needs to be said that it is only the season opener and the Gators lost to a good FSU team on the road. Getting blown out on the road to an in-state rival to start the season can do some major damage to a team’s mentality. Florida hasn’t lost back to back games to open up a season in the 21st century. We’ve seen White’s last three team’s get better as the season progresses.

Friday night against Charleston Southern needs to be the first step that the 2018-2019 Florida Gators take to officially buying-in.

Final from Tallahassee and we're on to the next one. #GoGators #GatorsHoop pic.twitter.com/wsTt8qKKdO

— Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) November 7, 2018