Florida Men’s Basketball Looks to Fix Bench, Ball Security Before Miami Opener

For Gator fans, the decision is split on whether they should be concerned after Florida’s two exhibition performances. 

Florida closed its exhibition schedule with an 85-68 win over Stetson, but the Gators had to work for it. The Hatters kept the game close in the first half, trailing by just two points at the break. 

Still, coach Todd Golden felt pleased with the outcome, considering the circumstances.

“It’s hard to be disappointed with a 17-point win when your starting point guard is out,” Golden said. 

Against Baylor, the bench combined for three points the entire 45 minutes of play – Stetson was no different.

The bench once again combined for single-digit points despite playing six players off the bench. A transition dunk for Alex Lloyd and a layup from Domen Petrovic were the only highlights from the reserves. Still, each shot 20% and 33% from the field, respectively.

Golden is still looking for the next man up who can provide some scoring relief for the starters.

“That’s kind of the challenge, just figuring out how to get guys comfortable,” he said about the bench’s development. “Playing unafraid to fail and letting it all hang out a little bit. We’ve got to find it.”

However, Golden emphasized the good that came out of the game, mainly taking care of the ball. Florida turned the ball over only eight times despite missing starting point guard Boogie Fland, who had headache issues Tuesday and will likely return Monday, according to Golden. 

Urban Klavzar’s performance was another positive from the win over Stetson. With six 3-pointers and 24 points, he led the Gators offensively after failing to score against Baylor. 

As the 2025-26 Sixth Man of the Year, he has proven to be the No.1 relief for the starters. Once Fland returns, Klavzar’s production will provide assistance outside the starters. 

“If he comes off the bench and does what he did [against Stetson], that’s excellent,” Golden said. “Him going back to the sixth man role will give us a little bit of a spark.”

With Baylor and Stetson out the way, the focus is on the Miami Hurricanes. 

Miami is ranked No. 14 on the AP Preseason Poll, two spots behind Baylor. With a 109-96 preseason win over No. 24 Vanderbilt and star player Malik Reneau back in the lineup, Miami poses a challenge to open Florida’s season — and Golden welcomes it.

“It’s what we were hoping we would get out of opening the season with a team like that,” he said.

Along with Reneau, Miami added another player that might cause the Gators some trouble: Somto Cyril. The 6-foot-11 transfer from Georgia put up 10 points against Florida in last season’s matchup and gives the Hurricanes additional rim protection and more control of the boards.

After playing against Cyril four times, including twice in 2024-25 and twice again in 2025-26, Golden feels confident in the team knowing his scout.

“Just a really, really good athlete in the front court,” he said. “That can change the complexion of the game with his rim protection and his athleticism.”

Golden listed three keys to success for the Gators this season: defending at a high level, controlling the glass, and valuing the basketball. 

Last year, while the Gators definitively beat the Hurricanes, 82-68, Thomas Haugh remembers Miami’s physicality, which put Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon in foul trouble and forced Florida to play small after the two fouled out. 

With a team that had 54 points in the paint against Vanderbilt, the Gators want to have both their bigs in to defend down low. 

“If we do that, as always, it gives us a good margin of error to not have to shoot at an incredibly high percentage,” Golden said. “Being really good in those three phases will give us a really good chance to win the game.”

While not a key aspect, Florida is looking to see growth within the leadership on the team, and right now, those leaders are Condon and Haugh.

Golden has tasked them with more responsibility in their fourth year, and both have delivered. In both exhibition games, both players have put up double-digit points, with Condon coming close to back-to-back double-doubles with nine rebounds each game.

To push them even more, Golden is looking to rely on them on the court not for their production but for their guidance.

“Probably want a little more vocal leadership from those guys,” he said. “But from a playing perspective, from a coachability perspective, and an overall program perspective, both those guys are hitting the mark.”

The bench issues, taking care of the ball and leadership all come together Nov. 2 in Tampa, where Florida’s 2025-26 season ended. With a tough opponent waiting for them and a venue that haunts them, the Gators approach the start of the season.

“To have that test as our first game is going to be special,” Haugh said. “It’s going to be a great game in Tampa.”

Category: Feature Sports News, Gator Sports, Gators Men's Basketball