Desperate teams clash when Florida basketball hosts Arkansas

Florida basketball hasn’t gotten off to the kind of start in conference play it envisioned.

Neither has an Arkansas team unable to build momentum from a non-conference upset of Duke at Walton Arena,

Something has to give when the Florida Gators (10-5, 0-2 SEC) host Arkansas (9-6, 0-2) on Saturday at the O’Connell Center (4 p.m., ESPN).

Porductive meeting: Florida basketball coach Todd Golden, sophomore guard Riley Kugel clear the air in meeting

Road razed: No resistance: Florida basketball defense unravels in second half again at Ole Miss

Another sellout is expected in a matchup of teams still seeking their first conference win of the season. Florida had a six-game win streak snapped last week when it lost 87-85 at home against No. 6 Kentucky, and followed that up with a 103-85 loss at Ole Miss on Wednesday night.

“The parallels are we are both 0-2 in league and we’ve got to find a way to get it on and get going,” Florida basketball coach Todd Golden said. “I know they’re going to be hungry as hell to get this win, and we’re in the same boat.”

Defensive laspes hurting UF basketball

In the Ole Miss loss, Gators allowed the Rebels to shoot 75 percent from the field in the second half (21-28). Overall, Florida ranks 13th in the SEC in scoring defense, giving up 76.5 points per game.

Florida junior guard Walter Clayton Jr. said the Gators need to improve defensively in all apsects.

“Watching the film, just better ball-screen defense, better close-outs, better contesting, better contest on jump shots, you know, not fouling,” Clayton said. “So, there’s a lot of aspects we can get better on defense.” 

Golden said UF’s offense can help its defense by limiting turnovers and finishing stronger at the rim. Ole Miss scored 24 points off of 13 Florida turnovers.

“We had a lot of possessions that led to transition for them,” Golden said. “A lot of it was blocked shots – they blocked 16 shots – and a lot those stayed in bounds. When that happens, usually a guy is flying in trying to make a layup, then pound it off the glass and now they’re going 4-on-3 the other way. There was nothing good about our defensive effort the other night, but we have to help ourselves more in terms of our offense not leading to putting us in predicaments on the defensive end.”

UF basketball, Arkansas coaches share friendship, mutual respect

Golden and Arkansas coach Eric Musselman will coach hard on the court on Saturday, but both share a bond off the court. Musselman offered Golden jobs when he was a G League head coach in Reno and later as a head coach at Nevada.

“I almost went out there to work with him in Reno, but it just never worked out timing-wise,” Golden said. “I’ve always had a lot of respect for him and obviously he’s done a great job at Arkansas and won at an insanely high level. This league is full of great coaches and he’s definitely toward the top of that list. … I’ve known him since I was 21 years old.”

Like Florida, Arkanasas has struggled defensively this season, ranking last in the SEC in scoring defense at 76.8 points per game, Arkansas lost 76-66 at Georgia on Wednesday, and due to travel concerns related to the weather, opted to change plans and head directly from Athens, Ga., to Gainesville on Thursday. Golden let the Arkansas team use UF’s practice facility on Friday.

“Not often do coaches have camaraderie,” Musselman said. “I actually talked to Todd earlier (Wednesday). They’re big, they rebound, they have great guard play, they’re well-connected, they play extremely hard, they play very, very fast. You know, they’re one of the top tier teams in the SEC, there’s no question.”