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Florida men’s basketball coach Mike White joined Sportscene with Steve Russell this past week to discuss how Florida basketball is about to change. The Gators finished at 9-12 last season and finished fourth in the SEC with a record of 11-7. With high hopes for the upcoming season, White talks transfers, speed and the new year.
Mike’s 2019-20 season recap
White summed up the Gators’ season in one word: difficult. He was equipped with a team that had trouble on both the offensive and defensive sides of the court.
“I was more concerned with our ability to really mesh, to play as a collective unit offensively and then to really sell out defensively,” White said.
As the season progressed, White began to see improvement. In the regular-season finale, White thought to himself how it was all coming together.
A fast-paced season
While the coronavirus will undoubtedly have an effect on the schedule and travel this season, White anticipates a change to the speed of his team. In the off season, the Gators saw the departure of Andrew Nembhard. During his time at UF, Nembhard improved in many areas, making a significant impact. With his transfer comes an opportunity to increase the speed of the game.
Loaded with high-flying, electric athletes, #Gators coach Mike White has promised that Florida basketball is about to get a whole lot faster.
"Playing fast is really in my DNA."https://t.co/zxBJVD82QI pic.twitter.com/4FihE8TtZ8
— Thomas Goldkamp (@ThomasGoldkamp) July 22, 2020
Now Florida will have new men at the point to hopefully change the pace.
Florida may have its deepest team yet
White thought the team from his fourth season as head coach was his deepest; it could be that next year’s team could take over that title. What will separate this team from the one a few seasons ago will be its chemistry and overall team attitude.
Two fan favorites Noah Locke and Keyontae Johnson have been aiding White in leading the conversation on the upcoming season. Both are coming off spectacular sophomore seasons, Locke gained national attention with his offensive skills, averaging 10.6 points per game. Additionally, Johnson made the All-SEC First Team this past year.
While the men’s basketball season is a ways away, there will be many more zoom calls before we see the Gators back on the court.
