Gators’ Team Chemistry On Point, UF Assistant Coach Kevin Hovde Says

Following the Gators’ thrilling overtime victory Wednesday night at No. 10 Kentucky, Florida assistant coach Kevin Hovde was on Sportscene with Steve Russell to discuss the game, his coaching career and more about the program.

Beating Kentucky

The Gators didn’t change much in preparation from the Jan. 6 game, an 87-85 loss in the O’Connell Center, Hovde said.

A key moment in the game at Rupp was responding to Kentucky’s run at the end of the first half, Hovde said. The Wildcats went up 10, but the Gators were able to cut the deficit to five heading into the locker rooms at intermission. That created momentum, which let the Gators tie the game quickly into the second half.

If Kentucky had gotten the lead back to 12 or 14, he says, the game would be totally different.

Working with Todd Golden

Hovde has a long history with UF coach Todd Golden, dating to his first season coaching at Columbia where they were both assistants under Kyle Smith. Golden eventually moved on to Auburn, but returned to coaching under Smith (and with Hovde) when he left Columbia to go to San Francisco. When Smith left San Francisco for Washington State, Golden became head coach. Hovde had a small stint at Richmond, but rejoined Golden at Florida.

Golden and Hovde have similar philosophies and look at games the same way, which has greatly helped them while coaching, he said.

Team Chemistry

The Gators’ team chemistry has developed well, Hovde said. The staff was facing a tall task heading into this season, as they needed to bring in nine new players (seven transfers). He credited the players for bonding quickly and praised their selflessness. He said that also reflects well on the staff, which was looking for players who fit their style and would easily gel with everyone else from the portal.

Adapting To The Transfer Portal

With the recent NCAA policy change that two-time transfers will become immediately eligible, college basketball is changing quickly. It’s “really becoming free agency,” and it will be impossible to be successful without adapting to the sport’s new landscape, Hovde said.

Use Of Analytics

“Relying on analytics” has almost become a cliche in recent years, with nearly every coaching staff across many sports claiming to use analytics at the center of their operation. However, Hovde said that isn’t cliche, but reality in the Florida program.

The biggest benefit has come from scouting the transfer portal. Rather than spotty and occasionally unreliable data from high school and AAU games, there’s a lot of hard data available on transfers.

The staff has used that to identify players they want to pursue, including Walter Clayton Jr. The data showed he was an efficient and high-usage player at Iona, and they made his recruitment a priority over the spring. That effort has paid off, as he’s averaged 16.2 points per game as the Gators’ starting guard.