As a legitimate national championship contender, No. 6 Florida knows better than to throw a parade over its undefeated start in nonconference play.
That’s why the Gators (12-0) aren’t overlooking Sunday’s game against Stetson in Gainesville, Fla., in the team’s final tune-up before diving into its Southeastern Conference slate.
“It’s a great start, but it’s just a start,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “When we get back, we’re gonna treat it like we’re 0-0 in that we’ve got a new season ahead of us.”
The Gators have not played since last Saturday, when they throttled visiting North Florida 99-45. Will Richard led all scorers with a career-high 26 points.
Richard struggled with his shot during the season’s early weeks but has found his form as of late. He’s hit 17 of 22 attempts (77.3 percent) from the floor — including 9 of 13 from 3-point range — while scoring 48 points over his last two games.
Regardless of how he’s shooting, Richard can energize Florida in other ways. His 2.2 steals per game lead the team, and Golden said the senior guard has blossomed into a leader for a program trying to reach its first Final Four in 11 seasons.
“The maturity that he’s shown this year is not allowing offense to affect defense and rebounding,” Golden said. “He’s been very consistent in those (areas) all year, and it’s just a matter of time before he starts shooting the ball better.”
Richard’s 14 points per game rank third on the Gators behind fellow guards Walter Clayton Jr. (17.6) and Alijah Martin (14.9).
Sunday’s contest against the Hatters (2-10) will be Florida’s last gimme game for a while.
The Gators open SEC play with three straight tests against teams currently ranked in the Top 25. They’ll visit No. 10 Kentucky and host top-ranked Tennessee before traveling to face No. 23 Arkansas.
“I think the team realizes what the potential is and what’s in front of us and what arena we’re in in terms of competing to play for a national championship,” Golden said.
Florida will be Stetson’s third SEC opponent this season. The Atlantic Sun conference member lost 85-64 at Oklahoma on Nov. 16 and fell 99-53 at LSU on Dec. 17.
The loss to the Tigers marked the Hatters’ 10th straight defeat, but Stetson snapped its skid with a 103-77 home win over Fort Lauderdale of the NCCAA last Sunday.
Mekhi Ellison scored 25 points in the victory to boost his team-leading scoring average to 14.2 points per game.
Fellow guard Jamie Phillips Jr. chips in 10.9 points per contest, while forwards Jordan Wood (12.2) and Josh Massey (10.8) round out the Hatters’ double-digit scorers.
Tristan Gross netted 11 points on Sunday and has experience leading Stetson against elite competition. He is the lone returning starter from the team’s first-ever NCAA Tournament game last season, a 91-52 first-round loss against top seed and eventual champion UConn.
The sophomore guard knows he has to set the example this season for a program with nine new players.
“I have to bring that expectation from last year,” Gross told the Daytona Beach News-Journal after the Hatters’ season opener on Nov. 4.
“… We have to play together. We have to play hard. We can’t come in lackadaisical and not respecting our opponent. That’s the thing we have to bring every night.”
