Alabama vs. Florida Preview: Tide Look to Make a Statement in Gainesville
When Florida head coach Todd Golden was asked about Charles Bediako’s eligibility situation a couple weeks back, he didn’t mince words: “We’re going to beat them anyways. If he plays, we’ll beat them.” That confidence is about to be put to the test.
Bediako is making the trip, and No. 23 Alabama heads into Gainesville for a Sunday showdown with No.
19 Florida in what shapes up to be one of the weekend’s marquee matchups. The O’Connell Center will be rocking, and if you like physical basketball, this one’s for you.
Florida boasts arguably the best frontcourt in the country, and Alabama will need every bit of Bediako’s presence to match up.
Golden has had Nate Oats’ number lately, winning four straight against Alabama, including a sweep last season en route to an SEC Tournament title and a national championship. But this year’s Crimson Tide squad is starting to find its groove.
Alabama: Getting Healthy, Gaining Momentum
The Tide are coming off a much-needed bounce-back win over Missouri, and it wasn’t just the final score that mattered - it was how they did it. Aden Holloway returned to the floor, giving the backcourt a boost. Latrell Wrightsell finally found his rhythm again after a rough shooting stretch, and Bediako continued to assert himself in the paint.
This has been a season of patience for Alabama. Injuries have forced Oats to shuffle his rotation more than he’d like, and the team hasn’t yet had the chance to show what it can do at full strength. Amari Allen is a game-time decision for Sunday, but if he suits up - and if Bediako’s eligibility holds - this roster has the kind of ceiling that can challenge anyone in the SEC.
Picture this: Labaron Philon running pick-and-roll with Bediako, while Wrightsell, Allen, and Aiden Sherrill stretch the floor. Holloway waiting to come in and run the second unit. That’s not just a scoring threat - that’s a group that can rebound, defend, and run teams out of the gym.
Florida: Dominant Frontcourt, Questionable Guard Play
The Gators are coming off a magical season that ended with a national title, and they’ve brought back their entire frontcourt from that championship run. That includes 6'9" Thomas Haugh, 6'11" Alex Condon, 6'11" Rueben Chinyelu, and 7'1" Micah Handlogten - a group that overwhelms most teams physically.
But while the frontcourt is elite, the backcourt is a different story. Florida lost its entire guard rotation from last year, and the replacements haven’t quite filled those shoes.
Boogie Fland, the former five-star and Arkansas transfer, has struggled to find his shot. Xaivian Lee, a transfer from Princeton, hasn’t been much more consistent.
The lone returning guard, Urban Klavzar, has been the only real perimeter threat in the group.
Haugh, a forward, has actually been Florida’s most reliable offensive playmaker. He’s averaging 17.4 points per game while shooting a respectable 47.3% from the field and 34.8% from deep.
He’s also dishing out two assists and grabbing over two offensive boards per game - a versatile weapon who will demand Alabama’s full attention. Whether Allen plays or not, he or Taylor Bol Bowen will likely draw the Haugh assignment - and it could be the most important defensive matchup of the game.
Three Keys for Alabama
1. Hold Up on the Boards
Florida is the best rebounding team in the country - full stop. They rank second nationally in both offensive rebounding percentage and offensive rebounding percentage allowed. That’s dominance on both ends of the glass.
Auburn showed the blueprint last week: survive on the boards and let your guards take over. For Alabama, that means big minutes from Bediako and Sherrill.
Being able to match Florida’s size with a frontcourt trio of Taylor Bol Bowen, Sherrill, and Bediako is huge. Without Chuck, Alabama would be in real trouble here - but with him, they’ve got a fighting chance to neutralize Florida’s biggest strength.
2. Push the Pace
Florida’s rotation is thin. Really thin.
The seven players mentioned above are basically the whole rotation. Their eighth man, Isaiah Brown, averages just over 10 minutes per game.
The Gators rank 343rd in bench minutes nationally.
That’s a big opportunity for Alabama. The Tide need to run - early and often.
Push the tempo, wear Florida down, and force them into foul trouble. Florida’s guards are solid defensively, but they’re not built to run.
This is a team that wants to play big and slow. Alabama needs to make it a track meet.
3. Let It Fly
Let’s be honest: Alabama is a far better shooting team than Florida, especially from deep. The Gators rank 345th in the country in three-point shooting percentage.
That’s not a typo. Western Illinois shoots it better.
If Alabama can get hot from beyond the arc - like they did against Missouri - it could be a long afternoon for the Gators. Trading twos for threes isn’t a winning formula, especially when your guards can’t consistently hit from the outside. If Wrightsell, Philon, and Holloway can find their range, Alabama could pull away.
The Bottom Line
This is a big-time opportunity for Alabama. A win in Gainesville on national TV would send a clear message: the Tide are still very much in the hunt for the SEC crown. Florida hasn’t quite looked like the juggernaut they were last March, but they’re still a tough, physical team that can beat anyone on any given day - especially at home.
But if Alabama is healthy, and if they can control the tempo, battle on the boards, and hit their outside shots, they’ve got the tools to walk out of the O-Dome with a statement win.
How to Watch:
- What: No. 23 Alabama (14-6, 4-3 SEC) at No.
19 Florida (15-6, 6-2 SEC)
- Where: O’Connell Center, Gainesville, FL
- When: Sunday, Noon CST
- TV: ABC
- Line: Florida -7
Circle this one. It’s going to be a battle.