After a rocky start to the 2025-26 campaign, No. 16 Florida is starting to look every bit the part of a defending national champion. The Gators are heating up at the right time, and after Tuesday night’s dominant win over LSU in Gainesville, they’ve now rattled off five straight victories - and none of them have looked like flukes.
Florida’s 14-5 overall record and 5-1 mark in SEC play don’t tell the full story unless you look at the trajectory. Since dropping their conference opener to Missouri, the Gators have responded with authority, reeling off wins over ranked opponents like No.
21 Georgia and No. 15 Vanderbilt, as well as quality victories against Tennessee and Oklahoma.
Tuesday’s rout of LSU was just the latest example of this team clicking on all cylinders.
What’s fueling the Gators’ resurgence? Balance.
Pure and simple. Urban Klavzar led the way with 18 points against LSU, but he wasn’t alone.
Rueben Chinyelu added 15, while Boogie Fland and Alex Condon chipped in 10 apiece. This is a team that doesn’t need one guy to carry the load - they’ve got weapons across the board, and they’re playing unselfish, connected basketball.
Defensively, Florida made life miserable for LSU. The Tigers couldn’t buy a bucket from deep, shooting just 27 percent from beyond the arc.
Even at the free throw line, where points are supposed to come easy, LSU struggled, finishing at 67 percent. Mike Nwoko was a bright spot for the Tigers, leading them with 17 points, but it wasn’t nearly enough to keep pace with Florida’s well-oiled attack.
With this win, Florida moves to 5-1 in the SEC and is quickly establishing itself as the team to beat in the conference. The Gators are defending with intensity, sharing the ball, and showing the kind of depth that makes them dangerous not just in January, but deep into March.
They’ll get a chance to keep the momentum rolling this weekend when Auburn comes to town. If Florida can take care of business at home, they’ll be sitting at 6-1 in league play - a strong position for a team that, just a few weeks ago, was still searching for its identity.
Now? They look locked in. And the rest of the SEC should take notice.