The Florida Gators are rolling through SEC play, sitting at 6-2 and fresh off a 95-48 demolition of South Carolina. Five of those six conference wins have come in blowout fashion. The analytics back it up too-KenPom currently has Florida ranked 8th nationally, a nod to how dominant this team has looked on both ends of the floor.
But even with all that momentum, there’s a glaring issue that continues to hang over this team like a storm cloud on an otherwise sunny season: the Gators still can’t shoot from deep.
Yes, they dropped 95 points in their latest outing, but the backcourt duo of Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland combined to go 0-for-5 from beyond the arc. That’s been a recurring theme all season.
While other players-like Urban Klavzar (3-for-6 off the bench) and Thomas Haugh (3-for-5)-stepped up from long range in that game, the inconsistency from the guards is becoming more than just a cold streak. It’s a pattern.
And it’s one that could spell trouble when the calendar flips to March.
Field of 68 analyst and former UNC standout John Henson didn’t mince words when breaking down Florida’s biggest concern. “This team is one of the best in the country, and they're 344th in three-point percentage,” he said.
“We keep saying maybe the shots will start falling, but it’s January-almost February. Are you going to hit shots or not?”
That’s the heart of the issue. Florida’s frontcourt is elite-arguably one of the best in the nation.
But if the backcourt can’t provide reliable shooting and perimeter production, the Gators become a much easier team to defend in high-stakes tournament settings. Defenses will sag off, pack the paint, and dare the guards to beat them from outside.
So far, they haven’t proven they can.
Henson also pointed to the inconsistency of the backcourt as a key vulnerability. “There are some dog backcourts out there that are going to sit on that,” he said. “If your backcourt isn’t giving you production at the highest level, it’s going to be a long night.”
He’s not wrong. We’ve seen flashes-Xaivian Lee had a standout performance against Vanderbilt-but those moments have been few and far between.
Lee has failed to crack double digits in scoring in each of the last three games. Boogie Fland hasn’t scored more than ten in his last four.
That’s not going to cut it in March.
To make another deep tournament run like they did in 2025, Florida’s going to need more than just dominant post play and high-octane blowouts in January. They’ll need their guards to deliver-consistently.
Not just one hot night, but six straight games of solid, reliable production. Because in March, there are no do-overs.
One off night from the backcourt, and it could be the end of the road.
Right now, Florida looks like a team with all the pieces-except the one that matters most when the lights get brightest. Until Lee and Fland find their rhythm from deep, there’s a ceiling on just how far this team can go.