Florida needed a little patience before the night turned into a runaway, but once the Gators settled in, Merrimack couldn’t keep pace. Florida shook off an awkward start against the Warriors’ unusual zone and rolled to an 83-54 win to move to 4-0.
Merrimack’s defense was the first real problem Florida had to solve. The Warriors spent all 40 minutes in a zone that was basically a 2-3 look, though they shifted and rotated through it in ways that made it tougher than the standard version.
Florida had some early trouble cracking it, but different players began making the right reads one by one, and the coverage gradually softened. By the end, the Gators had their starters out early and were able to cruise.
That kind of challenge is exactly why Florida expected Merrimack to be a useful non-conference test. The Gators thought the Warriors could be a strong mid-major opponent and maybe even drift into quad-3 territory, though that likely won’t end up being the case. Even so, this was the sort of game that can pay off later when Florida sees zone defenses again.
The day also brought a lineup wrinkle. A couple of hours before tipoff, Florida announced that point guard Boogie Fland would sit out because of a shoulder injury he picked up against Florida State. The injury isn’t believed to be serious, and Fland did return to that game against the Seminoles, but with a major stretch of the non-conference schedule coming next week, the Gators chose caution.
Rather than reshuffle the rotation and elevate Urban Klavzar or Isaiah Brown, Florida kept things mostly intact and started Alex Lloyd. That let Klavzar and Brown stay in their usual bench roles, and Lloyd made the move look smart. He turned in a career night with 11 points, 2 steals, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds.
Lloyd’s role at Florida has been a little fuzzy at times, with the question of whether he’s more of a point guard or shooting guard hanging over him. Against a zone, though, those labels matter less.
His shot was on display, and he went 3-6 from three. With the way he played, Florida’s staff may have a tricky decision ahead if it wants to find him more minutes in a rotation that already doesn’t have a lot of room.
Fland is expected to be back in full next game against Notre Dame.
Florida’s ball movement was another major plus. Zone defenses tend to force teams into extra passes, and the Gators embraced that.
They finished with 19 assists on 27 made baskets, and most of the shots without assists came in transition or off offensive rebounds, where there wasn’t really a pass to make. It wasn’t just one player driving the distribution either; nine different Gators recorded at least one assist.
The shooting numbers were solid too. Florida hit 35% from three, going 8-23, though that was helped late by Alex Kovatchev knocking down both of his attempts in garbage time. The bigger story was at the foul line, where the Gators were almost flawless at 21-22.
That matters because free throws have been a shaky area at times, and Florida’s big lineup isn’t exactly built around touch at the stripe. This time, though, the Gators handled it well. Alex Condon stood out most, going 8-8 and taking a meaningful step after the struggles he has had there in his career.
Merrimack deserves credit for making Florida work. The Warriors may not have the kind of conventional talent that jumps off the page, but they were sharp and disciplined on both ends. Their zone rotations were clean and demanding, and offensively they used actions Florida hadn’t seen much, including “Peja” dribble handoff actions and “rifle” flares from the post.
For Florida, that made this more than just another buy game. The Gators got a real teaching tape out of it, and probably more value than they would have against a more ordinary opponent.
In Other News...
Aidan Mizell Is Fueling An Uncomfortable Florida What If
Aidan Mizells move from Florida to UCLA is starting to look like one of those transfers that lingers in the background of a season, especially for Gators fans watching him settle in elsewhere. He had limited playing time in Gainesville, but out on the West Coast he has carved out a bigger role and already piled up 501 receiving yards early in the 2024 season, a sign that his talent was always there waiting for the right opportunity.
Mizells recent surge has only sharpened the uncomfortable what if for Florida: what if he had gotten the same runway in orange and blue? After injuries slowed his early 2026 season, he has earned more snaps and more trust at UCLA, and his production has followed, including a six-catch, 176-yard, one-touchdown performance against Illinois. For Florida, it is the kind of development that does not change the past, but does make it harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Kentucky Outlook Just Shifted With Two Big Defensive Changes
Floridas Week 11 prep for Kentucky got a little clearer, and a little thinner, on the defensive side of the ball. The Gators updated their injury report with cornerback Dijon Johnson downgraded to out, while defensive lineman DK Kalu moved up to probable, a small but important shift as the team tries to sort out its depth before another SEC test.
The list of unavailable players still leaves Florida with some holes to fill, with Vernell Brown III, Bryce Thornton, Jaden Robinson and Evan Chieca all confirmed out. Even with Kalu trending in the right direction, the Gators will need to piece together their rotation carefully against a Kentucky team that tends to make every missing body matter. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas 2027 Class Is Starting To Answer A Big Roster Question
Floridas 2027 recruiting class took a meaningful step forward with the addition of two four-star forwards, Kamsi Awaka of Blair Academy and Ian Condon of Sidwell Friends. Awaka arrives as a consensus top-50 national prospect, while Condon comes in as the top recruit in Washington, D.C., giving Todd Golden a pair of frontcourt pieces with the kind of size and upside that tend to matter in the SEC.
For Florida, the timing is notable because Awaka is widely viewed as a player who can help answer a looming roster need after Rueben Chinyelus departure. Golden praised both signees for their skills and work ethic, and the early return on this class is already showing up in the rankings, where Florida sits 21st nationally and sixth in the SEC according to Rivals. [Read more 🡒]