The bar is set unexpectedly high for Florida’s first Southeastern Conference game of the season. The Gators (7-6) will face South Carolina (9-3) in Columbia at 7 p.m.
Though the Gators have not lost to the Gamecocks since Jan. 15, 2011 when Florida fell to South Carolina in Gainesville 72-69, the Gamecocks are poised favorites to come away with the win from tonight’s game.
The Gamecocks are riding a seven-game winning streak into tonight’s game and have not suffered a loss since Nov. 23.
Projected starter Michael Frazier II, currently the only Gator to have started all 13 of Florida’s games this season, preached of the importance in not looking too far ahead.
On Monday, he said his only concern and the team’s only concern is in tonight’s game against South Carolina—not any of the other challenging SEC matchups ahead.
"You know we just have to buy in," Frazier said. "Everybody buys in and I think we’ll have a chance to be a good team."
Frazier added that he is disappointed that the entire team hasn’t "bought in" on believing that they can be a successful team.
"I mean, yes it’s disappointing, but you know we are what we are right now and so the only thing we can do is move forward from where we are," Frazier said. "We’re at this point and the only thing we can do is you know fix it."
Rounding out Florida’s projected starting lineup is freshman forward Devin Robinson, redshirt junior forward Dorian Finney-Smith, transfer center Jon Horford and sophomore guard Kasey Hill.
Florida coach Billy Donovan said he considers South Carolina coach Frank Martin a close friend, whom he described as "the biggest teddy bear out there."
Martin was a topic of discussion in the 2013-2014 season when he was heard yelling profanities at Gamecocks then-freshman point guard Duane Notice on national television during South Carolina’s 72-46 home loss to the Gators on March 4.
Notice now leads the Gamecocks in scoring with 13.3 points and 28.3 minutes per and has started all of the Gamecocks’ 12 games as a sophomore.
"I know Frank Martin as a man and who he is at his core," Donovan said on Monday.
"What he’s done now is he’s gone through two years of some very difficult times in some very difficult situations, but you’re starting to see his team take on his identity and how he wants his teams to play and that’s a process when you’re looking to change culture."
Whereas Martin is establishing a culture, Donovan said he’s fighting to maintain a culture left over from a team that was capable of defeating South Carolina twice in one season by more than 15 points each time.
"I’m fighting for our culture," Donovan said. "I’m fighting for that right now, and I think Frank is implementing that."
In scouting the Gamecocks, Donovan said he seen improvement from a team that ended the 2013-2014 season with a 14-20 overall record and a 5-13 SEC record.
"They’re gonna really defend hard they’re gonna pressure you they’re really physical and they’re gonna really rebound the basketball and they’re gonna screen you, the difference between this year and last year is they do it way more consistently for 40 minutes than they did last year," Donovan said. "That’s our problem, we don’t do things consistently enough for 40 minutes that’s where I gotta, as a coach, fight for our culture in terms of what that is."
Game Info
Location: Colonial Life Arena (Columbia, South Carolina)
Tipoff: 7 p.m.
TV: SEC Network
Series Record: Florida leads 42-22
Michael Frazier II drives into the paint during Florida's 65-63 loss to Florida State on Dec. 30 in Tallahasee.
