After riding a 13-game win streak during non-conference play, the Florida Gators men’s basketball team experienced an unfamiliar feeling when it left the court in front of roughly 20,000 faithful fans at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, Jan. 4.
The Gators suffered their first loss of the season to then-No. 10 Kentucky to begin their SEC schedule. Senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. was sensational in the 108-100 defeat, much like he’s been all season for UF, but it wasn’t enough to win a shootout against the Wildcats.
“I thought we battled pretty hard,” Florida head coach Todd Golden said. “Again, some good things for us to take out of this game, but going on the road in SEC play, we've got to find a way to defend better."
Clayton Jr. has led Florida with an average of 17.2 points per game this season, including a career-high 33 points against UK. However, it hasn’t been just one senior guard pulling the offensive weight for UF this season; it’s been three.
Florida’s veteran backcourt is rounded out by fellow senior guards Will Richard and Alijah Martin, who with Clayton Jr. have made up one of the most lethal scoring guard trios in the nation this season, scoring a combined 46.4 points per game and 111 3-pointers.
"I feel like we're prepared,” Clayton Jr. said. “It's been a lot of learning through winning. If we continue to learn and not be complacent, I think we're ready."
SEC men’s basketball has become a juggernaut, boasting nine teams inside the current AP Top 25 poll. Needless to say, it didn’t take long for the Gators to become battle-tested. Following UF’s loss to UK, the Gators played host to the No. 1-ranked Tennessee Volunteers at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
Just one game after giving up over 100 points to the Wildcats, Florida’s defense flipped a switch. The result was one of the victories of the post-Billy Donovan era at UF, as the Gators held the Vols to just 43 points and won by 30 after coming in just 2-17 all-time against No. 1 teams in the country.
“I'm incredibly proud, but now our biggest thing is like, this can't be the highlight of our season,” Golden said.
The victory gave the Gators a sense of legitimacy — it marked the largest margin of victory against a No. 1-ranked team in 57 years, when UCLA defeated Houston by 32 points in the 1968 Final Four.
Four days after UF’s defensive slugfest against UT, another daunting SEC road matchup against Arkansas awaited. Martin scored a game-high 14 points, while Clayton Jr. added 12 amid 44 fouls called and 55 free throws attempted.
Nevertheless, sophomore forward Alex Condon helped the Gators notch their fourth Quad 1 victory of the season, which is subject to change, when he made a clutch 3-pointer to put Florida up by 12 with 1:23 remaining in regulation against the Razorbacks.
Condon has dominated UF’s frontcourt since becoming a starter this year. The Perth, Australia, native is averaging 11 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Condon has also added a much improved 3-point shot, hitting at a 43% clip this season. He’s been no slouch on the defensive end either, recording a team-high 26 blocks in 2024-25.
Rounding out UF’s frontcourt — and starting lineup — is sophomore forward Reuben Chinyelu. He leads the Gators in field goal percentage this season at a 59% clip and grabs over seven rebounds per game. His presence alongside Condon gives Florida’s defense a level of physicality that will be much-needed in a brutal SEC.
"I think when we both crash, it's hard to stop both of us,” Condon said. “[Reuben] is a very physical dude, and I like passing him the ball because he usually finishes it for me."
They will be hard to stop, but so will the other in-conference bigs. The Gators will have Final Four aspirations this season, but the road ahead will be challenging. UF is slated to play seven teams in the SEC ranked inside the AP Top 25 poll between Jan. 14 and March 8.
The most coveted matchup could be a road rematch against Tennessee Feb. 1 in Knoxville. Other away games that will likely be highly competitive include contests at No. 2 Auburn on Feb. 8, at No. 14 Mississippi State on Feb. 11 and at No. 5 Alabama on March 5.
Though, it should be noted that Auburn could be without its leading scorer, senior forward Johni Broome, who suffered an ankle sprain against South Carolina on Jan. 11.
The Gators have been flawless at home, so much so that UF is riding a 16-game win streak in the O’Dome. That streak will be put to the test when Florida entertains No. 18 Oklahoma on Feb. 18, No. 10 Texas A&M on March 1 and No. 23 Ole Miss for senior night March 8.
Florida’s elite backcourt will play an instrumental role in it maintaining success this season. It’s a challenge that Clayton Jr. is ready to embrace.
“Just telling each other to keep on going,” he said. “We've been in those situations a couple times last year, and I say it all the time, basketball is a game of runs. You've just got to be able to withstand their run, overcome it and get back to doing what you're doing.”
Contact Max Tucker at mtucker@alligator.org. Follow him on X at Max_Tuckr1.
Max Tucker is a senior transfer student at UF. After obtaining his A.A. in Journalism from Santa Fe College in 2023, he chose to further his education at Florida's College of Journalism and Communications. Max is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Journalism with a specialization in sports and media. He enjoys golfing and going to the beach with his friends in his free time.
