Florida Southern, a Division II team that shot only 35.1 percent from behind the arc last season, sank three straight 3-pointers to kick off its exhibition game against Florida last week.
The Moccasins drained four more before the half, and then another six after the break.
Coach Billy Donovan hasn’t minced words this offseason about his defense: It is not, nor is it near, the defense from last year’s squad.
So with No. 10 Florida opening its season this afternoon against North Florida at 3 p.m. in the O’Connell Center, why would Donovan be happy after last week’s performance?
Because the medicine is easier to swallow when the games don’t count.
“Well, I think it was really good, the fact that not only did Florida Southern take a lot of three-point shots, but they made them,” Donovan said. “Now, I did think in the game they made some very, very difficult, deep shots that probably caught our guys a little bit by surprise. But I’m happy they were able to make the amount of threes that they made because it was a great opportunity for us to show film and really use a lot of those things in terms of corrections and teaching points and those kind of things.”
With the loss of graduated and suspended players, as well as the new hand-checking rule by the NCAA, which is expected to allow more scoring, Donovan has faced a tall order trying to build another top-five defense during the offseason.
But because the 20-year veteran coach has had an entire week to dissect the film in preparation for the season opener, Donovan said his team is more aware of its weaknesses and can address them before tip-off.
“Sometimes, the three-point line, you cannot defend it very well, and if guys don’t shoot it well, it looks like you played pretty good defense on the three by their shooting percentage,” he said. “But you’ve really got to look at the quality of shots. You know, we were, inside the three-point line and even behind the line last year, a really, really good defensive team. And that’s an area where we’ve got to continually get better, and it starts from behind the line.”
Last year, the Gators allowed the second-lowest three-point field goal percentage in the Southeastern Conference, behind only the Crimson Tide. Alabama’s opponents shot only 0.2 percentage points worse than Florida’s opponents.
Although North Florida’s 34 percent from behind the arc was tied for third lowest in the Atlantic Sun conference, center Patric Young said his team will need to significantly improve its defensive rotations or the Ospreys will also take advantage of open shots.
“We were late on a lot of rotations and transition defense,” Young said. “Transition defense probably being the No. 1 thing, because Florida Southern, you saw how fast they got the ball out of the net. We just have to be able to assume every team’s going to be that fast and have that sense of urgency to get back and, you know, find a man.”
Injury updates: Michael Frazier II has not practiced with the team this week and was limited to individual, non-contact drills. The sophomore guard was diagnosed with mononucleosis last week. Donovan said the decision for Frazier to play is up to the team’s doctors.
Although Kasey Hill has been dealing with back issues all week, he is cleared to play the opener, as are Eli Carter (leg) and Will Yeguete (knee).
Follow Jonathan Czupryn on Twitter @jczupryn.
Gators coach Billy Donovan addresses reporters during the Florida men’s basketball team’s annual media day at the University Women’s Club on Oct. 9.
