![]() UCF took control with a 20-3 run, punctuated by a steal and dunk by Ithiel Horton with 8:32 left in the first half. Terrible shooting (19-for-59, including 4-for-24 on 3-point attempts) and no inside defense or physical presence (where have you gone, Colin C.? Oh yeah, the bench).Īdd some shoddy ball security, and it was a recipe for in-state humiliation. “It feels good to actually get them.”įlorida’s familiar flaws were again on display. “I’m new here, but I heard they were ducking us the past couple of years,” UCF guard C.J. The Knights played like they wanted to rub the Gators’ noses into the court. The Gators played like their minds were on spring break. The game was pretty much a miniaturized version of the 2021 Gasparilla Bowl. ![]() “When that doesn’t happen, you have to find a way to rally,” Golden said. The haughty Tar Heels only take postseason calls from the NCAA Selection Committee. North Carolina turned down its invitation to the Not-So-Big Dance. If you’re looking for excuses, you could start with the fact every team’s goal is to make that other tournament. “Not much to it, we were just out-competed.” “We just got out-competed,” Riley Kugel said. That resiliency was nowhere to be found at the O’Connell Center on Wednesday night. UF almost always played opponents tough, even after Colin Castleton broke his hand in mid-February. One thing that worked well was the collective attitude. More: Name Image License rewards sizzle - say, being related to a famous jock - over substance Recent: The science says former Florida QB Anthony Richardson will be worth the gamble for an NFL team And it's our job to figure out what to do moving forward.” “You know, I think we did a lot of things that worked well, obviously some things didn't. “Honestly that I need a little time to figure that out,” Golden said. ![]() One year into the Todd Golden era, the NIT pratfall showed how far the Gators are from regaining their status among the nation’s proudest programs. They didn’t finish the season 16-17, the first losing record in eight years.īut the evening wasn’t a complete waste for Florida. UCF didn’t actually beat them 69-47 to UCF. And even worse would be losing to an in-state school that relishes beating its highfalutin neighbor.Īll that is why the Gators would like to pretend their NIT opener was just a hallucination. The second-worst would be making it and losing in the first round. The worst would be not even making the NIT. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sportsįor a lot of proud basketball programs, there’s only one thing worse than making the National Invitation Tournament. Nashville, TN, USA Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden disagrees with a call by a referee during the first half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Bridgestone Arena. ![]()
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