GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Todd Golden opened his post-game news conference Sunday with a remark that echoed what every Florida fan that endured the Gators' cross-eyed shooting performance in the 82-76 exhibition overtime loss to Baylor was thinking.
"Pretty grateful it's not November 2nd, right now," the UF coach said.
As the kids like to say, "Facts."
Imagine the social media meltdown had the Gators, as the nation's No. 1-ranked team (as announced by The Associated Press Monday) and reigning Southeastern Conference champions, shot 13.8% from the 3-point line in their 2026-27 season opener against 14th-ranked Miami in two weeks at Tampa. Thankfully, for their sake, Sunday's performance came in an exhibition game at Jacksonville, but it certainly got the collective attention of everyone on the Florida sidelines.
The Gators did a few good things in defeat, but for 45 minutes they mostly underwhelmed, most glaringly on offense. UF shot 34.7 overall, made just four of 29 from distance, and only 22 of 35 from the free-throw line (62.9%). Arguably their top two perimeter weapons, shooting guard Denzel Aberdeen and backup 3-point specialist Urban Klavzar, combined to go 3-for-24 from the floor (that's 12.5%) and 0-for-15 from the arc (that would be 0%).
The odds of those latter numbers occurring again would seem astronomical, but they definitely occurred against the Bears and Golden talked about it afterward.
On Aberdeen, who won a national championship here in 2025, transferred and started a year at Kentucky, then returned during the offseason, and went just three of 17 over 36 minutes in his return: "We're thrilled he's back. He's had a really good fall, played really well ... I thought he was not good. I think he needs to be better."
On Klavzar, who hit 40.6% from 3 last season, including nearly 44 in SEC play: "He had an off night by his standards. He had really good looks, and he just wasn't able to capitalize."
Urban Klavzarand the Gators' bench had a tough afternoon Sunday.
Yes, both players had tough afternoons (and they know it), but they weren't the only ones. This was a collective clunker that could double as a wake-up call.
UF started slow, but so did Baylor, with both teams going through field-goal droughts of more than seven minutes, with the Bears dictating pace of play in a game Golden wanted to be up-tempo. The Gators were their solid selves on the glass for most of the first half (a 25-13 advantage) and led by 10 inside two minutes to go, but by only three at the break.
"We were walking the ball up and it wasn't how we were going to play it," said forward Thomas Haugh, who led the team with 19 points, adding lack of tempo wasn't because of anything Baylor was doing. "It was us."
In the second half, the Gators got out-rebounded, allowed nearly 52% shooting, and basically were stalemated in paint points (UF 20-18). Baylor sophomore guard and Penn State transfer Kayden Mingo, meanwhile, was on his way to scoring 31 points on 9-for-15 from the floor and 11-for-15 from the free-throw line, where the Bears hit 25 of 32 attempts. So much for Florida's goal of playing solid defense without fouling.
The Gators did take care of the ball, with only eight turnovers, but Golden didn't like what the they did on offense with it; and not just because of the shooting percentage. Lots of the team's misses were good, open looks, but Golden pointed a finger at himself for his team's inability to get the ball inside to center Rueben Chinyelu (13 points, 15 rebounds) and forward Alex Condon (13 points, 9 rebounds) to go to work down low.
"I thought we needed to be more aggressive, trying to get it in [the post], and that starts with me," he said "I need to do a better job calling plays and organizing us so we can get a low-post catch because Rueben and Condo have both proven the ability to handle a double team and get ourselves an advantage out of those situations. Our biggest bigger issue is getting it in there."
Rueben Chinyelu drew a crowd when he got the ball down low against the Bears.
That'll be taken up at practice when the team reconvenes Tuesday. Ideally, thei practices this week will be better than last week.
"We didn't have a great practice Friday," Condon said. "I think that translated in a lot of ways."
There will be other areas under scrutiny.
The UF bench was outscored 33-3 and combined to make one of 14 shots. Golden referenced needing more than they got from junior wing Isaiah Brown, who missed all three of his shots and grabbed two rebounds in 13 minutes. His brother, fifth-year guard AJ Brown, made one of four shots, including a 3, but shot two air balls. Junior forward Viktor Mikic played just 54 seconds.
It's safe to assume – after all five starters logged at least 33 minutes (Haugh 39, Condon 38) – that reserve roles, even two weeks out from the season opener, are still there to be had. Whether the likes of sophomore guard Alex Lloyd or international newcomers Doman Petrovic and Arturas Butajevas are willing to seize their opportunity will be up to them. That UF's starters played 83.3% of the team's 225 minutes -- especially in an exhibition game -- speaks to the lack of depth.
Baylor looks like a team poised to rebound from a 17-17 season that included a 6-12 mark in Big 12 Conference play. The Bears came halfway across the country and gave the Gators, swimming all offseason in praise, a dose of reality.
"There's a reason why you play these exhibitions. [You] get an opportunity to try to figure some things out, learn from your mistakes, learn from what you do well," Golden said. "I'd much rather be up here talking about a big victory against Baylor, where we were able to gain a little confidence and see what worked. But my hope is that we can use this as an opportunity to grow with a couple more weeks before the regular season."
There is work to do for the players and coaches inside the Hugh Hathcock Basketball Complex, the only place where any conversation about this team matters right now. There won't be any panic.
"We had an off night, man," junior point guard Boogie Fland said. "If we make three more shots, we win, and that's with them playing as good as they did. We'll be OK."
Now comes what amounts to a do-over. For all the angst about Sunday, it didn't count. It did, however, get the Gators' attention.
