For the first time since a disappointing second-round exit against 15-seeded Oral Roberts, Florida basketball took the floor on Monday night for its season-opening exhibition matchup against the Division II Embry-Riddle Eagles.
Despite being overmatched from a talent perspective and making a number of mistakes, the Eagles were actually able to keep this one competitive for much of the first half, and they only trailed by six at the break. But Florida’s offense caught fire in the second, and that was enough to pull away for an 80-57 win.
This was our first look at a Gators roster that looks a lot different after four experienced additions from the transfer portal, and while the team got off to a bit of a slow start, it had some flashy moments as the game started to wind down.
Florida is still just over a week away from opening its season against Elon next Tuesday, but here’s what we can learn from the jamboree in the meantime.