Florida basketball begins its 2024-25 season on Nov. 4, and the team is ready to take yet another step forward in Year 3 of the [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] era.
Senior guard [autotag]Will Richard[/autotag] spoke to the media on Friday three days out from the season opener and expressed a tremendous amount of confidence as preseason workouts conclude.
“Energy and effort, everybody being on the same page as far as the way we start practice. I feel like we’ve been very sharp so obviously just carrying that forward and making sure everybody is ready to go.”
Florida has played two scrimmages together, and the team is beginning to gel. Everyone is on the same page with a common goal to win more than they did last season, and the early returns are encouraging.
“We’re all around each other all the time,” he said. “And on the court, Alijah (Martin) is fitting in perfectly. Kajus (Kublickas) and Urban, they’ve been doing a good job. So it’s been very good. Chemistry’s definitely there.”
That chemistry has led to two wins during preseason scrimmages.
“FIU, we started off the first half a little slow,” he sad. “It was the first time playing somebody else but (in the) second half we got going, and then I felt like last Saturday (against Charleston) was a much better team performance as far as how we attacked the game.
“We dominated on the glass, we were good on defense, so I felt like it was a big jump from the first scrimmage to this one.”
There’s an eagerness to get the season started in Gainesville. Richard says this is the best team he’s been on and that the expectation is to do something special this year.
“I can’t wait,” he said. “This offseason, we’ve just spent the last five months preparing and getting ready for this. So, I definitely can’t wait for that moment to finally get out there.”
Defensive improvements
Golden mentioned that the defensive portion of practice is the most rigorous part, but Richard says it’s a challenge he welcomes.
“It’s been a very good part of practice for me because doing the predraft stuff, those are some of the things that they said I need to work on, so I try to take those as seriously as possible. I know that it’s something we were deficient in last year, I know it will help us out moving forward.”
Richard believes there is a “night and day” difference between the team’s level of preparation on defense this year compared to last. Areas of improvement include “continuing defensive possessions where there are rotations” and ball-screen communication.
The team is getting to their spots better in practice, whether the plan is to ice the ball to the sidelines or weaken the middle.
Richard ready for bounce-back offensive year
After dipping below 35 percent from three-point range last year, Richard is hoping to bounce back offensively in 2024-25. He rarely misses in practice these days and says the basket is looking bigger as his shot becomes more consistent.
“I felt like it was a little bit of a mechanical issue (last season),” he said. “I was bringing the ball too inward and it was going up so I was missing left and right. This time, I’m trying to keep it more on the right side. So it was definitely mechanical. I got to fix that when I went back home with my trainers.”
There will be struggles, of course, but as a veteran in the program, Richard believes he’ll be able to impact the game even when his shot isn’t falling.
“I’m way more mature with how my game is,” he said. “I know my shot is a good part of my game, but that doesn’t define the rest of the game for me. So, if my shot is not going, I can impact the game in a number of different ways.”
The coaching staff is also finding new ways for Richard to get open looks, which should help him sustain a rhythm. The roster also has more depth than in previous years. Having multiple shot-creators will open the floor for Richard to strike more often.
Richard’s relationship with late USF coach Amir Abdur-Rahim
Richard also spoke about his relationship with former USF basketball Amir Abdur-Rahim, who recently passed away suddenly. Abdur-Rahim recruited Richard out of high school while at Kennesaw State and offered council when he hit the transfer portal after his freshman year at Belmont.
“I was definitely a little shaken up by (his passing),” he said. “… when I entered the transfer portal, he called me, and he was just like, ‘I’m not recruiting you to Kennesaw. I just want you to know that I’m here for you if you need any advice,’ … and he was really one of the reasons I came (to Florida).”
Abdur-Rahim believed Florida was a good fit for him since he was familiar with the coaching staff, and told Richard what questions to ask on his visit to Gainesville.
“He’s a great guy, and we feel for those guys,” he said. “I played against a lot of them in high school because they went from Kennesaw State. So I reached out and told them our prayers and stuff were with them … He was one of those guys who definitely was genuine and believed in you. So it’s tough.”
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