Florida Gators struggle against No. 5 UConn in Jimmy V Classic

Getting the ball in bounds.

When Todd Golden rattled through the ailments that’ve plagued Florida this season, looking to patch what he could for yet another sport-captivating matchup, this time with No. 5 UConn, he surely thought little about his team finding a new way to collapse. Even better, one where the ball wasn’t in play.

Innovative.

So when, down three with 9.2 on the clock, Floridian inbounder Boogie Fland failed to get the ball in play because of a five-second violation, the coach’s reaction was as raw as ever. He turned around. He yelled. He turned back to the ref. Once in the locker room, he rewatched the play a number of times with a stopwatch in hand. “It doesn’t even get to five seconds,” he snapped. But even after his complaints, he urged everyone to move on. This, too, shall pass.

Against a team like the Huskies (9-1), whose veteran roster is about as meshed as one can be in December, the small errors will do a contender in, especially in a proxy-road environment like Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. And No. 18 Florida (5-4) was — as it’s been frequently this season — a touch short of the form we grew accustomed to last year, no matter Golden’s efforts.

Queue: 77-73, UConn.

“We did a lot of good things, but not quite good enough to get over the hump,” Golden said. “You could tell this one stung. UConn was Florida’s third top-10 loss this season, and it marked the third instance in the last four games in which Florida held a lead in the second half, but didn’t win. The Gators now have the same number of losses as they did through the entirety of last season (four), though Golden has kept his head high with each. His responses are starting to echo: “We’re right there. And I think if we can get 5% better here over the next couple of weeks, we’re gonna be pretty good in SEC play.”

Fland’s error drew as much out of Golden as it did, though, because Florida hasn’t transformed from its mistake-prone self. The coach continues to have to kick the can down the road, waiting for the culmination of his team’s improvement to show — when Florida will perform to its preseason top-three billing.

The answer, then, may have lain across the court. This ordeal, in its simplest form, can take two different paths. The Gators evolve, as Golden continues to promise. Or the Gators just don’t.

UConn knows about the second choice.

The Huskies entered last season No. 3 in the nation. The basis for that prediction hinged on reliability. They’d won two consecutive titles. How would it matter that they’d now turn toward a role player to become a star, while a cast of transfers — including a mid-major guard — and limited contributors would need to step up? But then came three non-conference losses in November, and by the second week of December, UConn was teetering on the edge of the AP Poll.

That sounds familiar.

Most Florida fans remember UConn pushing the Gators in the Round of 32 last year, only barely coming up short, 77-75. The Huskies, however, were a work-in-progress all year, dropping out of the rankings by early February and never returning as they cruised to 11 losses and a No. 8 seed. Certain rosters don’t gel, and players don’t always progress on predictable timetables. But the talent was there, given this year’s UConn features many of the same contributors. Ehm.

“They’re as good as anyone we’ve played or anyone I’ve watched on film,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said about Florida after the game, likening the programs. “These are the type of games you’re going to find yourself in. These are teams you’re going to be playing in an Elite Eight game.”

More precisely, Florida has the ingredients of a good team. The final bake even has hints of the same recipe that won it a national championship — strong rebounding, opportunistic defense in crucial moments. It just doesn’t taste the same.

Florida’s guard play is the clearest example.

After Golden essentially benched Lee for the final six minutes against Duke a week ago, he responded with 19 points, which is a promising sign. Entering this week, 16 Power 4 players were shooting 30% or worse from the field. The Princeton transfer, who hadn’t seemed to adjust to the secondary role he now fills, was taking by far the most shots of the 16. “I’ve been trying to soak it all in and play well,” Lee said. “So I don’t really feel too much in the game.” His efficiency didn’t improve Tuesday (he still shot 35.7%, while Florida was yet again sub-30% from 3), but if he continues to find a rhythm, many of Florida’s offensive woes will ease.

His ascension, however, only came at the regression of his backcourt mate Boogie Fland, which is starting to become a trend. “We need him and Boogie to play well together,” Golden said.

Last season, when at least two of Florida’s senior guards, Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin played, there were only six instances in which at least two of the three didn’t score in double digits. A year removed, Florida’s backcourt doesn’t have nearly the same punch. Through nine games, Fland and Lee have both scored 10+ twice. Fland tallied 8 on Tuesday, only taking five shots.

The list of other persisting issues is long, too. Florida went on an 11-point run in the first half, just for UConn to end the half on a 28-14 thumping. The Gators visited the free throw line 18 times to UConn’s four in the first half, but shot only 70.4%. As usual, Florida was out-gunned by nearly 25% from 3.

And when the game was on the line, Florida had another one of its mental lapses that are becoming all too frequent.

These are the games Florida would’ve won last year. But the Gators look as if they’re still finding themselves. The problem? As time passes, there’s a possibility this is the team Florida is.

Golden’s reaction tells it all.

“We fell short again,” he said, wrapping his head around the stat sheet in front of him before looking up. “But, you know, I’m a pretty positive guy.”