Why you buy (games): Florida seeks improvement in December lull before SEC play

Things in Gainesville haven’t gone exactly as anticipated. At least not the way all the offseason noise would’ve made you expect.

Florida, now 8-4, debuted at No. 3 in the preseason AP Poll. The prediction was warranted, based on the Gators returning the entirety of the frontcourt that won them their third national championship this century, and pairing that with one of the brightest young coaching minds in basketball and a duo of top-rated transfer guards. The design — a combination of measured experience and new talent — was that of most recent national champions, including Florida last year, which welcomed Alijah Martin and Rueben Chinyelu to an already cemented squad.

The result felt replicable. Thus, the hype rained.

But what’s clear: the now-No. 23 Gators aren’t the same team as a year ago. Three of Florida’s four losses have come to ranked opponents, but the Gators have struggled to find lineup consistency or a reliable threat from beyond the arc. Princeton transfer Xaivian Lee was the most well-documented offender on both counts of title-defense malpractice, prior to a run of four games in which he’s averaging 20. The rest of the cast hasn’t been much better during his improvement arc, shooting a measly 30.8% from three in Florida’s last three games, and Lee’s taken a more Zen approach to the team’s struggles.

“We’re privileged to have a very good nonconference schedule, like we played a lot of really good teams,” he said confidently. “I think that was a great opportunity for all of us. We learned a lot.”

His most recent pair of games were among his most consistent this year, but the competition — Colgate and Saint Francis — doesn’t inspire. Like most Power Four giants, Florida is in a December stretch that features four consecutive games against mid-majors, concluding with Dartmouth on Dec. 30. These are otherwise known as “buy games,” as schools with heftier budgets pay less competitive schools from less competitive conferences to play.

After a rattling 5-4 start, the lull couldn’t come at a better time. And, naturally, Florida has found some form across a combined 192 points in its last two contests. But the long-term viability of Florida’s recent improvement comes into question when considering its recent opponents.

Let’s look back a bit.

Since 2010, 36 preseason top 10 teams have fallen out of the top 15 by Christmas. Florida’s familiar, having entered the 2010, 2014 and 2017 seasons near the top of the AP Poll before collapsing in short order. Eighteen of the 36 even dropped from the rankings entirely, adding another datapoint to the volatility of most preseason metrics, which Golden harped on before the season started.

“For us to be the best we can be, we need to be more consistent with our level of physicality and competitiveness over 40 minutes…” he said after defeating George Washington to begin Florida’s mid-major frolic. “That’s just a non-negotiable at this level if you want to have a championship-level team.”

So as many have before, Florida joins a line of early-season disappointments aiming to use buy games to reset and problem-solve. The odds of success aren’t poor, either. The Gators hope to become the 10th team in the last 15 years to enter the season in the top 10, fall from the top 15 within a month and reenter the top 10 by the final poll of the season — a higher-than-you’d-expect 27.8% clip.

Of those that were able to right the ship as conference play presumed, everyone found a stable closing lineup, which should’ve been at the top of Florida’s to-do list this month. Its last three games haven’t been within 10 points in the final minutes, so this is somewhat of a wait-and-see situation, but Lee’s ascension should prove vital.

Three weeks ago, against No. 4 Duke, Lee didn’t touch the court in the final six minutes, with Golden playing a less-versatile Urban Klavzar instead despite Lee starting the game. That was the crescendo of his struggles. Nevertheless, as Florida’s schedule geared down, he’s also seemed to gather himself.

“It’s gonna come in time. It’s a mindset,” guard Boogie Fland said after the Duke game. “Basketball is like a rhythm. You gotta find that rhythm, and when you find it, you know you should be good.”

Whether Florida can maintain its cash-purchased improvements is a different query, though the signs of a group positioned to peak in conference play are all there. For that matter, in less than two weeks, on Jan. 4, the Gators will open their SEC schedule against Missouri.

The note counter is ticking.

This story was originally published December 24, 2025 at 12:00 PM.