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Depth on display with Golden's Gators in intrasquad scrimmage

On3 imageby: Zach Abolverdi11/02/22ZachAbolverdi

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Florida fans got their first glimpse of the UF men’s basketball team Tuesday night in the Orange & Blue scrimmage at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.

The Blue team, led by Will Richard with 11 points, defeated the Orange (white) squad 34-29. Other newcomers such as Alex Fudge and Riley Kugel had their moments as well, while big men Colin Castleton (shoulder) and Jason Jitoboh (eye) returned to the court after offseason surgeries.

Florida also held a 3-point contest (won by Alex Klatsky), a dunk contest (won by Niels Lane) and a halfcourt shot competition (won by Jack May). Fudge tried to jump over Aleks Szymczyk in the dunk contest but couldn’t clear him.

“We were able to finish the night with no injuries, other than Alex Fudge taking tumble in the dunk contest,” first-year coach Todd Golden quipped.

The intrasquad scrimmage marked the end of preseason camp for the Gators under Golden and his coaching staff.

“We’ve made some big strides,” Golden said. “We’ve made some big strides in terms of really getting a good understanding, holistically within our program, of what we’re trying to be and what we’re trying to do and how we’re going to get there, most importantly. I think our team is getting tighter ever, roles are beginning to become defined and we’re beginning to play with more purpose. And I think going into the first week, we’re in a good spot.”

Florida opens the 2022-23 season in the O’Dome on Nov. 7 against Stony Brook. What has surprised Golden the most about his team heading into the year?

“Our depth. It’s a challenge for me and the staff to really drill down on an eight-man rotation at this point. To be honest, we can’t and we wouldn’t even try,” Golden said. “We have a number of guys that we feel really good about playing. That’s been the biggest surprise.

“For the staff now and myself, it’s, ‘How are we going to put these pieces together and make sure they all fit properly?’ I honestly think our biggest strength is depth and there will be different guys every night giving us something. … It’s a problem for us to have, that depth.”

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