Florida Gators Defense Struggled Last Year, Help is on the Way

The Florida Gators struggled mightily on defense last season, but they have a chance to turn it around in a big way.

Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

There were many things to like from Florida Gators Men’s Basketball a year ago, but there was also a gigantic problem that hurt them throughout the season.

So, what was their Achilles heel? Overall defense. 

Despite how strong the team was on offense, it was the complete opposite on defense. 

Offensively, the Gators ranked sixth nationally in scoring offense (85.6 PPG). However, defensively, they rank 327th out of 351 total teams in Division I in scoring defense (79.2 OPP PPG).  

Additionally, their opponents shot just a hair over 44 percent, ranking the Gators 196th in the nation. 

Another area where they struggled defensively was in the turnover department. Florida in 2023-24 loved to run out in transition and rack up the fast break points, averaging 14.28 fastbreak points per game. This number ranked 21st nationally. 

Yet, the defense seemingly struggled with forcing turnovers. It forced 10.81 per game, which was 271st in the country. Furthermore, it only generated 6.7 steals per game, putting them 153rd.

Are you seeing a trend yet? I hope so. 

It is hard to win championships with this kind of defense. 

There is a reason why the line is “defense wins championships” and not the other way around. 

It also doesn’t help that when Florida’s defense looked like it was about to get a stop, it would hear the whistle for too much contact. The Gators fell all the way down to 296th in fouls per game with 18.4. 

To consistently win the big games, a team can’t have this big of a hole on defense. 

Now, the Gators still put together a strong resume filled with wins against Alabama twice, Texas A&M, Auburn and at Kentucky. 

Though it failed when they needed it most against Colorado in the first round of the NCAA Tournament where they lost 102-100 to the Buffaloes. 

What’s promising for Florida fans is that while they were watching this defense get battered, so did head coach Todd Golden. After finishing the year with a loss to the Buffaloes, Golden went to the portal and snagged three guys who will strengthen the defense instantly.

For starters, Chattanooga transfer Sam Alexis was 26th in the country with 2.12 blocks per game. In 19 games last year, he finished with two or more blocks. Moreover, Alexis finished on the All-Southern Conference Defensive Team.

Next, Golden added FAU transfer Alijah Martin. Martin, while not named to any All-Defensive teams, led the Owls in his second year in the program in steals with 53. Martin added to that number this past season by posting 56 steals and moving his career total to 155. 

Lastly, the Gators welcomed Washington State transfer Rueben Chinyelu. Chinyelu is a talented big who is known for his defensive presence. In his freshman year at Washington State, Chinyelu set the school’s freshman single-season record with 43 blocks. 

He looks to be a great replacement for Micah Handlogten, who was announced to miss the entirety of next season back in April. 

It might not have looked good last season, but Todd Golden worked for a brighter tomorrow on defense for this upcoming season.