Jan. 10, 2026, 6:07 p.m. ET
Players discussed the team’s physical mentality and focus on rebounding against the Tennessee Volunteers.Teammates expressed joy and support for Fland’s breakout game and his new haircut.The players emphasized the importance of the home crowd’s energy and their defensive effort.
Rueben Chinyelu, Boogie Fland and Urban Klavzar were all smiles when speaking to the media after Saturday’s home win against the Tennessee Volunteers.
Fland expressed some relief after putting on a 23-point performance, one that Todd Golden called his best game of the year. Chinyelu, who has become a regular at these post-game press conferences, teased Fland about his haircut before addressing the collective team mentality heading into a competitive, physical battle against the Volunteers. Kalvzar spoke about being aggressive off the bench as a 3-point shooter.
It was a light-hearted presser, as is often the case after a win. Here’s everything the players said.
Chinyelu: “We just know that they play physical, they rebound the ball. Just being able to know that it’s going to be a fight out there. Just knowing that we’re ready for the fight. We go to war, and everybody was ready for that moment. Just going out there, do whatever we have to do to get our team going, our teammates going. So, that’s why it’s warranted, and everybody stepped up to do that. And I was proud of that moment, and I appreciate everyone getting the focus, knowing that we gotta come out every night and chase that dream, that big picture. So they buy into that and they understood. So proud of that moment.”
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!On Boogie Fland’s big performance
Fland: “I felt like it was great. Just executing the game plan, playing with confidence, playing within what we do. I’m not trying to do too much.”
On Fland’s new haircut
Fland: “Yeah. I think everybody’s gonna say it’s the ‘do, but — let’s see.”
What inspired the new haircut?
Fland: “After we won our last game, everybody decided that it was best if I cut it. So I went home the next night and cut it.
Chinyelu: “Nah, he wanted to do it. We encouraged it. Like, yeah, do it. We got your back, no matter what. Like, do it. We got you. We stand with you.”
How much did you need this kind of performance?
Fland: “For me, I felt like it was big. It was a step in the right direction. I feel like that little slump, it tests you mentally, but you gotta be ready for it. Through basketball, the ups and downs are going to come with it, and life in general. I feel like I battled through it. My teammates have my back, and now we’re here.”
How good did it feel to take over a game again?
Fland: “It felt big, but I couldn’t have done it without these guys — without my team, without the coaches, without a great plan to go in here and get a W. So credit to them more than me.”
Why did they tell you to cut it?
Fland: “Fresh start.”
Chinyelu: “No, he already had the mindset of cutting it. So we just backed him up. Like we say, whatever you want to do, we got your back. Like, don’t worry about it, do it. We got you.”
Would you cut your hair?
Chinyelu: “This is Boogie, and this is ‘Yelu. So we got two different things.’
Did you cut it yourself
Fland: “No, I didn’t. I didn’t cut it. Somebody cut it for me.”
Chinyelu: “I would have loved to cut it, though.”
On winning the rebound battle
Chinyelu: “Just knowing that they would go out — they send like four or five guys back down there for rebounds. Just knowing that they’re going to do it all the course of the game. So just staying, paying attention to that tendency and making sure that we secure the ball, boxing out. It takes everybody to put a piece together. And I think everybody got that memo and went out there and did it.”
On 3-point shooting improving
Klavzar: “Yeah, I feel like when I get in there, I just have to be confident. We know we’re gonna start hitting shots eventually, more and more. So, for myself, I just want to be aggressive. Come in there, hit some shots. I thought I could have hit more today, but I’m just trying to be aggressive and help the team in that aspect.”
On the atmosphere at home, carrying it into two away games
Chinyelu: “It’s always fun to play in front of the crowd. Just being able to know that they all show up for us, no matter what’s happening, no matter the cost, day-to-day, they’ll show up. If it’s an early game, they’re out there. If it’s a late game, they stay up and make sure that they show up for us. So that’s a big thing because they keep us going.
“So we’ve just been able to come out here and give them what they deserve, because they deserve it, and that’s something lovely. I think just being able to see them cheer us, sing ‘Won’t Back Down’. Just being able to look and see the joy in their eyes — it’s something that we cherish, and we love moments like that.”
On the defensive effort, limiting opposing 3-point attempts
Fland: “Oh, that’s a mental rep. We take that very seriously, executing the offensive game plan. We knew Ja’Kobi was going to try to get off his threes, and Nate Ament was going to try to get off his threes. Just staying disciplined in what we do defensively — I feel like that really won us the game.”
What did Vernon Maxwell say?
Fland: “Keep going. Close out the game. He was excited for us, same way we was excited for ourselves. So he was just telling me to keep going.”
What’s that mean to you?
Fland: “That’s big. That’s OG. So when he talks, you gotta listen.”
Did you have a back brace on at some point?
Fland: “Nah, that was a back massager. Just tightening up. I’m good, though.”
Did you notice the DJ playing all Boogie songs?
Fland: “I was too locked. I didn’t know that, actually. I’m gonna go watch it.”
On meeting Urban Meyer
Klavzar: “It was fun. When he came into the locker room, I told him I had the same name, and he couldn’t really believe it. So it was really nice to meet him. He’s the legend here. We all look up to him here at Florida, so it was really nice to meet him.”
On what Fland’s breakout means for the future
Chinyelu: If he plays like this — we good. We know he got it. We believe in everyone. Boogie, X, the freshmen, Lloyd, CJ, AK, Condo, Urby, Zay — all of us. We know they got it. So if he steps up like that every night, we love it. We want to see that. We enjoy seeing each other succeed. So just being able to see him — you could see the joy in our eyes when he was making all those tough shots, the three-point, the layup. Everybody was hyped up.
“We were juiced up because that’s — we know he can do it. It’s not something new. He didn’t just come out and do it. We know the time he spent in the gym, working out, working on his craft, being positive throughout the course of the season. So we know he got it. So just being able to see that is lovely. And we’re always kind of cheering him up, and we’re going to be happy because that’s what we want, and we know he can do it.”
On motivation of dropping out of the rankings
Fland: “We didn’t even think about that, honestly. We thought about the next game. We know it’s a tough, tough schedule, just playing this SEC play. So we were honestly just thinking next game, next-game mentality.”
What about in terms of homecourt?
Fland: “Big advantage. I mean, as you can see, everybody’s dialed in. We all like one, honestly, from the players to the fans to the coaching staff. It’s great.”
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