Heading into the season as the No. 1 team in the country, Florida has passed every test so far, winning its first two games.

The Gators defeated No. 14 Miami 77-67 to start the season in Tampa on Nov. 2 and then took care of business at home against Jacksonville 88-57 on Nov. 6. With a road game against Florida State on Nov. 10, UF will look to string more wins together before it travels to Las Vegas for the Players Era 8 tournament.

Here are three takeaways from Florida’s first two games of the 2026-27 season.

Defense is off to a great start

For much of last season, Florida’s defense played a big part in the team’s success. The Gators had the second-best scoring defense in the Southeastern Conference, allowing 71.5 points per game while holding opponents to a conference-best 40.7% from the field.

Rueben Chinyelu played a big role in Florida’s 2025-26 defensive success, winning Naismith and SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors last season.

This season, Chinyelu and Florida have yet to skip a beat on the defensive end. Across its two games, UF is holding opponents to 34.2% from the field and 28.3% from beyond the arc.

In their season opener on Nov. 2, the Gators faced a No. 14 Miami team that put up 109 points on 44.4% shooting from the field and 36.4% from the 3-point range in an exhibition game against Vanderbilt on Oct. 23. Florida held UM to 67 points, 35% shooting and 23.5% from the 3-point range.

“We were out there playing, and it just felt like everything was moving how we knew it was going to move,” Florida senior forward Thomas Haugh said postgame. “Nothing surprised us. We were able to stay on their tendencies of the guys and stuff.”

Malik Reneau, who recorded 22 points when the two teams met last season on Nov. 16, 2025, logged 5 points on 1-of-6 shooting from the field. Shelton Henderson had 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting against Vanderbilt. Against Florida, he scored 7 points on 2-of-13 shooting.

To lead Miami, Acaden Lewis put up 24 points, but did so on 9-of-20 shooting.

“He scored a lot, but that’s not an efficient type of ball game,” Golden said. “That’s not going to win for them. You got to live with some things, especially against another top 10 team.

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Florida’s strong defense against Miami was on full display in the second half. The Hurricanes shot 29% from the field in the second half and had a stretch where they converted one field goal in 19 attempts.

Boogie Fland led Florida’s defense with four steals, followed by Haugh with two. Chinyelu also contributed with a team-high three blocks, showcasing his ability to protect the rim.

Against Jacksonville, Florida continued its offensive prowess, holding the Dolphins to 33% shooting from the field and 29% from the 3-point range.

Jacksonville sophomore guard Hayden Wood had 11 points at the break against Florida. But he was held scoreless in the second half, getting up just one shot attempt during that span. Junior Guard Jamie Phillips Jr., who had 18 points earlier, finished with 10 against Florida on 14 shot attempts. Finally, junior guard Caleb Williams logged just 3 points on 1-for-6 shooting in 26 minutes.

Florida senior forward Alex Condon recorded a team-high three blocks against Jacksonville, while Haugh, Denzel Aberdeen, Isaiah Brown and Alex Lloyd each had a steal.

Shooting from 3-point range may not be an issue

Last season, 3-point shooting plagued the Gators.

Florida finished last season shooting 31.2% from beyond the arc during the regular season, the second-worst in the SEC and 321st nationally out of 365 NCAA Division I programs. Concerns grew that these struggles would carry over this season after Florida shot 4 of 29 (13.8%) from beyond the arc in its first exhibition game against Baylor on Oct. 18.

However, two games in, UF has turned things around from the 3-point range, shooting 42.3%, which is fourth in the SEC and 60th nationally.

Florida opened its season against Miami by making 7 of 10 shots from beyond the arc, including a Brown 3-pointer that started a 9-0 run for the Gators after trailing 17-15 in the first half.

Florida finished that game going 11 of 26 (42%) from the 3-point range. Haugh connected on four 3-pointers, followed by Boogie Fland, Urban Klavžar, and Domen Petrovic, each of whom made two.

Even Condon, who shot 17% from beyond the arc last season, made a 3-pointer against Jacksonville. He last made one in Florida’s SEC Tournament Semifinal game against Vanderbilt on March 14.

“It’s been a while,” Condon said after the game. “I worked on it really hard with the Gator boys in the offseason out in LA, so it’s just a mental thing, get past that barrier. Everyone’s encouraging me to shoot.”

Florida’s 3-point shooting carried over into the Jacksonville game, with the Gators going 11 of 25 (44%) from beyond the arc. Aberdeen went 4 of 5 from distance, while Klavžar went 3 for 5.

“It’s a big part of what we need to be the best that we can be,” Golden said. “Simply, we’re taking the right ones. We’re not forcing a ton of 3s.”

Domen Petrovic is solidifying his spot in the rotation

Heading into the season, Florida knew it would have two sure options coming off the bench in Klavžar and Brown. However, the Gators needed one last player to round out Golden’s eight-man rotation.

CJ Ingram seemed like the top candidate, but a back issue has kept him out so far, so Golden has tested his options, especially in the exhibition games. AJ Brown, Alex Lloyd and Arturas Butajevas all saw meaningful minutes, but junior Domen Petrovic emerged in Florida’s season opener.

The 6-foot-9 junior was one of the first players off the bench to check in against Miami, alongside Klavžar. He finished with 6 points on 2-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc and three rebounds in 10 minutes. He also played an important role in defending Henderson, which proved fruitful for the Gators.

“DP’s smart, man,” Golden said. “He’s tough, and I give him a lot of credit because he stepped up to the challenge in his first game over here.”

Petorvic’s work caught Haugh’s attention, and after the Miami game, he posted on his Instagram story telling fans to remember Petrovic’s name.

Against Jacksonville, Petrovic saw 13 minutes of game time off the bench. He finished the night with 2 points on 1-of-4 shooting and one rebound.

Despite the down effort against Jacksonville, Petrovic’s role with Florida can continue to grow given the size and perimeter shooting he gives to the team.

Contact Jeffrey Serber at Jserber@alligator.org. Follow him on X @JeffreySerber.

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Jeffrey Serber

Jeffrey is the Fall 2026 men’s basketball reporter and a third-year journalism sports & media major with a media, management and production minor. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with friends and family and rooting for the Miami sports teams.