Gators Men's Basketball Have Huge Question Mark Ahead of Season Opener

The Florida Gators may be starting the season as the top team in the country, but that doesn't mean there aren't any concerns

The Gators have to prove one hole won't be an issue this season | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The No. 1 Florida Gators men's basketball team kicks off their season on Monday with a matchup against the No. 14 Miami Hurricanes in Tampa in the Orion180 Tip-Off Classic. It is the second straight year that Florida has begun its season with a top-25 matchup. 

While the Gators enter the contest as the preseason No. 1, it doesn't mean they're without question marks. Multiple glaring problems have already shown up in their two preseason scrimmages. One area that could derail their season is perimeter shooting. 

The other is bench production, which has been much more of a problem this preseason. Florida has been a consistent national championship contender over the past two years thanks to how deep they are. The Gators have always had strength in numbers, whether it was in the frontcourt or backcourt. 

However, the Gators' reserves haven't performed well enough through the preseason. Florida's backups have been outscored 61-7 against Baylor and Stetson. 

The one star off the bench with a slow start is guard Isaiah Brown. Brown has not made a shot in 25 minutes across the two scrimmages. He is 0-for-4 from the field, 0-for-2 from three and 0-for-2 from the free-throw line. 

Luckily, the Gators still have the reigning SEC Sixth Man of the Year, Urban Klavzar. Klavzar severely disappointed against Baylor, missing all seven shots in 20 minutes. 

He rebounded against Stetson, though, starting in the first five after Boogie Fland was ruled out with an undisclosed illness. He finished with a team-high 24 points on 8-for-14 shooting and 6-for-12 from three. 

Other guards off the bench who haven't imposed themselves are Alex Lloyd and AJ Brown. Lloyd did not see the floor in the team's first scrimmage, but did play against Stetson, scoring two points on five shots. Brown, on the other hand, only played against Baylor, adding three points off the bench. 

As for the reserve forwards, newcomer Domen Petrovic appears to be the lone impact bench player at this position. He played in the second scrimmage against Stetson, adding two points and four rebounds. 

Florida needs one of Viktor Mikic, Arturas Butejevas or Jones Lay to provide quality depth behind Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu. 

The Gators' worrisome bench has also directly impacted the team's 3-point shooting. Across both games, only one player has knocked down a 3-pointer, and that is AJ Brown. 

If Florida wants to start its season on the right foot, it will need more production from outside the starting five on Monday against the Hurricanes.

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