Florida basketball gave Alabama something to think about for the rest of the day after beating them 100-77, and there may have been some extra motivation for the win. Days before the game, head coach Nate Oats spoke on Florida being one of the better rebounding teams in the nation. It didn't seem like Oats was very impressed with what they were doing and took a slight jab at them.
“When you can sit in the lane for 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 seconds at a time, it helps your offensive rebounding quite a bit,” Oats said.
Fast forward to Florida getting the win, and head coach Todd Golden was asked about his team scoring in the paint. It was a good answer, but mostly because it sounded as if he wanted his get back on Oats.
“I thought we were in their for one second, two seconds, then scored,” Golden said.
Golden knows what his team is capable of, and they're one of the best rebounding teams because of how he's coaching them. The comments that Oats made probably weren't in bad faith, but it wouldn't be a surprise if that motivated them to get the win, and even blow them out.
Florida has been playing well this season, and they're currently 16-6 and in second place in the SEC. They still have enough time to get the No. 1 spot from Texas A&M, but it won't be easy.
Golden will continue to do what he can to put his team in the best position to win, and hopefully, they execute the game plan.
