Top-ranked Florida slips a tune-up into the schedule when it takes on Merrimack on Friday night at Gainesville, Fla.
The Gators (3-0) recorded a 77-67 win over then-No. 14 Miami in their season opener and are fresh off Tuesday’s 81-72 road victory over Florida State. Florida also beat Jacksonville 88-57 in the early going.
Gators coach Todd Golden was pleased with the end result at Florida State.
“Anytime you can win a rivalry game on the road, it’s a great win,” Golden said. “I’m pleased that we beat these guys five times in a row.”
Thomas Haugh recorded 21 points and 10 rebounds against the Seminoles. He has scored in double digits in all three games and has twice collected 10 boards.
“He just keeps getting better and better and I think that’s really exciting for us and for him,” Golden said. “And he’s proving that he’s one of the better players in America right now.”
Haugh leads Florida in scoring at 18.0 points per game and with nine 3-pointers (in 18 attempts). He ranks third in rebounding (9.0) and has committed just one turnover in 98 minutes.
“He always values the basketball,” Golden said of the Florida State game. “Another game with no turnovers for him.”
Rueben Chinyelu (11.7 points per game, 9.3 rebounds) and Alex Condon (10.7 ppg, team-best 9.7 rpg) are faring well and both players provide an inside defensive presence.
“It makes it easy when you have Rueben and Condo at the rim,” Haugh said of the duo. “You’re not getting easy buckets. Every shot is going to be contested.”
Urban Klavzar (10.3) and Boogie Fland (10.0) also average in double digits for the Gators.
Fland injured his shoulder in the game against Florida State but is expected to be fine for Friday’s contest. He had 14 points, five rebounds and four assists against the Seminoles.
“It just looked like he got his shoulder jammed up a little bit,” Golden said. “Nothing dirty. I think just a basketball play. That happens when you’re playing hard and flying around like Boog does.”
Merrimack (1-2) lost its first two contests before delivering a 73-60 road victory over Albany on Sunday.
The Warriors forced 21 turnovers while committing just 10 of their own.
“This time of year, we are still trying to find success, so it was great to see the new guys on our team have that success,” Merrimack coach Joe Gallo said.
Transfer AJ Lesburt Jr. established career highs of 25 points and seven 3-pointers. He made six treys three times during the 2024-25 campaign for Brown.
Lesburt was preparing for his fourth and final season at Brown when he broke his left foot in August 2025. He missed the 2025-26 season before choosing to transfer to Merrimack.
“He sat out about 20 months,” Gallo said of Lesburt, who averaged 10.3 points and made 50 3-pointers in 2024-25. “He was great in practice and our scrimmages, but now this is the AJ we expect to see.”
Lesburt averaged 8.5 points on 5-of-23 shooting in Merrimack’s first two games before breaking out against Albany. His average now sits at a team-best 14 per game.
Denver Aglin is second on the Warriors with a 10.3 scoring average but he has made just 5 of 21 3-point attempts through three games.
Merrimack is being outrebounded by 10 boards a game, a potential problem considering the Gators have a plus-14.7 rebounding margin.
Florida routed Merrimack 80-45 last season and 77-57 during the 2023-24 campaign.
–Field Level Media
