ATHENS — Mike White was “just not there yet” when it came to looking ahead to Saturday’s game at Florida on Wednesday day.
But many Georgia basketball fans were, especially after UGA pulled off an exciting 68-66 win over LSU on Wednesday night at Stegeman Coliseum.
Georgia improved to 14-5 overall and 4-2 in the league, part of a three-way tie for fourth place, and a game ahead of Texas A&M, LSU and Florida.
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The Gators are 13-6 and 3-3 in league play heading into a pivotal showdown in Gainesville against Georgia.
The winner of that game is likely to emerge on the favorable side of the proverbial NCAA “bubble” projections as league play approaches its halfway mark.
The Gators have won eight straight games against the Bulldogs dating back to 2019 entering the teams’ game at noon on Saturday in Gainesville (TV: ESPN2).
It’s a place White obviously knows quite well, having spent seven years at Florida as the head basketball coach before taking over the Georgia program before the 2022-23 season.
“I think they are a tournament team, just watching them on TV two or three times,” White said. “It will be a tough environment, we know that.”
It certainly was for White near the end of his tenure in Gainesville.
Some entitled Florida basketball fans had voiced criticism within earshot of the coach’s family, per media who cover the program, leading to an uncomfortable environment.
White, a consummate professional, has not said a negative word about his time in Gainesville.
The Gators were 16-17 and 8-10 in league play under two-time national champ Billy Donovan the year before White took over and led them back to respectability the next season (21-15) and then the next four NCAA tourneys played.
White is very much a “go-about-your-business” kind of coach who does not get wrapped up in drama or allow his positive presence to be broken.
The Georgia basketball coach plays it close to the vest as a general rule, and his comments about Florida after Wednesday night’s win were just as vanilla as any other future opponent.
“It’s an opportunity against a team who I think is capable of beating anyone in our league,” White said.
“They have size, they are really good on the offensive glass, they guard you, they can space you with multiple guards, they can go make plays, their ball screen continuity is very difficult to defend.”
Florida is coming off back-to-back wins at Missouri (79-67) and home against Mississippi State (79-70) on Wednesday night.
“It will be a very difficult game for us,” White said, “just like every road game in our league.”
