No. 14 Florida Gators Surging Toward Repeat Championship

After a slow start, the defending champions are rounding into form at the right time.

Feb. 12, 2026 at 1:07pm

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The No. 14 Florida Gators are starting to resemble the team that won the national championship a year ago, having won 9 of their last 10 games, including a dominant 86-66 victory over Georgia on Wednesday night. After losing four times before Christmas, the Gators have bounced back with stifling defense and improved 3-point shooting, leading coach Todd Golden to say "when we guard and rebound, we're pretty tough to beat."

Why it matters

Florida's early-season struggles raised doubts about their ability to repeat as champions, but their recent surge has them back atop the SEC standings and looking like a team capable of making another deep tournament run. The Gators' ability to overcome adversity and rediscover their identity as a defensive-minded, rebounding team has them positioned well for the stretch run.

The details

In the win over Georgia, Florida held the Bulldogs to just 34.7% shooting and dominated the boards, led by 20 rebounds from Rueben Chinyelu. The Gators also found their 3-point stroke, hitting 10-of-26 attempts after ranking last in the SEC in 3-point percentage earlier in the season. Guard Xaivian Lee led the way with 18 points, 7 assists and no turnovers, as Florida's stifling defense fueled their efficient offense.

  • The Gators lost four times before Christmas, matching their total from the entire championship season.
  • Florida has now won 9 of their last 10 games, with all but one of those victories coming by double-digit margins.

The players

Todd Golden

The head coach of the Florida Gators, who has guided the team through their early-season struggles and back into contention for a repeat championship.

Rueben Chinyelu

The Florida forward who grabbed 20 rebounds in the win over Georgia, helping the Gators control the boards.

Xaivian Lee

The Florida guard who led the team with 18 points, 7 assists and 0 turnovers in the victory over Georgia.

Boogie Fland

The Florida guard who praised the team's "extraordinary" defense, which has been the key to their recent success.

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What they’re saying

“We stayed the course. We kept working and practicing, and I think over the last month and half, we been playing some really good basketball.”

— Todd Golden, Head Coach

“Our guys have done a great job of being mentally tough all year. We played a really tough schedule in the non-conference and lost a couple of tight games.”

— Todd Golden, Head Coach

“As we've learned the last couple of weeks from our group, when we guard and rebound, we're pretty tough to beat. Our team is getting to a point where enjoying and kind of owning the identity of being a defensive, gritty, physical, rebounding team.”

— Todd Golden, Head Coach

“We're all locked into what the coaches are asking us to do on defense, and offensively I think we're finding our groove too. We're seeing each other better on the court and, obviously, our size and athleticism seems to wear teams down at the end of games.”

— Xaivian Lee, Guard

“We're adjusting when teams make their runs. We're doing everything we need to do to make possessions long and lengthy, making it tough on them. If they make tough 2s, we'll live with that.”

— Boogie Fland, Guard

What’s next

The Gators will look to continue their strong play as they face a key SEC matchup against No. 8 Kentucky on Saturday.

The takeaway

Florida's ability to overcome early-season struggles and rediscover their identity as an elite defensive team has them surging at the right time. If the Gators can maintain this level of play, they will be a formidable opponent for any team in the country as they seek to repeat as national champions.