Gainesville, Fla. – Who Steps Up This Time?

On Tuesday night, the second-ranked Florida Gators (22–3, 9–3) host Oklahoma (16–9, 3–9) in their SEC matchup at Exactech Arena. For the fifth straight game, Florida will take the court missing key rotation players due to injuries. That hasn’t slowed them down so far—each of the previous contests ended in victory, even with the Gators playing without their leading scorer (once), their second-leading scorer (twice), and their top rebounder/third-leading scorer (twice).

[Read senior writer Chris Harry's "Pregame Stuff" setup here]

In those games, Florida not only won but did so convincingly, with an average margin of 13.8 points. Two of those triumphs came on the road against ranked opponents, including the landmark upset of No. 1 Auburn. The Gators now boast 18 double-digit wins this season, second-most nationally behind Duke’s 21, all while competing in what many consider the toughest conference in college basketball.

The success has come from different contributors and shifting rotations, particularly in recent weeks.

"The main thing we talked about with our team after the [last] game: we have to remain unselfish. I think that's going to be the biggest key to our success the rest of the way," UF coach Todd Golden said Monday.

"It's going to be a different guy every night. Some guys aren't going to be playing as much as they want and we just can't allow that to affect us big picture-wise, in terms of our goals. If we can continue to channel how our team has been incredibly unselfish this year and be that way the rest of the way, it'll prove to be very good for us. But it's a daily challenge."

Some situations are easier to manage than others. On Friday, Alijah Martin participated more fully in practice than he had in the previous 10 days, signaling progress toward returning against South Carolina. Afterward, Coach Todd Golden informed him that junior guard Denzel Aberdeen—who had started the last three games (once in place of Clayton, twice for Martin)—would remain in the starting lineup for a fourth straight contest, with Martin coming off the bench.

Martin’s response: "Zel deserves it. I'll be ready when you need me."

That mindset and willingness to put the team first has been a major factor in Florida’s success. Rather than relying on one or two stars, the Gators emphasize their system and allow contributions to come from different players each night.

Aberdeen, who had never started before being elevated two weeks ago, has thrived in the role. He’s averaged 16.3 points across four starts, knocked down 11 three-pointers, and delivered back-to-back career scoring highs—20 points at Mississippi State and 22 against South Carolina—while committing only three turnovers.

Sophomore forward Thomas Haugh has also stepped up in the absence of Alex Condon, who left the Mississippi State game after just 30 seconds with a low-ankle sprain. Haugh nearly recorded a triple-double in that contest with 16 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists over a career-high 37 minutes. He followed it up with a personal-best 20 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks against South Carolina. Over the last four games, Haugh has averaged 15.0 points.

Jon Sundvold, who called the Florida–South Carolina game for SEC Network, highlighted just how impressive the Gators’ depth has become, especially with March approaching. He noted that in the NCAA Tournament, teams often advance not only because of strong defense but because they have multiple offensive options.

"Many times, when you watch the NCAA Tournament, there are teams that advance by their number of options that can beat you. Obviously, they're all good defensive teams that advance, but offensively, how many different guys can beat you? With Florida you have Aberdeen stepping up his game. Martin getting healthy. Walter Clayton can score. Will Richard can score. Thomas Haugh is becoming a 15 or 20 guy. They have a number of weapons [and] night in and night out. You might have a bad game from your star or your second guy, but if your third our fourth guy gets you 15 or 20, you can advance. … Teams that rely on one or two, on a night where one or two or both have a bad night, you go home early."

Florida’s balance has been evident all season. Six different players have either led the team in scoring or posted at least 20 points in a game (with Haugh poised to join that list soon). Five different players have topped the rebounding charts in individual games, and seven have earned KenPom.com’s game “MVP” recognition based on analytics.

For this group, individual accolades aren’t the focus—it’s about collective success.

"We have so many guys who can score and impact the game. It's fun to be a part of a team like that because it can be anyone's night any given night, so we can just go out there and support each other and win games," said senior guard Will Richard. "It goes back to our chemistry. We all play well together, so even with the different switching lineups there's no drop-off. We've played the same way we have all season. It's been fun."

CHARTING THE GATORS: Spreading the wealth

A look at how balanced the Gators' box scores have been, even in dealing with the run of recent injuries.