The Gators' charter flight lands in San Diego just before sunset Tuesday afternoon.

Nine months later, the Gators are back on the west coast, though this time in a different city, surrounded by a different mountain range, and facing very different circumstances. Instead of the win-or-go-home postseason, UF finds itself early in the regular season — specifically the holiday tournament stretch — still working through the process of figuring things out.

Especially on offense.

"We need to shot-make better – I think we're missing some good looks and we're having too many careless turnovers," Golden said this week. "We're playing really unselfishly. The [offensive] rebounding part of what we want to do is there and our foul-drawing is there. The glaring area we need to get better? Shot-making. We need to be better that way if we want to have the type of season we want to have."

The next opportunity for the 10th-ranked Gators (4-1) comes Thursday afternoon against defensive-minded Texas Christian (3-2) in the Rady Children's Invitational, a two-day, four-team Thanksgiving tournament at Jenny Craig Pavilion on the University of San Diego campus. Depending on results, UF will face either Wisconsin or Providence in Friday’s second game before boarding a red-eye charter back home to prepare for two more marquee matchups.

A road showdown at No. 4 and unbeaten Duke awaits Tuesday, followed by a trip to New York City a week later to take on undefeated, fifth-ranked Connecticut at Madison Square Garden.

So, resolving that "shot-making" issue sooner rather than later would be ideal.

And why not start here?

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

As of Wednesday, Florida ranked 22nd nationally in offensive efficiency. That’s respectable, but the Gators finished last season at No. 2, and Golden — now overseeing the offense after coordinator Kevin Hovde departed to become head coach at Columbia — is holding himself and the team to a higher standard.

"It's an opportunity for us to go out there and continue to get back into a groove," UF sophomore point guard Boogie Fland said. "We're still in the process of getting [the offense] where Coach would like it to be. We knew coming into the season there was going to be an adjustment and it was going to take time to click. But it's going to click."

Doing so against TCU, out of the Big 12 Conference, will require exactly the kind of performance Golden is looking for — one with sharper shot-making and fewer turnovers.

UF junior forward Alex Condon getting up shots during practice Wednesday.

The Horned Frogs, now in their 10th season under Jamie Dixon, remain a defense-first program. Ranked 43rd nationally in overall defensive efficiency, they thrive on pressuring the ball, extending their defense, and aggressively jumping passing lanes.

"This game is going to be similar to some of our conference opponents that like to put two on the ball and trap the post," Golden said. "They're trying to put you in scenarios where you kick the ball around."

For Florida, crisp ball movement will be essential. It also means shooters will find opportunities on the perimeter, though the Gators have struggled from deep, hitting just 25.7% so far this season. That mark ranks last among the 16 Southeastern Conference teams and 341st out of 365 Division I programs.

There has been progress, however. UF’s 3-point shooting has steadily improved over the last four games — from 18.8% to 19.4%, then 32.1%, and most recently 36.4%. Continued growth could hinge on transfer shooting guard Xaivian Lee rediscovering his rhythm. Lee is just 1-for-19 over his last stretch and sits at 15.8% on a team-high 38 attempts this season.

The Gators remain confident he will turn it around.

"It's a unique situation. Do I have confidence that eventually he'll get comfortable? Yeah, I do," Golden said, commending Lee for his defense, rebounding, and passing despite his shooting struggles. "We'll give him a little more time to get comfortable and hopefully make some shots. He shot it well all summer. He shot it well in the fall. It's obviously a little mental right now, and he's got to loosen up a little bit and just let the ball get through the net a couple times."

And in fairness, Lee’s struggles mirror the team’s broader offensive challenges. Even excluding his attempts, UF is shooting just 29.4% from beyond the arc.

Practice Wednesday at Jenny Craig Pavilion.

Perhaps it will take a cross-country trip — Florida’s first regular-season game in California since 1990 — to help sharpen their shooting touch.

"We're going to go there and be aggressive, be assertive and play with confidence. We're going to know our keys, our principles and how to execute," Fland said. "If we just go out and do what we're told to do – do our jobs – we'll be fine. And the shots, they're going to fall."

Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu. Find his story archives here.