Center Rueben Chinyelu throws in a second-chance bucket on his 14 points and a career-high 21 rebounds Friday night against Merrimack.

About the Gators: Defense has set the tone for Florida. Since Arizona shot 49% in its season-opening win at Las Vegas, no UF opponent has managed better than 34% from the field. Merrimack was held to a season-low 28.6%, including just 4-for-25 from beyond the arc, as the Gators continue to allow only 5.4 made 3-pointers per game. ... Offensively, UF ranks 20th nationally in efficiency, though Coach Todd Golden sees room for improvement. The team is shooting 44.1% overall, with 57.1% inside the arc. Their perimeter numbers have been trending upward over the last four contests, capped by a season-high 36.4% against Merrimack, with contributions from five different players. ... Center Rueben Chinyelu is coming off a 14-point, 21-rebound effort — his third straight double-double — making him the first UF player since 1994 to record at least 20 rebounds in a game. He’s shooting 56% from the floor, with offensive (17.4) and defensive (29.1) rebounding rates that rank among the nation’s top 30. ... Forward Alex Condon also posted a double-double last time out, finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds. His shooting has improved to 58.5% from the field and 73.3% at the line, both significant jumps from last season. ... Thomas Haugh scored 13 points, converting five of six attempts inside the arc but missing all four of his 3-point tries. Point guard Boogie Fland had the opposite stat line, missing both of his 2-point shots but going 2-for-3 from deep. ... Shooting guard Xaivian Lee’s production has dipped since his 14-point opener, where he hit three 3s. Against Merrimack, he went scoreless in 22 minutes, missing all six of his shots. He’s 0-for-9 from 3 over the last two games and 1-for-10 across the last three, a surprising downturn given his five 3s in UF’s preseason scrimmage win over Illinois. ... Backup center Micah Handlogten (7.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg), who missed the Merrimack game after taking a forearm to the head against Miami, was showing progress earlier in the week and may be cleared to return. ... Backup guards Urban Klavzar (7.2 ppg) and Isaiah Brown (3.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg) each scored six points and hit two 3s against Merrimack, with Brown continuing to hold the seventh-man role ahead of freshman CJ Ingram.

About the Horned Frogs: TCU is in its 10th season under Jamie Dixon, who returned to his alma mater in 2016 after 13 successful years at Pittsburgh, where he guided the Panthers to 11 NCAA appearances. Dixon has compiled a 179-128 record at TCU, with four NCAA berths, including three straight from 2022-24. The Horned Frogs, playing their first game away from Fort Worth, opened the season with a loss to New Orleans, followed by wins over Saint Francis and Lamar, a narrow defeat to Michigan, and a convincing victory over Kansas City last week. Dixon’s teams are built on defense, and this one ranks among the nation’s top 50 in effective field-goal percentage, turnovers, steals, and blocks. ... Point guard Brock Hardy, a transfer from Iowa, drives the offense more with his organization than his scoring. He’s shooting 39% from 2 and 28% from 3, but ranks in the top 200 nationally in assist percentage (27.4) and is 24th in steal rate (6%). ... Guard Jayden Pierce, a transfer from Providence, is the team’s primary perimeter threat, hitting 37.9% on 29 attempts. ... Forward David Punch doesn’t take many shots but is efficient when he does and is a standout shot-blocker. ... Backup forward Micah Robinson (10.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg), at 6-6 and 235 pounds, has been one of TCU’s most effective offensive players despite coming off the bench. He’s 8-for-16 from 3-point range and 22-for-26 at the free-throw line, leading the team in attempts. ... Guard Liutauras Lelevicius is shooting just under 32% from deep this season, though he connected on better than 38% from 3 while at Oregon State last year.

Numbers of Note