Florida opened the contest with an early 8-2 lead and jumped ahead 14-6 with 14:07 left in the first half after junior forward Erik Murphy hit his third-straight shot from downtown.

It did not take long for Ohio State to answer as OSU took advantage of nine first-half UF turnovers and outscored the Gators 10-3, holding a 35-32 lead at the break.

The Buckeyes came out firing in the second half, scoring five unanswered points and using a 15-6 run to take a 12-point lead with 13:42 remaining. Ohio State put their foot on the pedal at that point, eventually going up a game-high 16 points with under eight minutes to play.

Florida, however, refused to go away. Freshman G Brad Beal scored five quick points on a trey and layup, and Murphy put back a missed layup by Beal to complete a 7-0 run that cut UF’s deficit to single digits, 64-55.

The Gators were unable to maintain their newly found momentum, allowing OSU to keep a significant lead for the remainder of the contest. Junior G Kenny Boynton hit a pair of threes with less than a minute to play, but it was too little too late for Florida.

Beal led the Gators with 17 points on 6-of-16 shooting (3-for-7 from downtown) but also coughed up a game-high five turnovers.

Sophomore C Patric Young, tasked with guarding Sullinger all evening, finished 14 points and 12 rebounds for his second-straight double-double. Boynton and Murphy also scored in double figures, contributing 15 and 14 points, respectively.

Senior point guard Erving Walker, tasked by head coach Billy Donovan to be a game manager this year, had four assists, three turnovers and six rebounds. He scored just four points and was 1-for-6 from the field (0-for-3 from beyond the arc).

Florida went 11/22 from downtown on the evening and outrebounded Ohio State 34-25 (10-5 offensive) but gave up nine more turnovers (16-7) and hit 14 fewer free throws (27-13). UF shot just 61.9 percent from the line compared to 79.4 percent by OSU.

The Gators have less than 48 hours to prepare for their next opponent as they are set to return home to take on North Florida on Thursday at 8 p.m. The game will air live on FOX Sports Florida; check your local listings for availability.

Florida and Ohio State squared off one year ago in the first contest of a home-and-home series scheduled between the two teams. The Gators held a three-point advantage heading into the locker rooms but were outscored 55-34 in the second half, falling 93-75 in Gainesville, FL. Jared Sullinger and David Lighty each scored 26 points for the Buckeyes, which dominated the latter portion of the game by playing from the inside out. Ohio State was able to take advantage of Florida’s press and knocked down 24-of-34 shots in the second half to take the lead and eventually earn the victory. Kenny Boynton led the Gators with 21 points on an efficient 8-of-14 shooting (5-for-8 from downtown), and three other UF players including Chandler Parsons, Erving Walker and Vernon Macklin scored in double figures.

PLAYERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON

FLORIDA
» Senior point guard Erving Walker (#11)…who is the longest tenured player on the team having appeared in 108 consecutive games with 47-straight starts. A shoot-first player much of his career, Walker has been tasked with distributing the ball and managing the game this year. He is the SEC’s active leader in points (1,340), minutes (3,222) and treys (217) but also ranks second in assists (381) and steals (123) as well as third in free throws (329). Walker is No. 24 on the school’s all-time scoring list and No. 5 in field goals made and attempted (567).
» Junior guard Kenny Boynton (#1)…who is a dynamic scorer and just the second starter returning from a year ago. Boynton is working on his consistency this season and hopes to shoot better than he did a year ago (38.5 percent from the field and 33.1 percent from downtown). He is the best defender on the Gators and is often put on the opponent’s best backcourt playmaker. Boynton currently ranks fifth in the SEC among active players in points (1,001) and fourth in three-pointers (152).
» Freshman G Brad Beal (#23)…who is starting at the three for Florida fresh out of high school. Beal was the 2011 Gatorade National Player of the Year, one of the top five players in the country, and is arguably the most talented player to sign with the Gators since Donovan took over. He averaged 32.5 points, 5.7 boards, 2.8 assists and 2.7 steals per game as a high school senior.
» Sophomore center Patric Young (#4)…who joins the starting lineup this year after being the primary frontcourt reserve as a freshman. Young saw action in all 37 games as a freshman, averaging 3.4 points and 3.8 rebounds in limited action. He achieved his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 boards in the season opener.
» Redshirt junior G Mike Rosario (#3)…who is finally playing for Florida after transferring out of Rutgers and sitting out the 2010-11 season. Rosario scored more than 1,000 points in two seasons with his former team and averaged 16.7 points per game during his sophomore year. He is the Gators’ de facto sixth man and will see starter’s minutes each contest.

OHIO STATE
» C Jared Sullinger (#0)…who returns for his second season after being named Freshman of the Year during his rookie campaign and a preseason All-American as a sophomore. Sullinger averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 boards a year ago while posting 26 points on 13-of-17 shooting against Florida in Gainesville. He has already scored in double figures 35 times in his career including in Ohio State’s season opener.
» G William Buford (#44)…who is the Buckeyes’ elder statesman in his fourth year and is the only player on Ohio State with more than one year of playing experience. Ranked No. 21 on OSU’s all-time scoring list, Buford has 1,437 career points in 107 games (13.4 average) and was the team’s leading scorer during the 2009-10 season.
» PG Aaron Craft (#4)…who led Ohio State in assists (177) and steals (73) last year while also averaging 6.9 points. Craft was called one of the best players at his position by Donovan, who was impressed with his work off the bench last season.

The series between UF and OSU may be going strong but there has been plenty of turnover since it began a few years ago. Just between 2010-11 and 2011-12, each team has lost three starters heading into the contest.

The Gators, of course, will be without their three forwards – Chandler Parsons, Alex Tyus and Vernon Macklin – while the Buckeyes no longer feature Dallas Lauderdale, David Lighty and Jon Diebler. Florida sees this as an advantage heading into Tuesday’s contest.

“They don’t have the same leadership hey had in Lighty and Diebler last year, but they’re still a good team,” Young said. We feel we have an opportunity to disrupt those guys because their chemistry isn’t as good as it was last year.”

Boynton thinks UF’s defense will be the most improved.

“Watching our team on film last year, we did not play defense very well at all last year. I feel that the defensive presence for this team is a lot better than the team last year,” he said. We had to elevate our team’s level to a really high level at the end of the year last year, and I think now we’re better than that team.

“We are going there for the win this year. It’s going to be on the road; they beat us at our home last year. We’re definitely looking forward to getting the win this year.”

NOTES AND QUOTES

» Donovan on the Florida-Ohio State series: “I think it’s been really good hopefully for them because I know it’s been very good for us. The second game of the year, getting a chance really to find where we are going on the road against a good, quality team has been good. The history of the football team playing for the national championship game and then us having to play them twice in that one year. […] I know coming out of this game we’re going to find out a lot more about our team because it’s a great test not only playing against a good team but playing on their home court.”

» Donovan on point guard Aaron Craft: “He probably doesn’t get enough recognition for his speed and quickness. He’s very quick, heady, tough kid. Another guy I’ve really enjoyed watching play. He was on the all-defensive team in the big 10. He’s a great defender. He’s great with his hands and comes up with a lot of steals. He’s got toughness and is savvy. I would classify him as a winner. He’s a winner. His ability to do what he did last year [at point guard] allowed [William] Buford to play a little bit more to his strengths.”

» Donovan on junior forward Erik Murphy: “Offensively the strength of Erik is shooting the basketball. He didn’t shoot the ball particularly well in the first game, but in that game he ended up having five rebounds and probably should have had 10-12 in the game. He had a lot of balls knocked out of his hands and plays in traffic where he couldn’t come down with it; he was off-balance. We just need Erik to continue to defend, rebound and be a threat offensively, to make good decisions.”

» Donovan on UF participating in something like the Carrier Classic: “There was talk last year for next year for us doing that. I would definitely be interested. We’ve been invited to do a lot of different things. […] We try to balance those neutral site games and also for our fans have an Ohio State come in, and Arizona come in, obviously we have the home-and-home with Florida State. We try to have for our fans really high levels of teams that people identify with as it relates to college basketball. The balance of being able to do that and then not just being totally overloaded where you’re all over the place. I’m always open to – I thought that stuff was really a great thing for our country, a great thing for college basketball and something I would be interested in if it made sense for our schedule.”

» Boynton on how he has improved this year: “Gym time pretty much. I think I’ve been in the gym a lot more than I was previously. That’s pretty much why the first two games I was better.”

» Boynton on former players talking to the team: “It’s definitely good. Chandler [Parsons] I played with him for two years; he gives great advice about defense. Chandler did the small things like rebounding and things like that. Joakim [Noah] sometimes talks to us about winning, how they won and how focused you have to be to win it all.”

» Young on if he was happier about his double-double or one foul against Jackson State: “I’m sure the one foul made [the media] happier, but the double-double made me happier. [The media] always think I’m going to foul out or something. [Laughing]”

Senior point guard Erving Walker’s final line may have only been 10 points and four assists, but Donovan believed he played exactly the way he was asked all offseason. Donovan has gone out of his way to say that his plan for Walker this year is for the player to become the SEC’s regular season assist leader who is more concerned about making sure Florida gets open looks than knocking down baskets himself.

On Friday, Walker not only shot efficiently (4-of-6 from the field, 1-for-2 from downtown), he also had a 4-0 assist-to-turnover ratio, grabbed a steal and hustled for four boards. Donovan said the way he effected the game is much deeper than that, too.

“Erving Walker is a special player. He’s special. He does a lot of different things. The thing that’s not even talked about today – I’m really proud of him. He was 4-for-6 today, pretty efficient, four assists and no turnovers,” he said. “In hockey the guy that throws it to the guy that gets an assist also gets an assist. How many times did Erving Walker drive down the lane and kick the ball out to an open guy and that guy threw it to the guy who shot the ball but Erving Walker was the one that created the play?

“When you play that way from a media standpoint there is not a lot of recognition that comes with playing that way. People that really understand the magnitude of what you’re doing, they can see it. There was a lot of examples of Erving having four assists and he probably could have had 15 if there were hockey assists being counted. He made some passes and some plays that led to a lot of open shots for our team.”

REBOUNDING MUST REMAIN A POSITIVE

After only out-rebounding Catholic by five in their exhibitioner, UF grabbed 15 more boards than Jackson State did Friday (40-25). Donovan said after the game that a margin like that is exactly what the Gators should have against such competition.

“That’s kind of the expectation level I have for our guys,” he said. “Overall I thought our guys competed on the backboard. I thought we did a good job there.”

One player Donovan was looking for more from was junior forward Erik Murphy, who grabbed just four boards because a handful of others were bobbled underneath the basket. Donovan thought he could have had a big rebounding game if he had just been able to hang on to a few more.

Florida also acquired 23 offensive rebounds which provided the high-powered offense additional opportunities to put the ball in the basket. Donovan said that number was “encouraging” as was the way the Gators came out of halftime – on a 15-0 run that resulted in a 51-point lead. “Hopefully it’s something where they can develop that kind of mentality,” he said.

NOTES AND QUOTES

» Donovan on the team’s shooting: “When the floor is spaced like it is, there’s so much shooting out there that Mike just happened to be on the receiving end on knocking down a lot of shots. I also thought that Brad and Murph had a lot of shots they normally could have knocked down.”

» Donovan on playing Ohio State on Tuesday: “This is a great test for our team. It’s a great challenge. Obviously they’re ranked extremely high and playing at home. Hopefully our guys are ready to take this challenge on. I’m excited about it for our guys, and I think our guys are excited about it. Any time you get a chance to play against the best, that’s what you want to do and find out where you’re at.”

» Boynton on the victory: “We’re right where we want to be. We got to clean up a little bit of rebounding but other than that we are where we want to be for Ohio State.”

» Rosario on playing well in his first game: “It was tough but every last bit of it is worth everything today. Everything that I’ve been through since I’ve got here made tonight unbelievable.”

» Sophomore center Patric Young on facing Jared Sullinger on Tuesday: “It’s going to be a team effort. I’m not going to be guarding him the entire game, so I’m just going to do the best I can.”

5 – Scottie Wilbekin (Gainesville, FL)
Sophomore guard
6’2” 178 lbs.

Quick Bio/2010-11 Season: A two-star recruit coming out of high school, Wilbekin skipped his senior season and accepted a scholarship to UF as a junior. A lifelong fan of the Gators, Wilbekin proved to be a capable backup point guard last year, spelling Walker when he was tired and also allowing him to play off the ball on occasion. He posted the best assist-to-turnover ratio on the team (2.2) and earned one start. Wilbekin scored a season-high 11 points against North Carolina A&T and handed out six dimes on two occasions last year. He was the first player to come in off the bench in 16 games and led Florida in assists in five different games.

2011-12 Outlook: Though he broke one of his fingers in practice and missed the exhibition game, Wilbekin will be healthy and is set to return for the start of the season. He will continue to serve as the primary backup point guard and a good backcourt defensive presence for UF, though it is unknown how often Donovan may go without one in order to get more shooters on the floor.

4 – Patric Young (Jacksonville, FL)
Sophomore forward/center
6’9” 247 lbs.

Quick Bio/2010-11 Season: A 2010 McDonald’s All-American, Parade Magazine second-team All-American and a five-star recruit out of high school, Young was the Gators’ top recruit one year ago. With a veteran frontcourt set as starters, he served as the primary reserve, playing 17.8 minutes per game off the bench (with two starts when Vernon Macklin got injured). Young averaged 3.4 points and 3.8 rebounds but also blocked a team-high 31 shots, earning his way onto the SEC All-Freshman team. He was the first player off the bench 22 times and dunked the ball 16 times. Young had the opportunity to leave for the NBA after the season but chose to stay for at least his sophomore year (if not beyond).

2011-12 Outlook: Moving into a starting role in his second year, Young is Florida’s primary frontcourt presence this season. His size, strength and athleticism makes him tough to defend, but his offensive game continues to be a work in progress. However, Young is an impressive defender who – if he can keep his fouls down – may very well find his way on some All-SEC teams at season’s end. “Pat is an absolute monster. Watching him workout this summer, he really impressed me. He competes and plays so hard and has a great motor and is all about the team and winning,” former Florida forward Chandler Parsons told OGGOA last week. “He’s going to have to play big all year long and lead the way rebounding. He’ll also have to step up and block shots as well as finish everything around the rim. I believe in him and think he has the potential to be one of the best centers in the conference.”

3 – Mike Rosario (Jersey City, NJ)
Redshirt junior guard
6’3” 191 lbs.

Quick Bio: A four-star recruit out of high school who signed with Rutgers and played there for two years, Rosario was just the second sophomore in team history to hit 1,000 career points. He was named a freshman All-American and Big East All-Rookie in his first when he set the team’s all-time freshman scoring mark with 517 points. As a sophomore, Rosario scored 16.7 points per game and led Rutgers in scoring 19 times with 28 double-digit scoring games and nine games in which he posted 20 or more points. He transferred to Florida one year ago and sat out the 2010-11 season.

2011-12 Outlook: Back in action once again, Rosario adds another dynamic scoring option to the Gators’ offense. He is also a solid defender who – like Walker – Donovan wants to learn to play within UF’s system. Rosario scored 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting (4-for-7 from downtown) with six assists and two steals during the exhibition game and was visibly excited to be playing college basketball gain. Though he may have hoped to be a starter for Florida, Rosario will instead play off the bench and will likely be the team’s primary sixth man. “The biggest thing for Mike is just being more and more consistent each and every day,” Donovan said. “We’ve got to be a very unselfish group, and Mike’s got a good feel of how to play. He’s smart, he’s intelligent. He’s competitive. He’s got to be an everyday guy though.”

1 – Kenny Boynton (Pompano Beach, FL)
Junior guard
6’2” 189 lbs.

Quick Bio: The No. 3 leading scorer in Florida high school basketball history, Boynton was a five-star recruit who has started all but two games in his entire Gators career. A McDonald’s All-American and Parade All-American who honored with a SEC All-Freshman nomination in 2009-10, he led UF in scoring his first year and posted a school-high 27 points against BYU in the NCAA Tournament that year. Boynton only shot 37.6 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from three in his first season but still managed to be an important part of Florida’s team.

2010-11 Season: Returning as a starter, Boynton averaged 14.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting slightly better from the field (38.5 percent) and downtown (33.1 percent). He made 82.3 percent of his foul shots and turned the ball over 15 fewer times than he did as a freshman. Boynton continued to be a streaky shooter but scored in double digits in each of the Gators’ final 16 games including every SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament contest. He was also named to the SEC All-Tournament Team and the All-SEC second team in 2010-11.

2011-12 Outlook: Boynton scored a team-high 21 points (on 6-of-11 shooting from downtown) in Florida’s exhibition game and said he has been working on being a more consistent shooter all offseason. “Instead of trying to change it [my form], I have just been getting more repetitions and get used to it.,” Boynton explained. “Basically getting more practice makes perfect, so I have been trying to shoot a lot of it every day.” His defense was a highlight throughout the 2010-11 season, and Donovan plans to continue playing him on the opposition’s best backcourt player each game. “He’s got a better understanding of shot selection. He is a consistent guy every single day. He gives you great effort. He works really hard. He’s a great kid and he wants to be a good player,” Donovan said.