Takeaways From Gators Season Opener Loss to Arizona

The Florida Gators dropped the season opener out west to the Arizona Wildcats in Las Vegas, 93-87. It was a game that featured some strong highs and some troubling lows. Regardless, it was a game the Gators were able to stay in until the end.

On that note, here are three takeaways from the loss. Since there has only been one game, the goal will be to try and judge the outlook of the team and season.

Thomas Haugh is the New Engine of the Team

The Gators were fortunate that when Haugh had a brief injury scare, crisis was averted. If they had to try and finish the game without him, they wouldn't have stood a chance. He finished with 27 of Florida's 87 points and played 38 minutes.

It's evident early on that Haugh is someone who could potentially be a 40-minute guy. His breaks will be when there is a timeout, halftime and fouls. They're going to be relying on him heavily.

Team Needs to Build Chemistry

How close the game was in the end can be attributed to how talented the team is overall and the willpower to keep fighting. That being said, not everyone is in sync yet. Those who were part of the team last year had chemistry that carried over. Those who are new looked like it was their first real game playing with everyone else.

That makes for a promising sign that there is no need to panic yet. This is how they're playing when they're figuring things out. It can only get better.

Potential Was Shown By Lee and Ingram

Just wait until Xaivian Lee has that chemistry with the test of his teammates. He was flustered a times and was missing crucial three-point shots. However, he still managed to finish with 14 points, six rebounds and five assists. Once he has more experience playing with his teammates, that's when he'll be dangerous.

Ingram didn't see much action, only 11 minutes, but he looked sharp in the time he got. He nailed a three-point shot for his only score of the night on three total field goal attempts, while also picking up a block and an assist. He has the potential of being someone who could quickly earn more minutes.

We're seeing the potential of a freshman as well as a senior who already proved his worth in the Ivy League. If they were playing Arizona at a later date, both probably have a chance to stand a little taller than they already did.

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