GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Alex Lloyd has waited for his opportunity, and with Boogie Fland nursing a shoulder injury, a starting opportunity was provided for the top-ranked Florida Gators’ home game against Merrimack.
And he took advantage of it.
Lloyd scored a career-high 11 points while shooting 3-for-6 from deep. He also added two rebounds, two steals and two assists as the Gators took home an 83-54 win to move to 4-0 to begin the 2026-27 season.
“I thought Lloyd-o did a good job taking advantage of the opportunity,” head coach Todd Golden said. “He hit his first couple shots, did a really good job stepping up in those moments. I thought he defended well, I thought he was physical, and I thought he played a pretty good game tonight.”
The decision to start Lloyd, a true sophomore, came as a bit of a surprise, though, with Urban Klavzar technically ahead of Lloyd in the rotation. However, Golden said the decision to start Lloyd allowed Florida to keep Klavzar is his current role while rewarding Lloyd for his effort in practice.
It also gave Lloyd an opportunity to gain some confidence after a tough performance in last week’s win over Jacksonville and extremely limited minutes as a reserve last season.
“Today, (Golden) told me that I was going to start and to make the most of the opportunity, and they’ve been great at pouring into me and making sure I would be ready,” Lloyd said. “I felt like I was pretty. Just staying in the gym and locked in, being intentional with everything I do.”
To say his confidence was boosted is an understatement, and to say Lloyd’s possible breakout could not have come at a better time is another.
The Gators approach a major test with a trip to Las Vegas for the Players Era Eight Tournament (Nov. 17-19), with the opener against Notre Dame and other matchups against teams like No. 8 Houston, No. 15 Kansas and SEC foe Auburn as possibilities. Fland is expected to be back for the tournament, but Lloyd could provide another spark off the bench should his strong play continue.
“We’ll see how he continues to do,” Golden said “I feel pretty good about where we’re at right now with our rotations, and as I said earlier, I do think there are going to be times for him where he’ll get opportunities to help this team. And if it’s a long year — whether it’s injuries or foul trouble, whatever it may be — he’s going to have opportunities.
“I think tonight was a great step in the right direction for him.”
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