GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida has cruised through two exhibition games, defeating Tampa 94-57 on Sunday afternoon after dispatching Jacksonville in a 41-point win on Thursday.

But the No. 8 Gators still have a long way to go, especially after a disappointing defensive outing in which communication was poor at the O'Dome Sunday.

"As bad since I've been here today," coach Mike White said after the game. "I just told our guys that. It wasn't a sign of a high-level defensive team. Our level of communication, for whatever reason, wasn't as high today as it's been in practice. It's confusing.

"We played a few possessions where we had two on the ball or none on the ball. We're not going to win games in our league doing that."

The good news is that the Gators appear to be a team that might be able to shoot their way through some defensive lapses.

Florida has drained 12 3-pointers in both exhibition contests, hoisting up 29 and then 25 attempts from beyond the arc. A lot of different players are hitting the shots, too.

Guards KeVaughn Allen, Jalen Hudson and Mike Okauru have combined for 14 treys in the exhibition games, while wings Egor Koulechov, Keith Stone and Deaundrae Ballard have hit a combined 10.

"I want those guys, when their feet are set, I want them to let it fly," White said. "The floor will be spread for us, and our bigs are doing a good job of passing the ball right now. I do think, not that it's a goal of ours to shoot a ton of threes, but this team has the potential of being a really good jump-shooting team for sure."

First and foremost, though, the focus moving into the regular season has to be on tightening up the defense.

The main issues right now are communicating and rotating properly and being more physical, particularly in the paint. White lamented the lack of toughness and grit on the defensive end Saturday.

"I think coach kind of put it in perspective like this. We're probably at a five or six out of 10 (defensively), so we've got a ways to go," Hudson said. "We've got to make a big jump here soon. With these two exhibitions we know what we need to work on, and we need to focus on that.

"Transition defense, playing hard, playing tougher, getting all the loose balls, being more active. And I think one of the biggest things is talking."

Florida was one of the most efficient teams in the country a year ago on both sides of the floor as it reached the Elite Eight in just the second season under White's direction.

The goal is to be the same type of team this year, even if it doesn't look quite the same because the personnel is different.

"I feel like our identity as a team is to expand and grow," center Kevarrius Hayes said. "We're trying to find out more what works for us and how we work well together. I feel like if we get that we'll start to mold into a tougher team.

"Definitely need to work harder on defense. We know we're capable, we've just got to put it together for a full 40 minutes."

For White, it's about having the right mentality when it comes to buckling down and shutting opponents down.

"I want it to be more important to them," he said. "I just feel like it gives you a chance every night."

Florida will open its season on Nov. 13 with a home game against Gardner-Webb that tips off at 7 p.m. ET.

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