Vanderbilt head coach Mark Byington joined Kevin Ingram and Tim Thompson of 102.5 The Game to share his thoughts on the loss.

“The effort was solid, and the focus was there,” Byington said. “We came into a tough environment against a top-10 team, and we fought hard. But sometimes, we left opportunities on the table. We missed a front end of a one-and-one and a couple of layups in the second half. In this league, you’ve got to finish those. The other team will make tough plays, and Florida did that. We had a game plan to stop their inside game, but then they made some perimeter threes. One in the first half was a desperation shot with the shot clock winding down, and they hit another in the second half like that. While they were hitting those, we were missing layups. The main takeaway is that we need to find a way to get more stops in the second half. We’ve done it before—like at the end of the Kentucky game—but we need to figure out how to close games better. Our guys are giving great effort, playing together, and they’re ready, but sometimes you just have to credit the other team. Florida made some tough plays.”

When asked about Jaylen Carey’s performance, especially against larger players, Byington acknowledged his importance: “It hurt when Jaylen wasn’t on the floor due to foul trouble, especially in the second half. On offense, we were better when he was out there. Not having him, plus Devin McGlockton fouling out, really hurt us. We’re already thin in the frontcourt, and when both those guys were in foul trouble, we were even more depleted.”

Byington also noted how Florida capitalized on Vanderbilt’s lack of depth inside: “Florida is so physical, which we expected. We fought hard, but we’re undersized, and it showed. We battled on the boards, but we have to come up with better strategies. The guys are giving great effort, but we need a solution.”

When asked about MJ Collins’ performance, Byington praised him for his versatility: “MJ let the game come to him, and I thought our bench played well. Our strength lies in our depth, and while other teams may have a great starting five, we rely on wearing teams down. After the first half, I thought we could pull away, and we even started the second half strong. But, as I reflect, I can see the missed layups and the tough threes Florida made. They were hitting tough shots, while we missed easy ones and free throws. If we keep playing with this effort and togetherness, we’ll win games. It was a tough environment and a good team, but it wasn’t enough tonight. We’ll bounce back.”