The Florida Gators are loaded with talent in their starting lineup, but coach Todd Golden's early substitution gave freshman Domen Petrovic a chance to make an immediate impact. Just over three minutes into the game, the 6-foot-9 Petrovic checked in alongside reigning SEC Sixth Man of the Year Urban Klavžar.
"I didn't know we would go into the game as the first two subs," Klavzar said. "This was his first college game, so he was probably a little nervous; we were all probably a little nervous, but he was not scared of the moment. I was so proud of the confidence he played with."
Petrovic wasted little time making his presence felt. He drew a foul after securing a rebound, then knocked down a 3-pointer on his first collegiate shot attempt to extend
Florida's lead.
"I try to play with the attitude that every shot is the same," Petrovic said following Florida's victory. "I've taken millions of those shots in practice, and I know my coaches and teammates trust me with that shot. That's why I felt so comfortable just stepping up and taking it."
The Slovenian forward finished his debut with six points, three rebounds and a drawn charge on the defensive end, committing no turnovers in just over 10 minutes of action. Alongside Klavzar and Isaiah Brown, the trio combined for 22 points.
Brown delivered an equally impressive performance, finishing with seven points on perfect shooting, three rebounds and a plus-16 rating in 13 minutes of action.
"I played with a clear mind and a belief in everything I had to do," Brown said. "My mindset was, no matter what I do, just do it by giving my all. Every play."
Brown's contributions were significant, and Golden did not miss his performance.
"He was absolutely awesome," Golden said. "We'd been really, I don't know if I would say, hard on Isaiah, but we have challenged him a lot because he gave us such a great season last year that we built this team planning on him playing a very important role. He just hadn't played his best in the exhibition games. We knew it would eventually show up."
Klavzar emphasized that Florida's reserves are focused on doing more than simply maintaining the team's momentum when they enter the game.
"The goal of the bench is not to come in and just hang around. We should always try to make the team better and go on some runs," Klavzar said. "We have the ability to do that every single night."
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators showcase roster depth in season-opening win over Canes
