Florida Gators basketball preview for Kentucky game

What to know: #13 Florida Gators basketball at #11 Kentucky

Game Information

When: Saturday, February 25, 2017 at 2 p.m. (ET)

Where: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Ky.

Records: Florida (23-5, 13-2 SEC); Kentucky (23-5, 13-2 SEC)

Coaches: Mike White- 44-20 (2nd season at Florida), 145-60 (6th season overall); John Calipari- 240-52 (8th season at Kentucky), 643-190 (25th season overall)

TV: CBS

Streaming: CBS Sports App

Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network

Projected Starters

Florida Pos. Ht. Wt. Class Per Game
Devin Robinson F 6-8 200 Junior 11.2 pts / 5.8 reb
Justin Leon      F 6-8 206 Senior 7.1 pts / 3.8 reb
kevarrius hayes C 6-9 218 Sophomore 6.4 pts / 4.1 reb
Kasey hill G 6-1 175 Senior 9.7 pts / 4.9 asts
Kevaughn allen G 6-2 183 Sophomore 13.6 pts / 2.6 reb

 

kentucky Pos. Ht. Wt. Class Per Game
edrice adebayo F 6-10 260 Freshman 13.0 pts / 7.4 reb
wenyen gabriel F 6-9 213 Freshman 5.9 pts / 5.7 reb
de’aaron fox G 6-3 187 Freshman 15.5 pts / 5.7 asts
malik monk G 6-3 200 Freshman 21.1 pts / 2.5 reb
isaiah briscoe G 6-3 210 Sophomore 13.5 pts / 5.4 reb

 

Preview

Since losing to Florida 88-66 a few weeks back, Kentucky has righted the ship and is on a five-game winning streak. The streak includes wins at Alabama, Georgia, and Kentucky. Georgia was the most recent team to put the Wildcats’ streak at risk, as the game came down to the wire and Kentucky held on for an 82-77 victory in the final minutes.

Florida continues to ride its winning streak that has made its way up to nine in a row. The Gators now sit at 23 wins so far this season, which is a milestone that has only been reached 10 times in Florida history.

Most recently, the Gators defeated South Carolina at home 81-66. KeVaughn Allen went off for 26 points in the game for his second-highest scoring total of the season. Half of his points came from the free-throw line as he went 13-for-14.

The Wildcats sit at the top of the SEC in several categories, including scoring offense (88.2), field goal percentage (.482) and rebounding (40.6).

Malik Monk leads the way on offense with 21.1 points per game. De’Aaron Fox (15.5), Isaiah Briscoe (13.5) and Edrice Adebayo (13.) all fall in behind averaging double-digits this season. Monk is the top three-point shooter (.409, 85-for-208), while Fox has a team-leading 144 assists.

On defense, the Wildcats are led by Adebayo, who pulls down 7.4 rebounds per game and has 26 blocks this season.

The Gators are 38-99 all-time against the Wildcats and just 9-50 in Lexington. Florida looks to get just its fifth season sweep in the history of the series. The last time the two teams played, Florida held Kentucky to its lowest scoring total of the season and held a 54-29 edge over the top rebounding team in the conference.

Four different Gators put up double digits in the game, led by Kasey Hill’s 21 points. Fox led the Wildcats with 19 points. Monk, Kentucky’s leading scorer, had just 11, with all of his points coming in the second half of play.

Florida will have a much tougher task at hand than it did earlier in the season. There is a lot on the line for both teams coming into this game. The outcome on Saturday will likely decide the SEC regular season title, something Kentucky has held for the last two seasons after the Gators took the title in the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.

Bailiegh Carlton
A lifelong sports fan, Bailiegh Carlton knew from a young age that she wanted to work in sports in some capacity. Before transferring to the University of Florida to study journalism, she played softball at Gulf Coast State College. She then interned for Gator Country for three years as she worked toward her degree. After graduation, Bailiegh decided to explore other opportunities in the world of sports, but all roads led her right back here. In her time away, she and her husband welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world. When she isn't working, she can almost always be found snuggled up with sweet baby Ridley, Cody and her four fur babies.