Written by
The Sports Network
Lexington, KY (Sports Network) - The eighth-ranked Florida Gators have a tough
task ahead of them, as they invade Rupp Arena this evening, to take on the
top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats in a battle between the Southeastern Conference's
top two squads.
Kentucky is currently in sole possession of first place in the SEC standings
with a perfect 9-0 record in league play. Florida trails by just 1.5 games as
it enters with a 7-1 mark in SEC action. This will be the 124th meeting in the
all-time series. The Wildcats hold a 90-33 edge in the rivalry after winning
the last two encounters, including a 70-54 victory in last season's SEC
Conference Tournament Championship Game.
Florida won its seventh game in a row on Saturday as it picked up a 73-65
victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores to improve to 19-4 overall. Head coach
Billy Donovan saw his team play well on both ends of the floor in the victory
over Vandy, as it knocked down 11-of-24 from three-point range and forced 17
turnovers to push past the Commodores. The Gators have found success on the
offensive end by valuing the possession, as they are leading the SEC in
assists (16.3) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5). Florida is averaging 80.1
ppg on the offensive end, which is ninth best in the nation.
Kenny Boynton is the go-to-guy for the Gators this season. The junior guard
leads the team with 17.6 ppg and is a big time threat from beyond the arc with
an average of 3.3 makes from three-point range per contest. Boynton has been
excellent lately, as he has averaged 21 points per game while going 7-of-15
from long range in his past two games. Bradley Beal is second on the team in
both scoring (14.3) and rebounding (6.1). Erving Walker is leading the SEC in
assists (5.1) while Patric Young is pulling down a team-high 6.5 rebounds per
game. Erik Murphy gets into the mix on the offensive end on a consistent basis
as well.
Despite their impressive resume and roster, the Gators are facing one of the
few teams in the nation they will be slated as underdogs against. Kentucky is
ranked number one in the nation, reeling off 15-straight victories to arrive
at a 23-1 overall record. This past weekend, Kentucky made light work of South
Carolina, 86-52. Kentucky owns the nation's longest homecourt winning streak
at 48 games. The Wildcats cruised to an 86-52 victory at South Carolina their
last time out as they shot over 50 percent from the floor for the second
straight game. Kentucky's just behind the Gators with a scoring average of
78.1 ppg.
UK's success is impressive considering its starting lineup consists of three
freshmen and two sophomores. Anthony Davis has been a huge contributor to the
Wildcats' success. The freshman center is leading the team in scoring (13.9),
rebounding (10.1), and already set the school's single season blocks record
with 116, which also leads the nation. The 6-10 youngster was once again
unstoppable in the win over South Carolina, finishing with 22 points, eight
rebounds and eight blocked shots. While Davis claims ownership of the paint,
Terrance Jones, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Doron Lamb and Marquis Teague thrive
around him. Lamb was excellent in the recent win, as he went 6-of-7 from the
field and 3-of-3 from three-point range on his way to 18 points.
The Sports Network