Gators going for second-straight ranked win against Arkansas
The Gators men’s basketball team is back home Tuesday for another top-25 matchup against No. 18 Arkansas.
A win over the Razorbacks would be Florida’s third quad one victory of the season after upsetting Auburn last Saturday. UF is currently the sixth team out of the NCAA Tournament, per ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.
In the 2020-21 season, Arkansas took down the Gators 75-64 in Fayetteville en route to an Elite Eight run. Florida still holds a 26-13 record against the Razorbacks, dating back to the 1991-92 season.
Like Florida, the Hogs started SEC play 0-3. However, Arkansas has its season around and is now tied for third in the conference with a 10-4 record.
The Razorbacks’ top players
It’s no secret. Guard JD Notae is Arkansas’ star player.
The senior is third in the SEC with 18.5 points per game and leads the league with 2.3 steals per game. The Arkansas offense will run through him, as he leads the team with 3.4 assists per game.
Razorbacks guards Stanley Umude and Au’Diese Toney complement Notae in the backcourt. Umude averages 11.1 points while Toney adds 10.3 points per game, shooting 52.6 percent from the field.
Florida forward Colin Castleton will have his hands full with Arkansas’ 6-foot-10 forward Jaylin Williams, who is second in the SEC with 9.6 rebounds per game. He averages 10.3 points and leads the Razorbacks with 1.3 blocks per game.
Top 10
- 1Hot
Netflix under fire
Tyson vs. Paul streaming issues
- 2New
Nico Iamaleava update
UT QB status revealed vs. Georgia
- 3
Nick Saban
Coach regrets leaving LSU
- 4
Gruden talks Tennessee
Ex-NFL coach addresses past rumors
- 5
DJ Lagway
Florida QB to return vs. LSU
“Defensively, they’re terrific in transition, starting with those live-ball turnovers,” UF coach Mike White said of the Hogs. “Gotta do a great job on their guards. They’re good on the offensive glass, they’re great at attacking the paint. We gotta match the rebounding battle. We gotta do a lot well.”
Keys to the game for Gators
UF’s Castleton played with fiery energy in the upset over Auburn and will need to bring that same intensity Tuesday as he’s facing another top big in the SEC in Williams.
Guard Tyree Appleby exploded in the second half against the Tigers, scoring 20 points after the break and finishing with a season-high 26. Appleby made five 3-pointers, and Florida could use another shooting performance like that from downtown.
Florida forward Anthony Duruji is shooting 53.7 percent from the field, but hasn’t scored in double figures once this month. He has to play a bigger role on offense, as well as guard Kowacie Reeves Jr., for the Gators to get another big win Tuesday.
“With us, offensively it always starts with live-ball turnovers. It’s been a huge factor in the difference between winning and losing,” White said. “We’ve got to get on the offensive glass, we’ve got to take great shots. A couple games ago, we took some really poor ones early. We gotta figure out a way to score against a really, really stingy defense who is a little bit different than some of the defenses that we’ve faced. We gotta find some offensive rhythm early.”
