Gators looking to split season series with Kentucky

The Florida Gators are set to take on the Kentucky Wildcats for a second time this season on Wednesday night in Gainesville.

Two key differences from the first matchup: no Colin Castleton and home court advantage for Florida.

“It’s called the home court advantage,” UF head coach Todd Golden said Tuesday. “It’s why teams generally play better at home than on the road and if we have a great crowd like we did against Tennessee, it will definitely help us as we look to beat Kentucky tomorrow night.”

For the Gators, they’re coming off a 19-point loss at Arkansas, which took them off the NCAA Tournament bubble for the foreseeable future. As for Kentucky, two big wins over Mississippi State and Tennessee almost certainly locked the Wildcats into this year’s big dance.

UK holds a commanding 108-41 all-time series lead and has taken down Florida in three consecutive matchups.

“We have four games left in the regular season,” Golden said. “All four are winnable games for us, one way or the other. Obviously it’s going to be more difficult for us now but I want to make sure guys are going about it with the mentality of we’re here to win every game. We’re not OK with just being competitive. We want to go out on Wednesday and beat Kentucky.”

Kentucky’s players to watch

Look no further than the 2021-22 Wooden Award winner in Oscar Tshiebwe, who is posting 15.8 points per game and leading the nation with 13 boards per game. 

Castleton was able to handle Tshiebwe in the first matchup in Rupp Arena. This time, it will be up to the likes of Jason Jitoboh and Aleks Szymczyk to take on the veteran.

Jacob Toppin adds size in the interior for the Wildcats, averaging 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds. He’s a very good passer, which adds another element to the UK offense, as he’s getting at least two assists per game.

In the backcourt, Cason Wallace will run the floor for Kentucky as he averages 4.1 assists on top of his 11.8 points per game.

Antonio Reeves is the hot shooter Jon Calipari can rely on, and the Gators will be kicking themselves if he gets hot on Wednesday night as he averages at least two triples a game.

How Florida pulls the upset

There’s no question that this becomes a much taller task for UF without Castleton. He was by far the best player on the court when these two teams met just earlier this month in Rupp Arena.

It also gets more difficult because the Wildcats have been playing some of their best basketball as of late on both ends of the floor.

The Gators got a season-high 25 points from their freshmen in Riley Kugel and Szymczyk alone on Saturday against Arkansas. If that number is around that or higher on Wednesday night, the Gators certainly have a good shot.

Jason Jitoboh will also have to provide both an efficient number in both the scoring and rebounding columns. If not, Tshiebwe will have his way and help the Wildcats cruise to a victory.

Florida has been unable to score for 40 minutes, often experiencing droughts that can suck the life out of a team for the rest of the game.

“We’ve got to be better on the glass,” Golden said. “We have to find a way to scrap out more possessions on the glass. And like I said before, we have to compete for 40 minutes regardless of the circumstances. I think that’s the most important thing as we play tomorrow night. If we’re competitive physically and mentally for 40 minutes, we’re going to give ourselves a great chance to win the game tomorrow night….”

Stay tuned to Gators Online.

Info to know

WHO: Kentucky Wildcats (18-9, 9-5 SEC) at Florida Gators (14-13, 7-7 SEC)

WHEN: Wednesday, February 22, 7 p.m. ET

WHERE: Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center (10,151)

WATCH: ESPN or ESPN App; Play-by-Play: Tom Hart; Analyst: Jimmy Dykes

RADIO: Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD; SiriusXM 137/190 or SXM App 961; Play-by-Play: Sean Kelley; Analyst: Lee Humphrey

BETTING LINES: Kentucky (-2.5); Over/Under: 139.5