Everything you need to know about the Florida Gators

[caption id="attachment_264612" align="aligncenter" width="920"] (Photo via Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)[/caption] It's no secret that Saturday's game against Florida is huge for the Kentucky Wildcats. After two straight wins, have the Wildcats turned a corner? Or did they simply survive against two teams that are expected to finish toward the bottom of the SEC standings? It's the question that everyone in Big Blue Nation is dying to know. What many people don't realize however, is that the game is largely just as important for Florida. Off the court, Mike White handled the Keyontae Johnson situation about as well as he could've, but on the court, we're still trying to wrap our heads around who the Gators are. Are they the team that took care of LSU last weekend at home? Or the one that got run off the court by Alabama earlier this week. We'll start to find out Saturday, in a game that is shaping up as huge for both teams. As Kentucky gets set to travel to Gainesville, here is everything you need to know about the Florida Gators:

Tell us about their roster

First off, it's important to know that from a basketball perspective, Johnson was the lynchpin of the entire team. He was a preseason All-SEC pick and a player with real NBA Draft aspirations after this season, and the team was largely built around his skill-set. He was the do everything wing, with a bunch of good guards around him, with a versatile big man that could keep defenses honest down low or with a 15-foot jumper. Clearly, there are more important issues as it pertains to Johnson, and I know I speak for everyone when I say that all that matters is that he is happy and healthy. But from a basketball perspective (and this is a basketball article after all) his absence is massive. His absence has also forced Mike White to completely rejigger this roster and how they play on the fly. With Johnson out, it is instead about the team's three big-time guards, and playing to their strength - which is to play fast, shoot a lot of threes and defend like crazy. Most everything that the Gators do revolves around its backcourt, and those three players: Tre Mann, Scottie Lewis and Noah Locke. The first two are former McDonald's All-Americans and the latter was a former Top 100 recruit, and while it took a while longer than expected, to their credit, all three players have played to their recruiting rankings this year. With Johnson now sidelined, Mann is averaging a team-high 14.6 points per game as well as a team-high 4.2 assists, Scottie Lewis is averaging over 12 points per game and Noah Locke just under 10 points per contest. All three - and this is important - shoot over 40 percent from the three point line as well.  Those three are the focal point, but don't sleep on the guy who is (essentially) the Gators' only low post presence. That is Michigan transfer Colin Castleton. Castleton doesn't look the part of an intimidating presence (you'll know what I'm talking about when you see him on the floor Saturday) but he has been huge for the Gators in SEC play, most notably with 21 points in a win over LSU last weekend. There are other key pieces off the bench, most including wing Anthony Duruji and guard Tyree Appleby. But everything is built around the one big guy down low (Castleton) and the guards around him.

How have they been so far?

As I said up top, they have largely won the games they were supposed to. And lost the ones that were more up in the air. More than anything though, it's hard to gauge just how good or bad this team is for two reasons: One, they are still finding themselves without Johnson. And two, they have been on two extended pauses - one for Covid-19 and another following Johnson's collapse. Maybe more than any team in the SEC (outside of South Carolina) we're still trying to figure out what to make of the Gators. On the plus side, again, they've largely won the games they were supposed to. They were 3-0 in games prior to Johnson's collapse, including 20+ point wins over Boston College and Stetson (the Gators' season-opening game against Army was close, but in their defense, they were coming directly out of quarantine with no practice time). Then the Johnson collapse happened against Florida State, and the Gators season took on a much different turn. They decided to press on against the Seminoles, in a game they lost, before electing to cancel the remainder of their out of conference schedule. Since SEC play has started they're 2-1 with a win over LSU at home and a win over Vanderbilt on the road, before falling to Alabama on Tuesday night. So yeah, this one is important for Florida, just like it is for the Wildcats. If they really are that SEC dark horse that many have made them out to be, this is a game that they need to win.

What do they do well?

Well, when your three best players are all guards who stand under 6'4, you can probably guess the answer to this: They shoot the ball well, attack the rim and force a whole crap ton of turnovers. Shocking, huh? In all seriousness though, the Gators have made their living off Mann, Lewis and Locke this season, and figuring out a way to slow them down will be key for Kentucky. First, when discussing the three-point, all three are dead eye from beyond the arc. On the season, each is shooting above 42 percent from beyond the arc, a staggering number, especially for Mann and Locke, who are both attempting 4+ three-pointers game. It isn't a stretch to say that defending the three-point line should be Kentucky's No. 1 priority on Saturday afternoon. https://twitter.com/GatorsMBK/status/1346636359444946945 Beyond just three-point shooting, the play of their guards helps set up everything else. Because defenses have to extend out so far to guard the perimeter, it has also created driving lanes for the guards, and one of the things that Florida does better than just about anyone in the country is get to the free throw line. They are averaging 22 attempts per game, with Mann and Lewis both shooting over 74 percent from the line. Finally on the defensive end, those guards help create pressure, which wreaks havoc on the other team. The Gators force 17 turnovers per game, which ranks in the Top 50 nationally.

What do they not do well

By now, you've probably sensed a theme in this article: Because Florida has three really good guards leading their attack, as a team, they do the things well that guards traditionally do well. By deductive reasoning, it also means that the things that they don't do well, are the things that guards usually struggle with. Therefore, the single biggest place that the Gators can be exposed is on the boards. So far this season they are averaging just 36 a game, which puts them at 150th nationally. Right behind the likes of powerhouse Sacramento State and Fairfield. And even that number is a bit deceiving, since Johnson was and is a great rebounding guard and was averaging 4.5 a game. Outside of that, and this is a little surprising: For a team with so many guards, they actually do turn the ball over quite a bit. On the season, they are averaging close to 15 per game, and like Kentucky, has a negative assist-to-turnover ratio. Add it up and that leads us to...

What does Kentucky need to do to win?

Kentucky has some of the smartest fans in basketball, so do you really need me to tell you what the Wildcats need to do on Saturday? You can probably guess by now. First off, when the Wildcats are on offense, they need to take care of the basketball. Florida will press off made baskets, so it's especially important to be aware of where all those guards are, and be smart when the ball is in your hands. No one is expecting the Wildcats to match the two-turnover performance they had against Vanderbilt earlier this week, but it's imperative that they don't get sloppy with the ball. Beyond that, this game is the perfect time for Keion Brooks to return to the lineup. Clearly his minutes will be limited, but this is the exact kind of team that he can thrive against (just like he did last year). It really isn't just a Brooks thing either, but if Kentucky comes out with an aggressive mindset, they will get second and third chances on the boards. Florida doesn't have the size to keep up, so - if they come in with the right mindset - it could mean a big day for Brooks, Olivier Sarr and Isaiah Jackson. Finally on defense, it's all about defending the three-point line. To its credit, in a season where virtually nothing went right the first few weeks, they have always defended the three-point line well, allowing opposing teams to shoot just 29 percent from beyond the arc. That will be especially important Saturday. Take care of the basketball. Rebound, rebound, rebound. Defend the three-point line. Those are all things Kentucky can do. But will they?? I've said this before just about every game they've played this season, but this game in Gainesville is absolutely a game that Kentucky can win. Whether they do or not will be up to them.