5 Things About The Florida Gators

Tonight at 8:30 p.m., Kentucky (15-7, 6-3 SEC) hosts the Florida Gators (13-9, 6-3 SEC) at Rupp Arena. The two teams are tied for fifth in the SEC standings with nine games left and play each other again on Feb. 22 in Gainesville. Taking care of business tonight in Rupp could prove big as Kentucky seeks to clinch the double-bye in the SEC Tournament next month.

Brandon Ramsey will have a detailed scouting report for you in just a bit. For now, here are some quick hitters about the Gators.

1. Todd Golden already has a signature win in his first year

Florida is one of the six SEC schools that hired new coaches in 2022. With Mike White leaving Gainesville to take the job at Georgia, the Gators tapped Todd Golden to take over as head coach. Golden, age 37, was previously the head coach at San Francisco, leading the Dons to their first NCAA Tournament since 1998 last March. A former assistant to Bruce Pearl at Auburn, Golden was 57-36 in his three seasons at San Francisco.

So far this season, Golden is 13-9 and 5-0 against his fellow first-year SEC coaches. As you probably know, the Gators upset No. 2 Tennessee 67-54 on Wednesday night, making Golden the first Florida coach in 49 years with multiple Top 25 wins in his first season. The Gators beat No. 20 Missouri on Jan. 14. The scene in Florida’s locker room after Wednesday’s win over the Volunteers was pretty awesome.

HOW WE FEELING!! #GoGators pic.twitter.com/CgJFtBolUc

— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) February 2, 2023

2. Colin Castleton is their star

Fifth-year senior Colin Castleton leads Florida in scoring (15.1), rebounding (7.7), blocked shots (68, 1st in the SEC), and free throws made (89). He’s also tied with Trey Bonham for first on the team in steals (21). The 6’11” center was the star of the Gators’ upset of No. 2 Tennessee, finishing with 20 points — 16 in the second half — nine rebounds, and three assists. On Jan. 16, he was named SEC Player of the Week for his performances in Florida’s wins at LSU (18 points, 5 blocks) and vs. No. 20 Missouri (16 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists).

Last year, Oscar Tshiebwe got the best of Castleton in Kentucky’s two wins over the Gators, posting a combined 54 points and 33 rebounds to Castleton’s 41 points and 18 rebounds. Yesterday, Oscar said he’s determined to win round three, but Florida’s defense is much better than it was last year, and a big reason why is Castleton. That’s the matchup to watch tonight.

3. Great defense

The secret to Florida’s success thus far under Golden? Defense. The Gators rank eighth in defensive efficiency nationally on KenPom, holding SEC opponents to 36.3% from the field and 23.8% from three-point range. Tennessee was only 27.9% from the field and 20% from three on Wednesday night. Florida ranks seventh in two-point field goal percentage defense, 43.0%, which is 7% below the national average. They’re third nationally in blocked shots per game, 5.9, thanks to Castleton, who ranks third individually at 3.09 blocks per game.

4. Close SEC games

Florida has performed well in SEC play. Obviously, the Tennessee win is the best of the bunch, but wins over No. 20 Missouri (73-64) and at Mississippi State (61-59) are also impressive. Like Kentucky, Florida has three SEC losses. Unlike the Cats’, all of the Gators’ have been by close margins. Florida lost to No. 20 Auburn on the Plains by three (61-58), vs. Texas A&M by three (66-63), and at Texas A&M two weeks later by two (54-52). So, an average of 2.7 points.

5. Series History

Kentucky vs. Florida was once one of the most heated rivalries in the SEC. From 2005-2008, the Gators dominated the Cats, winning seven straight. Aside from the 2013-14 season in which the Gators beat the Cats three times, Kentucky has mostly regained control. The Cats lead the series 107-41. John Calipari is 22-9 vs. the Gators. A Kentucky win would make it three in a row vs. Florida, the Gators’ last win coming in Lexington back on Feb. 27, 2021.