PREVIEW: Kentucky WBB ends two-game road trip against Florida

Kentucky is 2-0 in the SEC following big wins over Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, but the marathon continues against Florida (10-6, 1-1 SEC) in Gainesville.

Read up on the Gators prior to the game.

Bio Blast

Florida was projected to be the ninth best team in the SEC prior to the season — one spot below the Cats. They come into this game with a sketchy-looking resume, with their only real win of significance coming against Clemson on the road.

It is worthy to note that Aaliyah Matharu, who averaged 19.0 points per game last season for the Gator, left the program just before the season began and committed to Baylor. That’s a big piece that they were expecting to have back, but then again, she hasn’t produced at all for the Bears either.

In their last game, Florida beat the Georgia Bulldogs 73-57 at home, so they’ve got a good mojo going riding into Thursday’s contest.

Scouting Report

Similarly to Vanderbilt, one of Florida’s best players just happens to be a freshman — 5-foot-9 guard Liv McGill. McGill averages a team-high 16.2 points per game while also recording 5.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.

Clara Strack is going to be tested in the paint yet again when she’s matched up against 6-foot-6 center Ra Shaya Kyle down in the post. Kyle averages 15.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per contest. Being a physical and imposing big, she could cause for some issues for Kentucky down low.

Then, there’s guards Jeriah Warren (12.4 PPG) and Laila Reynolds (10.4 PPG) who both average double figures in the scoring column. Warren also posts 4.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, while Reynolds adds 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists to the box score on average.

Overall, Kentucky should have the upper hand against Florida, even considering that this one is a road game for the Cats. No game — especially a road game — is a gimme in the SEC, but in the end, Kentucky should be able to handle business and get back to Lexington 3-0 in conference play.

Projected Kentucky Starters

#3 – Georgia Amoore

5-FOOT-6 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT

17.9 PPG – 7.4 APG – 2.3 RPG

#7 – Teonni Key

6-FOOT-4 – FORWARD – JUNIOR

11.9 PPG – 9.1 RPG – 2.5 BPG

#10 – Dazia Lawrence

5-FOOT-8 – GUARD – REDSHIRT SENIOR

14.1 PPG – 2.4 APG – 2.2 RPG

#13 – Clara Strack

6-FOOT-5 – CENTER – SOPHOMORE

15.5 PPG – 10.1 RPG – 3.2 APG

#32 – Amelia Hassett

6-FOOT-3 – FORWARD – JUNIOR

11.9 PPG – 9.9 RPG – 2.1 APG

Initial Availability Report

Starting this season in conference play, SEC teams are required to release an availability report, listing players and their injury statuses for their upcoming game.

Here is the initial report for Kentucky-Florida:

The final availability report will be available closer to game time.

**Note: Kentucky’s Dominika Paurová is not listed as “Out” because she is completely exempt from the season due to an ACL tear she suffered in the offseason. Jordan Obi, who also suffered a lower leg injury in the summer, may return to the hardwood this season, hence why her name appears on the availability report.**

How to Watch/Listen

Place	Tipoff	TV	Radio	Live Stats
Stephen C. O’Connell Center (Gainesville, FL)	5 p.m. ET	SEC Network (Tiffany Greene and Steffi Sorensen)	630 WLAP, 790 WKRD (Darren Headrick)	StatBroadcast

Follow Along with KSR’s LIVE BLOG

Unable to watch the game? Don’t worry — we’ll be providing real-time updates throughout to keep you informed on the action. Follow along with KSR’s LIVE BLOG, which will get rolling on the website an hour before the game starts.

Join The Discussion on KSBoard

Want to interact with the KSR crew during tonight’s game? Consider joining the conversation on KSBoard, where we’ll be sharing live updates while also answering questions and providing real-time analysis (and probably complaining about the officiating).