GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Top-10 matchup in the regular season have been rare for the Florida Gators in program history. They’ll open SEC play this year with back-to-back games against top-10 teams, starting at No. 10 Kentucky (11-2).
Saturday’s matchup marks the 23rd time UF has been in a top-10 matchup, and only five have taken place in the regular season previously. It hasn’t happened since No. 8 Florida visited top-ranked Kentucky in 2012.
The Gators (13-0) have lost the last seven top-10 matchups they’ve been a part of, with their last win coming in 2007.
“This opportunity is incredibly exciting,” UF coach Todd Golden said of the SEC opener at Kentucky. “Two top-10 teams going at it first game of league play, and for us to get this opportunity in what we anticipate to be a really raucous environment, you know, I think will be a great challenge for us.
“We got a little bit of a taste of it in Charlotte. It wasn’t on Carolina’s home floor, but it was pretty close to a dominating North Carolina crowd. And we weathered the storm in that game. I think this one will be even more challenging, and I know our guys are excited to get out there, though, and give it a shot.”
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The matchup will feature a pair of top-10 scoring offenses. The Wildcats rank No. 3 nationally at 89.0 points per game and the Gators are ranked ninth in the country at 87.4 PPG.
Oklahoma transfer Otega Oweh leads Kentucky with 15.9 points per game and 20 steals. Also scoring double figures are Lamont Butler (13.3 ppg), Jaxson Robinson (11.9), Koby Brea (11.9), Andrew Carr (11.3) and Amari Williams (10.1).
When asked what kind of challenge UK poses offensively, Golden replied, “A big one.”
“They’re a top 10 offense. They’re very good offensively. I think this game is going to come down to two things for us on the defensive end. It’s going to come down to really having a great understanding of their personnel, knowing what each specific guy (does). They’re playing seven, maybe an eight-guy rotation right now, with Kriisa being hurt. So, knowing exactly what each of these guys is trying to do offensively is incredibly important, as well as executing our coverages.
“I think for Kentucky, it’s going to be really important for us to execute guarding them the way we want to guard,” Golden said. “And if we can do those two things for 40 minutes, we’ll be in good shape. But they are hard to guard, and they do some good things offensively, and they play through their bigs on the perimeter. They’re more, you know, four and five out. So again, just if we can execute and know our personnel, we’ll give ourselves a good chance.”
Williams also leads the Wildcats with 8.5 rebounds per game and 22 blocked shots, while Butler has a team-best 45 assists. Florida (No. 1) and Kentucky (No. 9) also rank in the top 10 nationally in rebounds per game, so the battle on the boards will be key.
The Gators won the last meeting in overtime on Kentucky’s floor, as Walter Clayton Jr. knocked in one of his seven 3-pointers with 3.0 seconds left in regulation and another to take the lead with 1:35 left in overtime.
UF is going for back-to-back wins at Kentucky on Saturday for just the third time in series history (2006/2007 and 1988/1989).
“Last year was special, just climbing back, getting into the game. We’re down, and then Walt hitting that big 3 to send us into overtime, and then just winning overtime was special,” Florida senior guard Will Richard said.
“That’s top level. Winning at Rupp is definitely big time. It’s a great environment. There’s a lot of history and tradition there. So, it’s always fun to go to Rupp. … I’m excited. I feel like we’re prepared. So, I’m ready to go.”
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