Florida vs Tennessee: 2018-19 College basketball game preview, TV schedule

Florida travels to Tennessee for Saturday afternoon action in Knoxville; but can the Gators really challenge the #1 team in the nation?

TV schedule: Saturday, February 9, 4:00 pm ET. ESPN

Arena: Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee

As they arrive for their 10th SEC game of the year, Florida (12-10) seems to be a program heading nowhere fast. Mike White’s fourth year in Gainesville isn’t producing results and they’ve been struggling most of the year. There’s no terrible losses, but there aren’t impressive wins either. Pulling an upset in Knoxville would certainly change that, but it would take a herculean effort.

The Gators’ offense is spread all over, with a number of freshmen contributing on a nightly basis. Senior guard KeVaughn Allen (12.9 ppg) is the team’s leading scorer, though it was freshman guard Noah Locke (11.4 ppg) who put up 22 points against Ole Miss in the Gator’s most recent win. Senior center Kevarrius Hayes (7.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg) is the player to watch down low, but he may be slightly outmatched in this game.

Despite the rough record, Florida sits at 37th in KenPom. Their schedule has been tough and the ratings systems clearly consider this. The Gators are 10th in defensive efficiency and are one of the best teams in the nation at forcing turnovers. Offensively, things have been a struggle at times and this team has lacked consistently, failing to top 62 points in their last three losses.

Across the court, Tennessee (21-1) enters this game as the hottest team in the country. They have won 17 straight games (including all nine of their SEC games) and have held onto that #1 ranking in the polls for a couple of weeks. They’ve yet to play Kentucky, but do own a great win over Gonzaga back in December. This is a Final Four-caliber team and they’re already plowing through their power conference foes.

There are a number of players to watch on the Volunteers, but the focus will be on junior forward Grant Williams (20.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and senior guard Admiral Schofield (16.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg). Williams had a season-high 43 in a win against Vanderbilt a few weeks ago and has been the team’s top scorer all season. Additionally, junior guard Jordan Bone (13.5 ppg, 6.6 apg) is one of the nation’s best ball distributors.

With Williams and Schofield pouring in the points, this team is 2nd in offensive efficiency. The team shoots efficiently from the floor, especially from the paint. The defense (43rd in the nation) isn’t elite, but they’ve gotten the job done more times than not this season. Their last four wins have been by double-digits; this is a well-oiled machine firing on all cylinders.

For the Gators, something incredible will need to happen for them to win this game. They’ll need consistency from their young scorers while finding a way to contain Williams and Schofield. For the Volunteers, an 18th straight victory should be in their grasps if they protect the ball and drive to the hoop. They shouldn’t need 23 free throws from Williams to win this game as they did at Vanderbilt.

These Gators will be improved next year, but Tennessee is just too tough right now. I expect the Volunteers to win the game, though it would be foolish to dismiss the Gators. If they find offense, then anything can happen, but expect Tennessee to prevail.

Prediction: Tennessee 79, Florida 61