Saturday sees Kentucky host Florida in a large-scale SEC matchup. Both sides come into this one following a number of strong wins.
TV Schedule: Saturday, February 22 at 6:00 pm ET on ESPN.
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY.
Two of the top teams in the SEC will meet for the first time this season come Saturday evening. They play the reverse fixture just two weeks later. The matchup comes at a crucial time for both, but for Florida specifically.
Kentucky currently sits safely atop of the SEC standings with an 11-2 record in conference play and comes into this meeting on the back of five straight wins. The Wildcats are No.10 in the nation as of now. The Gators have slipped up a few times over the last month or so, but come into this one on a mini-streak of their own. They blew out Arkansas in their last outing, but are now looking for a big scalp to add to their resume which already includes a victory over #18 Xavier and a big SEC win over #4 Auburn.
There are definitely areas where the Gators can exploit Kentucky, however, they’re going to need an incredibly efficient performance. There’s plenty of scoring options to keep the Wildcats defense guessing, but efficient shooting is going to be the key. Keyontae Johnson and Noah Locke will have to be on their game and able to knock down long-balls at will. Andrew Nembhard will have to lead on both ends as Kentucky’s Ashton Hagans will prove to be a very tricky matchup for the Gators sophomore.
Both teams are similar, statistically speaking, and both teams have a ton of talent on both ends of the floor. Inside, the Wildcats have that edge with the experienced Nick Richards who has had many big nights this season. The lengthy forward 14.5/8.1, shooting 65.9% from the field as well as leading the Wildcats in blocks with 2.3 per game.
It’s going to be a tough day in the paint for the Gators, so expect them to shoot the three-ball a bit more exclusively. Good looks will be hard to come by and the likes of Nembhard are going to have to use high-IQ decision-making skills in order to work the ball to the best spots to continue to score points. Kerry Blackshear Jr. will have his work cut out for him as he’ll be the man to contest with the likes of Richards and EJ Montgomery inside – the battle in the paint be it for boards or paint points will have a huge role in the outcome of the game, outside scoring will come as a result of this battle.
Hagans and the Wildcats certainly face one of the trickier tasks of their schedule here but should have the ability to overcome it. It’s an intriguing matchup due to both systems and the array of talent on show. There’s definitely a legitimate chance that the Gators make the upset happen and there’s a good chance that it could come down to the wire, but it’ll have to be a special performance in order to make it become a reality.
Prediction: Florida 68-73 Kentucky