Fourth-ranked Gators return home to clash with Gamecocks

South Carolina Gamecocks (12-7, 2-4 SEC) at #4 Florida Gators (16-2, 6-0 SEC)
Stephen C. O'Connell Center (capacity: 11,548), Gainesville, FL 8:00 p.m.

Broadcast Information

TV: SEC Network; Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Barry Booker (analyst)
Radio: WRUF/Gator IMG Sports Network; Mick Hubert (play-by-play) and Mark Wise (analyst)
Streaming: ESPN3.com

Head Coaches

South Carolina: Frank Martin (12-7, 1st season at Mississippi State, 129-61 overall, 6th season)
University of Florida: Billy Donovan (402-160, 17th season at Florida; 437-180 overall, 19th season)

Probable Starters

South Carolina Gamecocks

#5 Eric Smith (5'11", 205 lbs JR) Season stats: 6.1 ppg, 3.5 apg
#23 Bruce Ellington (5'9", 197 lbs JR) Season stats: 10.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg
#24 Michael Carrera (6'5", 212 lbs FR) Season stats: 9.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg
#30 Lakeem Jackson (6'5", 235 lbs SR) Season stats: 9.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg
#14 Laimonas Chatkevicius (6'11", 255 lbs FR) Season stats: 3.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg

Bench

#1 Benton Williams (5'11", 175 lbs JR) Season stats: 11.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg (31 three-pointers, shoots 43% from deep)
#2 Brian Richardson (6'4", 175 lbs JR) Season stats: 8.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg
#25 Mindaugas Kacinas (6'7", 210 lbs FR)  Season stats: 6.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg
#33 RJ Slawson (6'8", 220 lbs JR) Season stats: 5.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg
#32 Damien Leonard (6'4", 190 lbs SO) Season stats: 3.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg

Florida Gators

#5 Scottie Wilbekin (6'2", 176 lbs JR) Season stats: 9.1 ppg, 5.1 apg, 2.8 rpg, 1.8 steals per game
#1 Kenny Boynton (6'2", 190 lbs SR) Season stats: 13.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.8 apg
#3 Mike Rosario (6'3", 183 lbs RS-SR) Season stats: 11.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg
#33 Erik Murphy (6'10", 238 lbs SR) Season stats: 12.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg
#4 Patric Young (6'9", 249 lbs JR) Season stats: 11.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.8 blocks per game

Bench

#15 Will Yeguete (6'7", 240 lbs JR) Season stats: 6.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg
#20 Michael Frazier (6'4", 200 lbs FR) Season stats: 5.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg
#25 DeVon Walker (6'6", 191 lbs FR) Season stats: 0.9 ppg, 0.9 rpg

Injury News and Team Notes

• 7:54 (update): Junior forward Casey Prather (high ankle sprain) will be active for tonight's game.  Coach Donovan said he went through a workout and liked what he saw from Prather.  Donovan doesn't know how much he'll play, but it's definitely good news that Casey's back ahead of schedule.
• Junior guard Scottie Wilbekin was named SEC Player of the Week.
• This is Florida's highest ranking since March 2007 when they were ranked third, after the Gators won the SEC Championship.  They went on to win the second of back-to-back NCAA championships that year.
• UF received one AP vote for the #1 ranking (Michigan, Kansas, and Indiana are #1-3, repectively). 
• This is the longest winning streak (8 games) since the Gators began the 2009-10 season 8-0.
• The Gators have a 26.5 point winning margin in their first six SEC games (6-0).
• Florida's overall winning margin for this season is 22.5 points.
• Florida hit a season-high 14 3-pointers in Saturday's win at Mississippi State.
• The Gators handed the Bulldogs their second-worst home loss in 35 seasons.
• UF has held 10 opponents under 50 points this season.
• The Gators are ranked third in the nation in scoring defense, giving up only 51.2 points per game.
• Senior guard Kenny Boynton is shooting 22/50 (44%) over his last seven games from 3-point range.  I'd say he's out of his slump!
• Interestingly, the Gators gave up a season-high 71 points to Nebraska-Kearney in their lone exhibition game on November 1.
• Junior transfer Damontre Harris played his first two seasons at South Carolina, but transferred to UF after Darrin Horn was fired.  He is sitting out this season (along with Dorian Finney-Smith, a Virginia Tech transfer) due to transfer regulations.
• First year South Carolina head coach, Frank Martin grew up in Miami and was a Florida basketball fan growing up.  He coached former Gator Udonis Haslem and Los Angeles Laker guard Steve Blake at Miami Senior High School, so he has a pretty good relationship with Florida coach Billy Donovan.
• South Carolina is 1-3 on the road this season.
• Florida is 8-0 at home this season.

Last Game for Both Schools

South Carolina: Defeated Arkansas (home) on Saturday, 75-54.
Florida: Defeated Mississippi State (away) on Saturday, 82-47.

Florida All-Time Versus South Carolina

Florida leads the all-time series, 39-22.  The Gators are 23-11 against the Gamecocks under Donovan.  The Gators are 18-7 all-time at home versus South Carolina, and are 12-4 under Donovan.  Florida has won five out of the last six games in Gainesville between the two teams.

Last Meeting Between Schools

Florida defeated South Carolina 74-66 at home on February 2, 2012

What I'm Wondering

1.  The Gators committed 14 turnovers versus Mississippi State, a particularly high number against an inferior team.  The Gamecocks have a strong (literally) backcourt with Eric Smith (205 lbs) and football/basketball player Bruce Ellington (197 lbs).  With the Gator guards be able to protect the ball against South Carolina's muscle-men?

2.  How will the Gators defend the 3-point line?

Records to be Broken in the Near Future

• Kenny Boynton (1,833 points) is third on the all-time scoring list (Ronnie Williams leads with 2,090 points).
• Boynton (304 threes) is the all-time leader in three-pointers made in school history.
• Boynton (123 games started) is just 6 starts away from passing Andrew DeClerq (128 starts) for the all-time record in school history.
• Boynton (4,071 minutes played) is 30 minutes away from passing Eugene McDowell for second on the all-time list.
• Patric Young (102 dunks) is tied for sixth on the all-time list. 

Final score prediction: Florida 72 - South Carolina 62 

A total team effort: Florida blows out Mississippi State, 82-47

(8) Florida 82 - Mississippi State 47

Top Performers

Florida Gators (16-2, 6-0 SEC)
Erik Murphy: 18 points (6/8 fg, 4/6 3pt), 6 rebounds
Kenny Boynton: 18 points (7/11 fg, 4/8 3pt), 4 rebounds
Scottie Wilbekin: 13 points (5/9 fg, 3/5 3pt), 9 assists (one assist shy of his second consecutive double-double)
Patric Young: 13 points (6/6 fg), 6 rebounds, 2 blocks
Will Yeguete and Michael Frazier (8 rebounds each)

Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-11, 2-4 SEC)
Fred Thomas: 19 points (5/14 fg, 8/9 ft), 7 steals
Craig Sword: 5 steals

First Half Notes

• Senior forward Erik Murphy began the game with seven points and four rebounds before the first media timeout (13:14).
• It was disappointing that Murphy finished with six boards, after having four in the first six and a half minutes.
• After getting into early foul trouble against Georgia, junior forward Patric Young needed to do a better job of managing his aggressive play and not picking up cheap fouls.  He did just that, picking up only one foul in the first half (2 fouls for the game).
• Senior guard Mike Rosario needed to have a bounce-back game on the offensive end after going 3/13 vs. Georgia.  Unfortunately, Rosario struggled against on Saturday.  He shot 1/8 from the field and 1/5 from 3-point range (5 points).  He was taking good shots, but they weren't falling.  He just needs to continue shooting because he's too good of a shooter to make only one shot when he played 27 minutes.
• Senior guard Kenny Boynton's been on a tear recently shooting the ball.  That continued at Mississippi State, where he began the game with eight points (two three's) at the first media timeout).
• The Gators equalled their first half point total from the Georgia game (24 points) at the 11:31-mark in the first half.  The Gators needed to get off to a quick start and they certainly did that.
• Freshman guard Michael Frazier hit a much-needed three-pointer in the first half.  He didn't make one versus Georgia.
• Young grabbed four offensive boards for the game.
• UF attempted 11 three's at the 8:43-mark!
• Boynton and Murphy (20 points total) outscored the Bulldogs (19 points) in the first half alone.
• Rosario passed up a few shots over the course of the game, possibly as a result of a lack of confidence.
• Seldom-used freshman forward DeVon Walker entered the game at the 0:39-mark.
• UF had a 23-8 rebound margin at the end of the half.
• The Gators had 12 assists in Saturday's game, one more than they had in all of Wednesday's game.
• Young had nine points and six rebounds at the end of the half.
• Murphy had nine points and five rebounds after the first 20 minutes.
• Boynton scored 11 points after the first intermission.
• Halftime score: Florida 41 - Mississippi State 19

Second Half Notes

• There was a highlight reel play at the 18:18-mark from freshman guard Scottie Wilbekin to Young for an alley oop, which drew praise from the Gator bench and "ooohs" from the Bulldog crowd.
• Murphy had two three's in the first four minutes of the half.
• Coach Donovan, as the game was getting out of hand, probably just wanted crisp possessions, no turnovers, and no bad shots.
• Since the 18:08-mark in the first half (Bulldogs led 4-3), the Gators never trailed.
• Young made an excellent hustle play when he dove out of bounds after a loose ball.  Even though the Gators were up by a considerable margin, Young was still giving all-out effort.
• UF committed turnovers on back-to-back possessions that forced Donovan to call a time out.
• The Gator defense forced plenty of deep, contested three's with the shot clock winding down.
• I began to wonder why Donovan continued to play three of the starters even though the game's outcome was certain.
• Freshman guard Braxton Ogbueze entered the game at the 5:04-mark.  He did not dress last game due to a knee injury suffered in practice.  Ogbueze finished with three points, on a driving layup and a free-throw.
• Young actually made a jump shot!! He acknowledged after the game that he's been working on stepping away from the basket, but that was the first jump shot that he looked comfortable taking.
• Freshman guard Dillon Graham had another in-and-out 3-pointer, but dove on the floor after a loose ball, which drew praise from Donovan.
• Sophomore walk-on Jacob Jurtz and Graham hooked up on a nice give-and-go pass for a Graham layup.
• Kurtz had three rebounds.
• The Gators had a season-high 23 assists.
• UF has given up exactly 47 points in three of four games (four times this season).
• The Gators hit a season-high 14 three's.
• Kevin Brockway: "Florida's 82-47 win over Miss State was Miss State's second-worst home loss in school history.  MSU's worst home loss by 41 to Vandy in 93."
• Final score: Florida 82 - Mississippi State 47

Selected stats (all Florida stats unless noted)

Field goals made/attempted= 31/56 (55.4%)
Three-pointers made/attempted= 14/31 (45.2%)
Free throws made/attempted= 6/9 (66.7%)
Rebounds/offensive= 44 rebounds/12 offensive
Fouls= 12
Assists= 23
Turnovers= 14
Steals= 6
Mississippi State turnovers= 10
Blocks= 4
Points off turnovers= 17
Points in the paint= 32
Second-chance points= 9
Fastbreak points= 6
Bench points= 15
Guard rebounds= 17
Mississippi State offensive rebounds= 6
Second half points= Florida (41), Georgia (28)

Officials= Mike Thibodeaux, James Barker, and John Heatly
Attendance= 7,696

What's Up Next

The Gators return home to face South Carolina on Wednesday (1/30).  The Gamecocks come in with a record of 12-7 and are 2-4 in the SEC.  The tip is set for 8:00.  The game will be televised on the SEC Network and broadcast on the radio on WRUF/Gator IMG Sports Network.  The pregame radio show begins at 7:25.

Preview: Florida travels to Starkville to face undermanned Mississippi State

#8 Florida Gators (15-2, 5-0 SEC) at Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-10, 2-3 SEC)
Humphrey Coliseum (capacity: 10,575), Starkville, MS 8:00 p.m.

Broadcast Information

TV: ESPN2; Dave Lamont (play-by-play) and Kara Lawson (analyst)
Radio: WRUF/Gator IMG Sports Network; Mick Hubert (play-by-play) and Mark Wise (analyst)
Streaming: ESPN3.com

Head Coaches

University of Florida: Billy Donovan (401-160, 17th season at Florida; 436-180 overall, 19th season)
Mississippi State: Rick Ray (7-10, 1st season at Mississippi State/overall)

Probable Starters

Florida Gators

#5 Scottie Wilbekin (6'2", 176 lbs JR) Season stats: 8.9 ppg, 4.8 apg, 2.8 rpg, 1.9 steals per game
#1 Kenny Boynton (6'2", 190 lbs SR) Season stats: 13.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.8 apg
#3 Mike Rosario (6'3", 183 lbs RS-SR) Season stats: 12.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg
#33 Erik Murphy (6'10", 238 lbs SR) Season stats: 12.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg
#4 Patric Young (6'9", 249 lbs JR) Season stats: 11.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.8 blocks per game

Bench

#15 Will Yeguete (6'7", 240 lbs JR) Season stats: 6.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg
#20 Michael Frazier (6'4", 200 lbs FR) Season stats: 5.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg
#25 DeVon Walker (6'6", 191 lbs FR) Season stats: 0.9 ppg, 0.9 rpg

Mississippi State Bulldogs

#4 Trivante Bloodman (6'0", 182 lbs SO) Season stats: 5.7 ppg. 3.3 rpg, 2.7 apg
#0 Jalen Steele (6'3", 194 lbs JR) Season stats: 10.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg
#32 Craig Sword (6'3", 189 lbs FR) Season stats: 9.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg
#3 Colin Borchert (6'8", 231 lbs JR) Season stats: 6.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg
#20 Gavin Ware (6'9", 270 lbs FR) Season stats: 8.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg

Bench

#25 Roquez Johnson (6'7", 210 lbs SO) Season stats: 10.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg
#1 Fred Thomas (6'5", 191 lbs FR) Season stats: 10.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg
#24 Tyson Cunningham (6'3", 194 lbs JR) Season stats: 2.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg

Injury News and Team Notes

• Junior forward Casey Prather (high ankle sprain) will be out until the end of next week.  "We'll probably re-evaluate him after this weekend," Coach Donovan said.  "My feeling is, it would not be to the end of next week.  That would probably be the point we would expect him back."  The Gators have home games against South Carolina (Wednesday) and Ole Miss (Saturday).
• Freshman guard Braxton Ogbueze (knee) missed Wednesday's game.  Kevin Brockway reports that he will be available tonight.
• The Bulldogs average an SEC-high 17.9 turnovers per game (they had 29 in Wednesday's loss to Arkansas).
• According to Kevin Brockway, "After winning its first two SEC games, Mississippi State has lost its last three games by an average margin of 24.3 points."
• Coach Donovan talking about Mississippi State's defense: “You are going to see 2-3 zone, 1-3-1, aggressive man-to-man.  They play extremely hard.”
• Brockway: "Florida ranks third in the nation and first in the SEC in scoring defense, holding opponents to 51.4 points per game.  The Gators have held nine opponents under 50 points and 13 opponents under 60 points."
• Brockway: "Senior forward Erik Murphy ranks first in the SEC in 3-point shooting percentage at 45.7 percent (32-of-70)."
• Brockway: "Kenny Boynton made his 300th career 3-pointer against Georgia, becoming just the seventh player in SEC history to reach the mark."
• Brockway: "The Gators are playing their fourth road game in their last five games and have played nine of their last 12 away from the O'Connell Center."
• Brockway: "(The Gators) will be going for their eighth straight victory, which would match their longest winning streak since starting the 2009-10 season 8-0."
• According to Chris Harry, "The Gators have played games in three time zones...(and) crossed the Mississippi River three times." (total of more than 14,000 miles traveled)
• Harry: "The Gators are the only conference team to play four of its first six league games on the road."
• UF's margin of victory in it's five SEC wins is 24.8 points.
• Interesting how the Bulldogs' top-2 scorers (Johnson and Thomas) come off the bench.
• The Bulldogs dress seven scholarship players (Cunningham is a walk-on).
• Even though Ole Miss narrowly escaped with a win versus Tennessee on Thursday, they, along with Florida, remain the SEC's two undefeated teams in conference play.
• Mississippi State is 5-2 at home this season; losses were against Troy (season-opener) and Alabama A&M.
• Florida is 7-2 on the road this season.

Last Game for Both Schools

Florida: Defeated Georgia (away) on Wednesday, 64-47.
Mississippi State: Lost to Arkansas on Wednesday, 96-70.

Florida All-Time Versus Mississippi State

Florida is 58-49 all-time versus Mississippi State, including 11-8 under Donovan.  The Bulldogs have won four of the past six meetings.  Florida is 4-4 on the road at MSU under Donovan (20-34 all-time).  Interestingly, six of the last seven games against the Bulldogs have been decided by single digits.

Last Meeting Between Schools

On January 28, 2012, the Gators defeated the Bulldogs, 69-57, in Gainesville.  Freshman guard Brad Beal led the Gators with 19 points, one of four double-digit scorers for the Gators.

What I'm Wondering

1.  I think the overriding theme from Wednesday's game was how flat the Gators came out in the first half.  Luckily, they outscored UGA by 20 in the second half to win comfortably.  The key for tonight's game is to get off to a quick start.  "The Hump" can get loud really quick, regardless of what the Bulldogs' record is.  They are known to have "white-outs" when they play host to ranked SEC schools.  Will the Gators get off to a better start compared to Wednesday?

2.  The Gators only had 11 assists in the win versus Georgia on Wednesday.  Donovan stated earlier in the season that he wanted his team to get more assists on made field goals.  As a team, they're averaging 14.6 assists per game.  Will the Gators prove that Wednesday's game was an anomaly in terms of the number of assists?

3.  Mississippi State has a rotation of eight players, and they only dress nine (two are walk-ons).  If the Gators are able to get some of the Bulldog players in foul trouble, it could be interesting to see what develops.  Will the Gators try to exploit the Bulldogs' lack of depth?

Records to be Broken in the Near Future

• Kenny Boynton (1,815 points) is third on the all-time scoring list (Ronnie Williams leads with 2,090 points)
• Boynton (300 threes) is the all-time leader in three-pointers made in school history
• Boynton (122 games started) is just 7 starts away from passing Andrew DeClerq (128 starts) for the all-time record in school history
• Boynton (4,043 minutes played) is 58 minutes from passing Eugene McDowell for second on the all-time list.
• Patric Young (101 dunks) is two dunks away from passing Andrew DeClerq for sixth on the all-time list. 

Final score prediction: Florida 83 - Mississippi State 64 

Recap: Dominating second half propels Florida over Georgia, 64-47

(8) Florida 64 - Georgia 47

Top Performers

Florida Gators
Scottie Wilbekin: 17 points (7/9 fg, 2/3 3pt), 3 assists (equalled career-high in points set vs. UCF on November 23)
Kenny Boynton: 14 points (4/10 fg, 2/6 3pt, 4/5 ft), 3 steals
Erik Murphy: 13 points (4/8 fg, 3/5 3pt)
Will Yeguete: 7 points (3/6 fg), 11 rebounds, 4 steals

Georgia Bulldogs
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: 16 points (5/11 fg, 3/5 3pt), 7 rebounds

First Half Notes

• Georgia began the game with a 6-0 run.
• The Gators called a timeout after falling behind 8-2.
• The Bulldogs were getting any shot that they wanted, which didn't please Coach Donovan or his staff.
• After falling behind 11-2, UF went on an 8-0 run.
• Junior guard Scottie Wilbekin scored eight points in the first 10 minutes.
• Senior forward Erik Murphy picked up two early fouls, which limited his play in the first half.
• Junior forward Patric Young didn't play his normal game as he was constantly fumbling balls, not corralling rebounds, and picking up cheap fouls.
• Despite Florida's lack of depth, they continued to press after made baskets.  With junior forward Casey Prather out with a high ankle sprain, Donovan has been using a seven-man rotation for the most part.
• It took Florida until the 2:46-mark to attempt its first free-throws (junior forward Will Yeguete made one out of two).
• Based on SEC standards, the first half scoring was especially low.
• At one point, Wilbekin had 13 of Florida's 21 points.  He was keeping us in it.
• Freshman forward DeVon Walker made a surprise early appearance when he checked in at the 3:09-mark.  Due to Young and Murphy's foul trouble, Donovan had no choice but to go with the seldom-used freshman.
• Senior guards Kenny Boynton and Mike Rosario were taking ill-advised shots.
• Georgia clearly had the momentum going into halftime after a Caldwell-Pope three-pointer at the buzzer.
• Donovan: "I'm shocked we're not down double digits."
• Donovan: "Worst we've defended the pick-and-roll."
• That was the first time that the Gators have trailed at the half since the Kansas State loss on December 22.
• Gator radio analyst Mark Wise: "I thought Florida's shot selection was the worst I've seen in some time."
• Halftime score: Georgia 27 - Florida 24

Second Half Notes

• Rosario and Wilbekin had three's to begin the second half, and the Gators never relinquished their lead.
• UF's first lead was 30-27 at the 18:11-mark in the second half.
• Young was able to get in the scoring column was a put-back dunk off a Wilbekin missed layup.
• SEC Network play-by-play announcer Dave Neal: "Patric Young has shot better than [or equal to] 50% from the field in every game."  He shot 2/4 from the field on Wednesday.
• Young was more involved in the second half.
• Young had a highlight-reel up-and-under that drew praise from the Gator bench.
• UF had a 21-4 run to begin the second half.
• Murphy was a little out of sync during the first half and parts of the second half, probably due to his foul trouble.
• After hitting six three's in the first half, UGA attempted only one three-pointer in the second half (Caldwell-Pope hit a three with 2:20 left).
• Murphy had all of his 13 points in the second half.
• Boynton was fouled when shooting a three-pointer and made all three free-throws. 
• Despite the large lead at the end of the game, Dillon Graham or Jacob Kurtz did not see action.
• In the end, it was the Gators' seventh straight win and they improved to 7-2 on the road.
• After trailing at the half by three (27-24), the Gators outscored the Bulldogs 40-20 in the second half.
• Final score: Florida 64 - Georgia 47

Selected stats (all Florida stats unless noted)

Field goals made/attempted= 23/51 (45.1%)
Three-pointers made/attempted= 8/20 (40.0%)
Free throws made/attempted= 10/16 (62.5%)
Rebounds/offensive= 31 rebounds/10 offensive
Fouls= 14
Assists= 11
Turnovers= 7
Steals= 10
Georgia turnovers= 17
Blocks= 0
Points off turnovers= 18
Points in the paint= 24
Second-chance points= 12
Fastbreak points= 2
Bench points= 7
Guard rebounds= 8
Marquette offensive rebounds= 5
Second half points= Florida (40), Georgia (20)

Officials= Anthony Jordan, John Cahill, and Pat Adams
Attendance= 6,793

What's Up Next
The Gators will travel to Starkville, MS, to take on the Bulldogs of Mississippi State.  MSU comes in with a record of 7-10 and is 2-3 in the SEC.  Tip is set for 8:00.  The game will be televised on ESPN2 and broadcast on the radio on WRUF/Gator IMG Sports Network.  The pregame radio show begins at 7:25.

Preview: Gators take on Georgia for second time in two weeks

#8 Florida Gators (14-2, 4-0 SEC) at Georgia Bulldogs (7-10, 1-3 SEC)
Stegeman Coliseum (capacity: 10,523), Athens, GA 8:00 p.m.

Broadcast Information

TV: SEC Network; Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Barry Booker (analyst)
Radio: WRUF/Gator IMG Sports Network; Mick Hubert (play-by-play) and Mark Wise (analyst)
Streaming: ESPN3.com

Head Coaches

University of Florida: Billy Donovan (400-160, 17th season at Florida; 435-180 overall, 19th season)
Georgia: Mark Fox (57-56, 4th season at Georgia; 180-99 overall, 9th season)

Probable Starters

Florida Gators

#5 Scottie Wilbekin (6'2", 176 lbs JR) Season stats: 8.3 ppg, 4.9 apg, 2.9 rpg, 1.9 steals per game
#1 Kenny Boynton (6'2", 190 lbs SR) Season stats: 13.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.9 apg
#3 Mike Rosario (6'3", 183 lbs RS-SR) Season stats: 12.5 ppg, 2.3 apg
#33 Erik Murphy (6'10", 238 lbs SR) Season stats: 12.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg
#4 Patric Young (6'9", 249 lbs JR) Season stats: 11.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.9 blocks per game

Bench

#15 Will Yeguete (6'7", 240 lbs JR) Season stats: 6.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg
#20 Michael Frazier (6'4", 200 lbs FR) Season stats: 5.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg
#25 DeVon Walker (6'6", 191 lbs FR) Season stats: 1.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
#12 Dillon Graham (6'4", 179 lbs FR) Season stats: 0.3 ppg, 0.3 rpg


Georgia Bulldogs

#4 Charles Mann (6'4", 205 lbs FR) Season stats: 5.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg
#1 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (6'5", 205 lbs SO) Season stats: 17.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg (team leader in points and rebounds)
#31 Brandon Morris (6'7", 205 lbs FR) Season stats: 4.0 ppg, 1.9 rpg
#15 Donte' Williams (6'9", 225 lbs JR) Season stats: 6.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg
#32 John Florveus (6'11", 240 lbs SR) Season stats: 2.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg

Bench

#11 Vincent Williams (6'0", 165 lbs SR) Season stats: 5.3 ppg, 2.4 apg
#42 Nemanja Djurisic (6'8", 230 lbs SO) Season stats: 8.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg
#23 Sherrard Brantley (6'2", 187 lbs SR) Season stats: 3.2 ppg, 1.1 apg
#5 Tim Dixon (6'9", 225 lbs SO) Season stats: 2.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg

Injury News and Team Notes

• Junior forward Casey Prather (high ankle sprain) will be out for another week, but he traveled with the team.  He will most likely miss Saturday's game at Mississippi State.
• Freshman guard Braxton Ogbueze (knee) is out, according to Coach Donovan.
• UF has outscored its opponents by an average of 24 points since the loss to Kansas State on December 22nd (UF is 6-0).
• This will be Florida's third road game in its last four overall.
• Kevin Brockway: "...the Gators have lost three of their last four games at Stegeman Coliseum.  Florida's lone win during that stretch was a 104-91 double-overtime outcome in 2011."  Former Gators Erving Walker and Chandler Parsons played huge in that one.
• Brockway: "Florida ranks third in the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to 51.7 points per game.  The Gators have held eight opponents under 50 points and 12 opponents under 60 points. … Florida is playing its seventh game away from the O'Connell Center in its last 10 games.
• Georgia forward Donte' Williams and guard Kenny Gaines did not play in the first meeting due to violation of team rules.
• Georgia only shoots 33% from three.
• The Bulldogs are 7-4 at home this season
• The Gators are 4-2 on the road this season 

Last Game for Both Schools

Florida: Defeated #17 Missouri (home) on Saturday, 83-52

Georgia: Defeated LSU (home) on Saturday, 67-58

Gators All-Time Versus Georgia

Florida is 107-97 all-time versus Georgia.  UF has won 16 out of the last 19 meetings, but Georgia has won three of the last four in Athens, including last season's blowout of the Gators, 76-62.  The Gators are 36-58 all-time on the road in the series, but 9-6 in Athens under Donovan.

Last Meeting Between Schools

Florida defeated Georgia 77-44 in Gainesville on January 9th.  Mike Rosario led the Gators with 19 points.  Erik Murphy and Patric Young each scored 11, and Casey Prather added 10.  Florida forced 19 Bulldog turnovers.

What I'm Wondering

1.  Florida, for some reason, has had trouble at Stegeman Coliseum, losing three of the last four games there.    The crowd will be rocking and the Bulldogs will try to get out in front early.  Will the Gators be able to take the crowd out of the game?

2.  Once again, I'm waiting for Coach Donovan to give one of the seldom-used freshmen some minutes.  Is tonight the night that we see some extended minutes from one or both of them?

Records to be Broken in the Near Future

 •Boynton (1,801 points) recently passed Udonis Haslem for 3rd on the all-time scoring list (Ronnie Williams leads with 2,090 points)

 •Boynton (298 threes) is now the all-time leader in three-pointers made in school history

 •Boynton (121 games started) is just 8 starts away from passing Andrew DeClerq (128 starts) for the all-time record in school history

Final score prediction: Florida 72 - Georgia 65  

Recap: Gators blitz Mizzou, 83-52

(10) Florida 83 - Missouri 52

Top Performers

Florida Gators
Scottie Wilbekin: 13 points (6/8 fg, 1/2 3pt), 10 assists, 3 steals
Erik Murphy: 15 points (6/11 fg, 3/5 3pt), 5 rebounds, 2 blocks
Kenny Boynton: 14 points (6/11 fg, 2/6 3pt)
Will Yeguete: 13 points (6/7 fg, 1/1 ft), 6 rebounds
Patric Young: 9 points (4/8 fg, 1/1 ft), 8 rebounds, 3 blocks

Texas A&M
Jabari Brown: 16 points (5/18 fg, 4/11 3pt)
Keion Bell: 14 points (5/6 fg, 4/4 ft)
Phil Pressey: 2 points (1/7 fg, 0/4 3pt), 6 assists, 10 turnovers

First Half Notes

• Junior forward Patric Young scored the first five UF points.
• The Gators went on a 9-0 run to begin the game.
• At the first media timeout (14:17), the Gators were up 17-5.
• ESPN analyst Jimmy Dykes: "Missouri can't play man-to-man against Florida."
• Junior guard Scottie Wilbekin had a great strip on the Tigers' star guard Phil Pressey in transition.
• All game, Florida was a couple of steps quicker than Missouri.
• Freshman guard Michael Frazier passed up an open shot, but knocked down a three-pointer on the next possession.
• UF forced 12 turnovers during the half!
• Senior forward Erik Murphy had a baseline dunk, only the 5th dunk of his career.
• One negative from the half, UF committed 10 turnovers.  Coach Donovan would not have been happy about that.
• UF forced Mizzou to call a timeout in the backcourt.  Nothing pleases Coach Donovan or his staff more than forcing a team to burn a TO as a result of Florida's press.
• You have to give Missouri credit for playing hard until the final buzzer.  
• Halftime score: Florida 40 - Missouri 23

Second Half Notes

• Missouri cut the Gators' lead down to 14 and that resulted in a Donovan timeout.  The Gators responded with five quick points.
• When asked to compare last year's Gator defense vs. this year's, Dykes said, "It's not even close (this team's defense is better)." 
• Young had an excellent put-back dunk on a Kenny Boynton miss.
• Senior guard Mike Rosario had two great passes to junior forward Will Yeguete for layups.
• Rosario also took two charges.
• Young had a few in-and-outs on some of his hook shots, but he still showed nice post moves.
• Saturday's crowd was the first Gator sellout of the season and the 10th largest crowd all-time in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center (12,597).
• Young had maybe the highlight of the game when he crossed over and completely faked out Missouri forward Ryan Rosburg (almost an ankle-breaker, but Rosburg slipped on a wet spot on the floor).
• UF probably gave other SEC teams tips on how to defend Pressey.
• Wilbekin's defense this week: Texas A&M's Elston Turner scored 4 points (1/10 fg), and Mizzou's Pressey had 2 points (1/7 fg) and 10 turnovers.
• Dykes' teams that he wouldn't want to play on a neutral court: Louisville, Duke, Syracuse, and Florida.
• Yeguete had two dunks.
• Coach Donovan cleared the bench at the 2:31-mark.
• Sophomore walk-on Jake "The Snake" Kurtz hit a jumper as the shot clock expired, sending the O'Dome into a frenzy.
• The freshmen (Frazier, DeVon Walker, Dillon Graham, and Braxton Ogbueze) played much better than they did against Texas A&M.  They were outscored 9-0 vs. the Aggies.
• Young threw an ice bucket on Coach Donovan in the locker room to celebrate his 400th win with the Gators.
• Final score: Florida 83 - Missouri 52

Selected stats (all Florida stats unless noted)

Field goals made/attempted= 35/59 (53.9%)

Three-pointers made/attempted= 8/19 (42.1%)

Free throws made/attempted= 5/8 (62.5%)

Rebounds/offensive= 35 rebounds/7 offensive

Fouls= 14

Assists= 21

Turnovers= 16

Steals= 14

Missouri turnovers= 21

Blocks= 7

Points off turnovers= 34

Points in the paint= 48

Second-chance points= 11

Fastbreak points= 16

Bench points= 23

Guard rebounds= 10

Marquette offensive rebounds= 6

Officials= Tony Greene, Ron Groover, and Lamar Simpson

Attendance= 12,597

What's Up Next

On Wednesday (1/23), the Gators travel to the University of Georgia, looking to avenge last year's loss to the Bulldogs in Athens. Tip is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.  The game will be televised on the SEC Network and on the radio on WRUF/Gator IMG Sports Network.  The pregame radio show begins at 7:25.

Preview: Quick turnaround as Gators return home to face Missouri

#17 Missouri Tigers (13-3, 2-1 SEC) at #10 Florida Gators (13-2, 3-0 SEC)
Stephen C. O'Connell Center (capacity: 11,548), Gainesville, FL 2:00 p.m.

Broadcast Information

TV: ESPN; Mark Jones (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst)
Radio: WRUF/Gator IMG Sports Network; Mick Hubert (play-by-play) and Mark Wise (analyst)
Streaming: ESPN3.com

Head Coaches

Missouri: Frank Haith (43-8, 2nd season at Missouri; 172-109 overall, 9th season)
University of Florida: Billy Donovan (399-160, 17th season at Florida; 434-180 overall, 19th season)

Probable Starters

Florida Gators

#5 Scottie Wilbekin (6'2", 176 lbs JR) Season stats: 7.9 ppg, 4.5 apg, 2.8 rpg, 1.8 steals per game
#1 Kenny Boynton (6'2", 190 lbs SR) Season stats: 13.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.9 apg
#3 Mike Rosario (6'3", 183 lbs RS-SR) Season stats: 12.8 ppg, 2.3 apg
#33 Erik Murphy (6'10", 238 lbs SR) Season stats: 12.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg
#4 Patric Young (6'9", 249 lbs JR) Season stats: 11.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.9 blocks per game

Bench

#15 Will Yeguete (6'7", 240 lbs JR) Season stats: 6.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg
#20 Michael Frazier (6'4", 200 lbs FR) Season stats: 5.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg
#25 DeVon Walker (6'6", 191 lbs FR) Season stats: 1.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg (10/12 ft)
#12 Dillon Graham (6'4", 179 lbs FR) Season stats: 0.3 ppg, 0.3 rpg
#11 Braxton Ogbueze (6'0", 182 lbs FR) Season stats: 0.9 ppg, 0.9 rpg

Missouri Tigers

#1 Phil Pressey (5'11", 175 lbs JR) Season stats: 12.9 ppg, 7.3 apg, 3.3 rpg
#32 Jabari Brown (6'5", 205 lbs RS-SO) Season stats: 13.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg
#3 Tony Criswell (6'9", 240 lbs JR) Season stats: 6.3 ppgm 4.8 rpg
#35 Stefan Jankovic (6'11", 230 lbs FR) Season stats: 4.0 ppg, 1.9 rpg
#42 Alex Oriakhi (6'9", 255 lbs SR) Season stats: 10.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg
Bench

#33 Earnest Ross (6'5", 222 lbs RS-JR) Season stats: 10.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg
#5 Keion Bell (6'4", 200 lbs RS-SR) Season stats: 8.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg
#14 Negus Webster-Chan (6'7", 200 lbs FR) Season stats: 3.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg
#44 Ryan Rosburg (6'10", 250 lbs FR) Season stats: 1.5 ppg, 1.4 rpg

Injury News and Team Notes

• Junior forward Casey Prather (high ankle sprain) is out of today's game.  After suffering the injury on Saturday against LSU, the coaching staff said he would be out 10-14 days.  It's possible he might return for Wednesday's game at Georgia.
• Senior forward Erik Murphy (cracked rib) continues to deal with the pain associated with the injury.  However, it seems like he hasn't lost a beat.
• Junior forward Will Yeguete (knee tendonitis) was visibly hobbled in Thursday's game at Texas A&M.  This is going to be an ongoing issue, but Yeguete will continue to play through it and compete at a high level.
• Watch the matchup between Alex Oriakhi and Patric Young.  Both are imposing post players.
• Coach Donovan is going for his 400th win at Florida.  Only legendary coaches Adolph Rupp (Kentucky) and Dale Brown (LSU) have won over 400 games at one SEC school.  Rupp has 876 and Brown has 448.
• This is the only time this season that the Gators will play a Thursday/Saturday set of games.  A lot of it is due to ESPN's TV contract with the SEC.
• According to Kevin Brockway, "Florida went 4-0 in Thursday-Saturday turnarounds in SEC play last season and is 14-1 in Thursday-Saturday games since the 2009-10 season."
• With today's game being declared a sellout, it will be Florida's first full house of the season.  It should be quite an atmosphere and should show the O'Dome at its full potential. 

Last Game for Both Schools
Missouri: Defeated Georgia (home) on Wednesday, 79-62
Florida: Defeated Texas A&M (away) on Thursday, 68-47

Gators All-Time Versus Missouri

This will be the first ever meeting between the two schools.  However, Florida has faced Frank Haith-coached teams (Miami Hurricanes) in previous seasons, most recently in the 2009 NIT.

Last Meeting Between Schools

This is the first meeting between the two programs.

What I'm Wondering

1.  I'm excited to see the battle in the post between 6'9", 249 lb-Patric Young and 6'9", 255 lb-Alex Oriakhi.  Young's offense has been on display in the past few games (18 points on Thursday) and he's demanding the ball in the post more often.  Simply put: Who will win the matchup between the two?

2.  As long as Prather's unavailable, Florida will continue to have a seven-man rotation, unless there's foul trouble or another injury.  I'm waiting for Donovan to call on one of the seldom-used freshmen (Walker, Graham, or Ogbueze).  Will one of these freshmen play a role in today's game?

3.  Missouri's leading scorer Laurence Bowers (16.8 ppg) is doubtful for today's game with a knee sprain that he suffered in their first SEC game against Alabama.  Missouri hasn't been the same team since that injury, losing to Ole Miss to snap their undefeated streak.  Who will step up for the Tigers, besides Pressey and Brown? 

Records to be Broken in the Near Future
 •Boynton (1,787 points) recently passed Udonis Haslem for 3rd on the all-time scoring list (Ronnie Williams leads with 2,090 points)
 •Boynton (296 threes) is now the all-time leader in three-pointers made in school history
 •Boynton (120 games started) is just 9 starts away from passing Andrew DeClerq (128 starts) for the all-time record in school history

Final score prediction: Florida 74 - Missouri 66

Recap: Gators dominate Aggies, 68-47

(10) Florida 68 - Texas A&M 47

Top Performers

Florida Gators
Mike Rosario: 19 points (7/15 fg, 4/7 3pt), 3 assists
Patric Young: 18 points (7/9 fg, 4/5 ft), 7 rebounds
Erik Murphy: 16 points (6/10 fg, 2/5 3pt), 7 rebounds

Texas A&M
Alex Caruso: 12 points (4/9 fg, 1/3 3pt, 3/4 ft), 3 assists, 4 steals
J'Mychal Reese: 10 points (4/10 fg, 2/3 3pt)

First Half Notes

• Senior guard Mike Rosario started the game off on fire, scoring 11 points in the first seven minutes.  He was getting wide-open looks and his play carried over to the other players on the floor.  Rosario took a season-high 15 shots over the course of the game, not bad for someone who missed the last game with a sprained ankle. 
• Junior forward Will Yeguete was not moving well as a result of the continued tendonitis in his right knee.  Although he played 19 minutes, he scored two points and only grabbed three rebounds.  Let's hope Yeguete's knee pain eases because the Gators certainly need his toughness and defense.
• Texas A&M's leading scorer, Elston Turner, scored two points in the first half on 1/6 shooting.  After going off for 40 points in the upset at Kentucky, he wasn't going to get any good looks against the Gators.  Junior guard Scottie Wilbekin played incredible, lock-down defense on one of the SEC's best scorers.  As I mentioned in the preview, the Aggies go as Elston Turner goes.  Elston Turner struggled offensively and so did the Aggies.
• Senior forward Erik Murphy collected seven rebounds during the half, which was looking like it was going to be a special night for him on the boards if he kept at that pace.  However, he finished the game with the same total.  Not a bad effort considering he came into the game averaging 4.5 rebounds per game.  But it was disappointing to finish with the same number after getting off to a great start on the boards.
• Haltime score: Florida 35 - Texas A&M 18

Second Half Notes

• Junior forward Patric Young airballed a jump shot from about 12 feet.  For all the strides that he's made on the offensive end (his jump hooks are indefensible and he looks comfortable taking them), he needs to show that he can make jump shots consistently.  Especially for the NBA scouts evaluating his strengths and weaknesses, it's imperative that he developes a consistent jump shot inside 15 feet or becomes more comfortable taking them.
• Senior guard Kenny Boynton finished with five points on 2/6 shooting, but did have five assists.  Luckily, his supporting cast provided enough offense.  Against the Aggies, Boynton did not need to score but, on Saturday versus Missouri, that could be a different story. 
• Rosario, Young, and Murphy scored 53 out of the 68 points (78%). 
• ESPN announcer and Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight spoke highly of Florida's defense: "They're alert."
• Patric Young had quite a stretch mid-way through the second half: he hit a jumper and was fouled (made the free throw), he had a nice follow-up dunk off a Wilbekin miss, a 3-point play off a tough finish, made both of this foul shots after getting hacked going up for a shot, and had another chance for an and one off a put-back but missed the free throw (pretty ugly I might add).  From 12:06 to the 6:33-mark, he scored 10 points.
• Freshman forward DeVon Walker was the first seldom-used freshman to enter the game and he immediately asserted himself by grabbing an offensive rebound on a Wilbekin miss and was fouled in the process.  He made both free throws.
• Assistant coach John Pelphrey lit into freshmen Walker, Dillon Graham, and Braxton Ogbueze after the game for their sloppy play in garbage time.  They combined for four turnovers in their limited action.
• This was the 11th time (out of 15 games) that the Gators have held their opponent to under 60 points.
• Final score: Florida 68 - Texas A&M 47

Selected stats (all Florida stats unless noted)

Field goals made/attempted= 25/50 (50.0%)
Three-pointers made/attempted= 7/20 (35.0%)
Free throws made/attempted= 11/13 (84.6%)
Rebounds/offensive= 28 rebounds/9 offensive
Fouls= 13
Assists= 16
Turnovers= 11
Steals= 9
Texas A&M turnovers= 16
Blocks= 1
Points off turnovers= n/a
Points in the paint= n/a
Second-chance points= n/a
Fastbreak points= n/a
Bench points= 4
Guard rebounds= 7
Texas A&M offensive rebounds= 16

Officials= Joe Lindsay, Ted Valentine, and Doug Sirmons
Attendance= 11,046

What's Up Next

In a quick turnaround, the Gators return home to face the #17 Missouri Tigers (13-3, 2-1 SEC) on Saturday (1/19) at 2:00 p.m.  Missouri, along with Kentucky, is expected to compete with  Florida for the SEC crown.  However, the Tigers' leading scorer, senior forward Laurence Bowers (16.8 ppg), is expected to miss the game as he still recovers from a sprained knee that he sustained against Alabama in their SEC opener.  The game will be televised on ESPN and on the radio on WRUF/Gator IMG Sports Network.  The pregame radio show begins at 1:25.  The game has been declared a sell-out, which will be Florida's first of the season.

Preview: Hobbled Gators travel to Texas A&M to face Aggies

#10 Florida Gators (12-2, 2-0 SEC) at Texas A&M Aggies (12-3, 2-0 SEC)
Reed Arena (capacity: 12,989), College Station, TX 7:00 p.m.

Broadcast Information

TV: ESPN2; Rece Davis (play-by-play) and Bob Knight (analyst)

Radio: WRUF/Gator IMG Sports Network; Mick Hubert (play-by-play) and Mark Wise (analyst)

Streaming: ESPN3.com

Head Coaches

University of Florida: Billy Donovan (398-160, 17th season at Florida; 433-180 overall, 19th season)
Texas A&M: Billy Kennedy (26-21, 2nd season at Texas A&M; 237-200overall, 15th season)

Probable Starters

Florida Gators

#5 Scottie Wilbekin (6'2", 176 lbs JR) Season stats: 8.1 ppg, 4.7 apg, 2.8 rpg, 1.8 steals per game
#1 Kenny Boynton (6'2", 190 lbs SR) Season stats: 13.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.7 apg
#3 Mike Rosario (6'3", 183 lbs RS-SR) Season stats: 12.3 ppg, 2.2 apg
#33 Erik Murphy (6'10", 238 lbs SR) Season stats: 12.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg
#4 Patric Young (6'9", 249 lbs JR) Season stats: 11.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.9 blocks per game

Bench

#15 Will Yeguete (6'7", 240 lbs JR) Season stats: 6.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg
#20 Michael Frazier (6'4", 200 lbs FR) Season stats: 5.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg (seven rebounds, career-high 31 minutes vs. LSU)
#12 Dillon Graham (6'4", 179 lbs FR) Season stats: 0.4 ppg, 0.4 rpg

Texas A&M Aggies

#11 J'Mychal Reese (6'1", 173 lbs FR) Season stats: 7.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.6 apg
#12 Fabyon Harris (5'11", 172 lbs JR) Season stats: 10.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg
#31 Elston Turner (6'5", 212 lbs SR) Season stats: 17.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.9 apg (scored career-high 40 points in win at Kentucky on Saturday)
#32 Kourtney Roberson (6'9", 234 lbs SO) Season stats: 6.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg
#35 Ray Turner (6'9", 230 lbs SR) Season stats: 11.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg

Bench

#21 Alex Caruso (6'5", 176 lbs FR) Season stats: 4.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.3 apg
#13 Jordan Green (6'5", 183 lbs SO) Season stats: 3.9 ppg, 2.0 apg
#0 Andrew Young (6'8", 241 lbs JR) Season stats: 3.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg
#42 Jarod Jahns (6'6", 202 lbs SR) Season stats: 1.7 ppg, 1.6 rpg

Injury News and Team Notes

• Junior forward Casey Prather will miss at least the next two games due to a high ankle sprain he suffered during Saturday's win at LSU.  It's been a season of bad luck for Prather, who's already suffered two concussions.  
• Senior guard Mike Rosario sat out vs. LSU with an ankle sprain, but is expected to start tonight.
• Senior forward Erik Murphy continues to battle through a rib injury, labeled as a cracked rib.  He started vs. LSU and should do the same tonight.
• Junior forward Will Yeguete has been dealing with knee tendonitis, but hasn't missed any time because of it.  He was x-rayed on Monday to make sure there wasn't any other damage. 
• Look for freshman guard Mike Frazier to continue receiving significant minutes (31 minutes against LSU) due to Prather's absence and Rosario recently coming back from an injury.  Coach Donovan has praised Frazier's rebounding ability (seven rebounds vs. LSU), something the Gators will need in order to compensate for Prather's absence.
• Whether freshmen guards Dillon Graham and Braxton Ogbueze, or DeVon Walker will see more playing time is based on how the game versus the Aggies developes.  Donovan stated, “It could be totally different against A&M,” Donovan said. “It’s not necessarily him (Graham).  It could be Braxton (Ogbueze).  It could be DeVon Walker.  It depends as we get deeper into (scouting) A&M to figure those things out.”
• Patric Young: “We all went through the time where we weren’t playing as much our freshman and year and just be ready.  Your time’s coming.” --talking about how the Gator freshmen need to be ready when their number's called.
• UF faces the SEC's two newest teams, Texas A&M and Missouri (home), in its next two games.

Last Game for Both Schools

Florida: Defeated LSU (away) on Saturday, 74-52
Texas A&M: Defeated Kentucky (away) on Saturday, 83-71

Gators All-Time Versus Texas A&M

The Gators lead the all-time series, 2-1.  Last season, Florida defeated Texas A&M in the Orange Bowl Classic.  The teams split a home-and-home series during during the 1991-92 and 1992-93 seasons with the host school winning each game.

Last Meeting Between Schools

The Gators defeated the Aggies in the Orange Bowl Classic last season, 84-64.  Kenny Boynton scored 22 points (six three-pointers).

What I'm Wondering

1.  Depth could be an issue in tonight's game with Prather out and Rosario, Murphy, and Yeguete playing through pain.  Rosario might be a little cautious with his ankle, but I expect him to play his usual game.  Murphy and Yeguete have been dealing with their injuries for a couple of weeks now, so their production and minutes should not drop off.  Casey Prather has been this season's x-factor because of his athleticism and ability to create matchup problems on defense.  His loss for the next two games is a big one, but that creates an opportunity for players like Graham or Walker.  Other than Frazier, which of the freshmen will impact the game the most?

2.  Florida has suffered both of its losses on the road (I'm counting the "neutral site" game vs. Kansas State in Kansas City as a road game).  Reed Arena was one of the best environments in the Big 12, the Aggies' previous conference.  I'm expecting a sellout tonight, partly because Texas A&M is recognizing their football team at halftime.  How will the Gators react to what could be a raucous environment?

3.  Aggie senior guard Elston Turner scored 40 points in Kentucky's Rupp Arena on Saturday.  Turner, along with his team, will take on Florida with lots of confidence after their upset of the Wildcats.  Either Scottie Wilbekin or Kenny Boynton will draw the assignment on Turner and it will be their job to contain his offense.  Holding Turner to under 15 points would be a solid effort.  The Aggies go as Turner goes, so how he plays will determine how the Aggies play.  Will the Gators be able to contain the Aggies' leading scorer?

4.  Jarod Jahns, a senior walk-on for the Aggies, has seen considerable time this season after playing a total of 13 minutes in his last two seasons (154 minutes this season).  He played 30 minutes in the Aggies' upset of Kentucky and will likely play tonight against the Gators.  Will Jahns play a role in tonight's game?  

Records to be Broken in the Near Future

• Boynton (1,782 points) recently passed Udonis Haslem for 3rd on the all-time scoring list (Ronnie Williams leads with 2,090 points)
• Boynton (294 threes) is now the all-time leader in three-pointers made in school history
• Boynton (119 games started) is just 10 starts away from passing Andrew DeClerq (128 starts) for the all-time record in school history

Final score prediction: Florida 78 - Texas A&M 72

Preview: Gators begin SEC play with home contest with Georgia

Georgia Bulldogs (6-7, 0-0 SEC) at #11 Florida Gators (11-2, 0-0 SEC)
Stephen C. O'Connell Center (capacity: 11,548), Gainesville, FL 7:00 p.m.

Broadcast Information

TV: CSS; Dave Baker (play-by-play) and Bill Koss (analyst)

Radio: WRUF/Gator IMG Sports Network; Mick Hubert (play-by-play) and Mark Wise (analyst)

Head Coaches

University of Georgia: Mark Fox (56-53, 4th season at UGA; 179-96 overall, 9th season)
University of Florida: Billy Donovan (396-160, 17th season at Florida; 431-180 overall, 19th season)

Probable Starters

Georgia Bulldogs

#11 Vincent Williams (6'0", 165 lbs SR) Season stats: 4.2 ppg, 2.6 apg
#1 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (6'5", 205 lbs SO) Season stats: 17.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg (team leader in points and rebounds)
#31 Brandon Morris (6'7", 205 lbs FR) Season stats: 3.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg
#42 Nemanja Djurisic (6'8", 230 lbs SO) Season stats: 8.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg
#32 John Florveus (6'11", 240 lbs SR) Season stats: 2.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg

Bench

#15 Donte' Williams (6'9", 225 lbs JR) Season stats: 5.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg (suspended- violation of team rules)
#4 Charles Mann (6'4", 205 lbs FR) Season stats: 5.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg
#23 Sherrard Brantley (6'2", 187 lbs SR) Season stats: 3.8 ppg, 1.2 apg

Florida Gators

#5 Scottie Wilbekin (6'2", 176 lbs JR) Season stats: 8.2 ppg, 4.7 apg, 2.7 rpg, 1.8 steals per game
#1 Kenny Boynton (6'2", 190 lbs SR) Season stats: 13.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.7 apg
#3 Mike Rosario (6'3", 183 lbs RS-SR) Season stats: 11.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.4 apg
#24 Casey Prather (6'6", 208 JR) Season stats: 6.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg
#4 Patric Young (6'9", 249 lbs JR) Season stats: 10.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.9 blocks per game

Bench

#15 Will Yeguete (6'7", 240 lbs JR) Season stats: 6.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg (suffered knee injury in practice, will play but not start)
#20 Michael Frazier II (6'4", 200 lbs FR) Season stats: 5.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg
#33 Erik Murphy (6'10", 238 lbs SR) Season stats: 12.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg (DNP vs. Yale with a cracked rib, but will be active tonight)
#25 DeVon Walker (6'6", 191 lbs FR) Season stats: 1.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg

Injury News and Team Notes

• Senior forward Erik Murphy, who suffered a rib injury in the Air Force game and missed Saunday's game at Yale because of it, will be available tonight.  He re-aggravated the injury last Wednesday during practice.  Coach Billy Donovan announced that the rib was cracked but that Murphy won't do any added damage by playing.  It's just a question of how much pain he can tolerate, Donovan said. 
• Junior forward Will Yeguete injured his knee in practice this week and will come off the bench with Casey Prather starting at power forward.  He has tendinitis in his knee, but took part in shootaround today.  Look for seldom-used freshman forward DeVon Walker to see some action if Yeguete and Murphy are showing signs of discomfort.

Last Game for Both Schools

Georgia: Defeated George Washington, 52-41
Florida: Defeated Yale, 79-58

Gators All-Time Versus Georgia

Florida leads the all-time series, 106-97.  However, the Gators lost in their most recent meeting.  The Gators have more wins against Georgia than any other team.  The Gators are 13-2 at home versus the Bulldogs and 23-8 overall under Billy Donovan.

Last Meeting Between Schools

Georgia beat Florida 76-62 in Athens on February 25, 2012.  UF trailed the entire game.

What I'm Wondering

1.  The first game of league play is always an interesting one, no matter who you're playing.  Georgia may have caught Florida at a good time, as the Gators' frontcourt is banged up.  The O'Dome will be rocking and this should be the start of some great home crowds during the conference season.  Will the Gators come out ready to play?

2.  With Murphy and possibly Yeguete limited by injuries, Coach Donovan may have to go a little bit deeper into his bench.  I'm looking for DeVon Walker to get some time tonight and I really hope he takes advantage.  He was getting some minutes early in the season, but has only been getting garbage time since then.  If DeVon Walker gets some quality minutes, how will he respond?

3.  Senior guard Kenny Boynton broke Lee Hemphrey's three-point record on Sunday versus Yale when he hit eight three's.  He seems to have broken out of his slump, beginning with the Air Force game.  Will Boynton's first game of his final SEC campaign follow the previous two in terms of his shooting?

4.  Coach Donovan said that junior forward Casey Prather will start in place of Yeguete.  How will Prather respond to a place in the starting lineup?

5.  Georgia goes as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope goes.  They're not an overly-talented team.  Pope's one of the most underrated players in the SEC and was overshadowed last year by Florida's Bradley Beal and Kentucky's Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who drew the most attention as freshmen.  How will Florida defend Pope?

 Final score prediction: Florida 81 - Georgia 58

Preview: Gators take on Yale in a homecoming for Murphy

#13 Florida Gators (9-2, 0-0 SEC) at Yale Bulldogs (5-10, 0-0 Ivy)
John J. Lee Ampitheather (capacity: 2,532), New Haven, CT 5:30 p.m.

Broadcast Information

TV: NBC Sports Network; Randy Moss (play-by-play) and Dalen Cuff (analyst)

Radio: WRUF/Gator IMG Sports Network; Mick Hubert (play-by-play) and Mark Wise (analyst)

Head Coaches

University of Florida: Billy Donovan (395-160, 17th season at Florida; 430-180 overall, 19th season) Yale University: James Jones (181-201, 14th season at Yale/overall)

Probable Starters

Florida Gators

#5 Scottie Wilbekin (6'2", 176 lbs JR) Season stats: 8.7 ppg, 4.1 apg, 3.0 rpg, 1.8 steals per game
#1 Kenny Boynton (6'2", 190 lbs SR) Season stats: 12.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.7 apg
#3 Mike Rosario (6'3", 183 lbs RS-SR) Season stats: 11.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.4 apg
 #33 Erik Murphy (6'10", 238 lbs SR) Season stats: 12.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg
#4 Patric Young (6'9", 249 lbs JR) Season stats: 11.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.0 blocks per game

Bench

#15 Will Yeguete (6'7", 240 lbs JR) Season stats: 6.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg
#20 Michael Frazier II (6'4", 200 lbs FR) Season stats: 6.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg
#24 Casey Prather (6'6", 208 JR) Season stats: 6.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg

Yale Bulldogs

#5 Michael Grace (6'0", 180 lbs SR) Season stats: 4.7 ppg, 3.0 apg
#1 Austin Morgan (5'11", 190 lbs SR) Season stats: 12.1 ppg, 2.5 apg
#12 Armani Cotton (6'7", 215 lbs SO) Season stats: 5.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg
#22 Justin Sears (6'8", 205 lbs FR) Season stats: 10.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg
#50 Jeremiah Kreisberg (6'10", 240 lbs JR) Season stats: 6.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg

Bench

#20 Javier Duren (6'4", 185 lbs SO) Season stats: 5.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg
#42 Matt Townsend (6'7", 240 lbs SO) Season stats: 5.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg

Injury News and Team Notes

• Freshman guard Dillon Graham was ill before Saturday's game versus Air Force and did not sit on the bench.  I haven't heard anything to suggest that he won't be active tonight.
• Senior forward Erik Murphy is playing close to home (84.5 miles from his hometown of South Kingstown, RI.).  100 family and friends are expected to be in attendance.

Final score prediction: Florida 78 - Yale 59