Game 20: #3 University of Florida Gators (17-2, 6-0 SEC) at Mississippi State University Bulldogs (13-6, 3-3 SEC)
Humphrey Coliseum (capacity: 10,575), Starkville, Mississippi 7:00 p.m.
Broadcast Information
TV: ESPN2; Rece Davis (play-by-play) and Bob Knight (analyst)
Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network; Mick Hubert (play-by-play) and Bill Koss (analyst)
Streaming: ESPN3.com
Now ranked third in the country, Florida could easily get too over-confident and find itself in a dogfight with a pesky Mississippi State squad. The Bulldogs have already eclipsed their win total from last season (10) and coach Rick Ray deserves consideration for SEC Coach of the Year if they keep their conference record around or above .500. Ray's team is second in the conference and eighth in the country in steals with 8.8 per game. They are 11-1 at "The Hump," where they average 27.2 free throw attempts. In their last game, they lost to in-state rival Ole Miss, 82-63. They are led, primarily, by three sophomores: Gavin Ware, Fred Thomas, and Craig Sword. Ware is their tallest active player at 6'9" and it shows, as their rebounding margin is -1.4. Mississippi State is only shooting 30.9% from 3-point range, making 4.6 per game. They will have to improve in that area tonight if they want to avenge last year's losses to Florida, 82-47 (Starkville) and 83-58 (Gainesville).
Florida received good news this week with the announcement that freshman forward Chris Walker would become eligible for Tuesday's game at home against Missouri (9:00 p.m.). The NCAA had been investigating Walker's amateur status, but he had been practicing with the team after enrolling in the university after the fall semester following his completion of high school credits. As far as tonight's game is concerned, the Gators will be looking to extend their 11-game winning streak (longest since beginning 2005-2006 season 17-0), but don't think that Mississippi State will hand it to them. The crowd will certainly be electric and it is key for the Gators to not play down to the Bulldogs' level. The area where I'll be paying close attention to is turnovers. The Bulldogs force 15.6 turnovers per game, so Kasey Hill and Scottie Wilbekin need to take care of the ball.
Projected lineups and reserves
Florida
#5 Scottie Wilbekin (6'2", 176 lbs. SR) Season stats: 12.5 points per game, 3.4 assists per game
#20 Michael Frazier II (6'6", 195 lbs. SO) 12.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg
#24 Casey Prather (6'6", 212 lbs. SR) 16.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg
#15 Will Yeguete (6'8", 230 lbs. SR) 5.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg
#4 Patric Young (6'9", 240 lbs. SR) 10.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg
Bench
#10 Dorian Finney-Smith (6'8", 212 lbs. RS-SO) 10.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg
#0 Kasey Hill (6'1", 181 lbs. FR) 6.5 ppg, 3.3 apg
#25 DeVon Walker (6'6", 195 lbs. SO) 3.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg
#30 Jacob Kurtz (6'6", 210 lbs. JR) 2.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Mississippi State
#4 Trivante Bloodman (6'0", 182 lbs. JR) Season stats: 5.8 points per game, 2.4 assists per game
#32 Craig Sword (6'3", 194 lbs. SO) 13.9 ppg, 3.6 rebounds per game
#1 Fred Thomas (6'5", 206 lbs. SO) 8.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg
#3 Colin Borchert (6'8", 231 lbs. SR) 10.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg
#20 Gavin Ware (6'9", 268 lbs. SO) 11.0 ppg, 8.2 rpg
Bench
#25 Roquez Johnson (6'7", 197 lbs. JR) 10.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg
#15 I.J. Ready (5'11", 170 lbs. FR) 6.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg
#24 Tyson Cunningham (6'3", 197 lbs. SR) 1.7 ppg, 0.4 rpg
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Traditional rival Tennessee comes to town
Game 19: University of Tennessee Volunteers (12-6, 3-2 SEC) at #6 University of Florida Gators (16-2, 5-0 SEC)
Stephen C. O'Connell Center (capacity: 11,548), Gainesville, Florida 4:00 p.m.
Broadcast Information
TV: ESPN; Mark Jones (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst)
Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network; Mick Hubert (play-by-play) and Bill Koss (analyst)
Streaming: ESPN3.com
Despite travel problems on Thursday, Florida is confident in their preparation for today's game against one of its biggest rivals. Due to mechanical issues with their chartered plane, the Gators watched film in the hotel in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Thursday night following their 68-62 win over Alabama. They then had a light practice yesterday after getting into Gainesville around noon. But the players and coaching staff aren't making a big deal out of their less-than-ideal preparation.
Tennessee, coming off an 81-74 win over Arkansas on Wednesday, is looking for a signature win, with its only noteworthy victory coming against Virginia. Vols coach Cuonzo Martin is in his third season at the helm and this year's team has embraced the toughness that their coach displayed while playing at Purdue. Junior forward Jarnell Stokes is the SEC's second-leading rebounder at 9.7 per game, with Jeronne Maymon fourth in the conference at 8.2. Both big men are 6'8" and 260 pounds. But probably the best pure-scorer in the conference is Jordan McRae, who's averaging 19.2 points per game, good for third in the SEC. The senior is coming off of a 34-point performance in Wednesday's game.
Florida coach Billy Donovan said that the bench will play a big role, more so than normal due to the Thursday-Saturday turnaround. Remarkably, the Gators are 16-1 in those such turnarounds.
Today's game is the 125th all-time meeting between the two schools, with Tennessee leading the series 72-52, including three in a row. The Gators are 16-18 under Donovan against the Vols. The Gators have been taking care of business at home, going 33-24.
Projected lineups and reserves
Tennessee
#2 Antonio Barton (6'2", 180 lbs. SR) Season stats: 8.3 points per game, 2.0 rebounds per game
#1 Josh Richardson (6'6", 196 lbs. JR) 8.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg
#52 Jordan McRae (6'6", 185 lbs. SR) 19.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg
#5 Jarnell Stokes (6'8", 260 lbs. JR) 13.4 ppg, 9.7 rpg
#34 Jeronne Maymon (6'8", 260 lbs. RS SR) 11.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg
Bench
#15 Darius Thompson (6'5", 181 lbs. FR) 2.9 ppg, 2.6 assists per game
#21 A.J. Davis (6'9", 212 lbs. FR) 2.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg
#23 Derek Reese (6'8", 220 lbs. SO) 3.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg
#4 Armani Moore (6'5", 215 lbs. SO) 2.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg
#32 D'Montre Edwards (6'6", 205 lbs. SR) 2.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg
Florida
#5 Scottie Wilbekin (6'2", 176 lbs. SR) Season stats: 12.5 points per game, 3.6 assists per game
#20 Michael Frazier II (6'6", 195 lbs. SO) 12.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg
#24 Casey Prather (6'6", 212 lbs. SR) 17.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg
#15 Will Yeguete (6'8", 230 lbs. SR) 5.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg
#4 Patric Young (6'9", 240 lbs. SR) 10.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg
Bench
#10 Dorian Finney-Smith (6'8", 212 lbs. RS-SO) 10.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg
#0 Kasey Hill (6'1", 181 lbs. FR) 6.8 ppg, 3.4 apg
#25 DeVon Walker (6'6", 195 lbs. SO) 3.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg
#30 Jacob Kurtz (6'6", 210 lbs. JR) 2.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg
Stephen C. O'Connell Center (capacity: 11,548), Gainesville, Florida 4:00 p.m.
Broadcast Information
TV: ESPN; Mark Jones (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst)
Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network; Mick Hubert (play-by-play) and Bill Koss (analyst)
Streaming: ESPN3.com
Despite travel problems on Thursday, Florida is confident in their preparation for today's game against one of its biggest rivals. Due to mechanical issues with their chartered plane, the Gators watched film in the hotel in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Thursday night following their 68-62 win over Alabama. They then had a light practice yesterday after getting into Gainesville around noon. But the players and coaching staff aren't making a big deal out of their less-than-ideal preparation.
Tennessee, coming off an 81-74 win over Arkansas on Wednesday, is looking for a signature win, with its only noteworthy victory coming against Virginia. Vols coach Cuonzo Martin is in his third season at the helm and this year's team has embraced the toughness that their coach displayed while playing at Purdue. Junior forward Jarnell Stokes is the SEC's second-leading rebounder at 9.7 per game, with Jeronne Maymon fourth in the conference at 8.2. Both big men are 6'8" and 260 pounds. But probably the best pure-scorer in the conference is Jordan McRae, who's averaging 19.2 points per game, good for third in the SEC. The senior is coming off of a 34-point performance in Wednesday's game.
Florida coach Billy Donovan said that the bench will play a big role, more so than normal due to the Thursday-Saturday turnaround. Remarkably, the Gators are 16-1 in those such turnarounds.
Today's game is the 125th all-time meeting between the two schools, with Tennessee leading the series 72-52, including three in a row. The Gators are 16-18 under Donovan against the Vols. The Gators have been taking care of business at home, going 33-24.
Projected lineups and reserves
Tennessee
#2 Antonio Barton (6'2", 180 lbs. SR) Season stats: 8.3 points per game, 2.0 rebounds per game
#1 Josh Richardson (6'6", 196 lbs. JR) 8.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg
#52 Jordan McRae (6'6", 185 lbs. SR) 19.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg
#5 Jarnell Stokes (6'8", 260 lbs. JR) 13.4 ppg, 9.7 rpg
#34 Jeronne Maymon (6'8", 260 lbs. RS SR) 11.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg
Bench
#15 Darius Thompson (6'5", 181 lbs. FR) 2.9 ppg, 2.6 assists per game
#21 A.J. Davis (6'9", 212 lbs. FR) 2.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg
#23 Derek Reese (6'8", 220 lbs. SO) 3.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg
#4 Armani Moore (6'5", 215 lbs. SO) 2.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg
#32 D'Montre Edwards (6'6", 205 lbs. SR) 2.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg
Florida
#5 Scottie Wilbekin (6'2", 176 lbs. SR) Season stats: 12.5 points per game, 3.6 assists per game
#20 Michael Frazier II (6'6", 195 lbs. SO) 12.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg
#24 Casey Prather (6'6", 212 lbs. SR) 17.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg
#15 Will Yeguete (6'8", 230 lbs. SR) 5.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg
#4 Patric Young (6'9", 240 lbs. SR) 10.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg
Bench
#10 Dorian Finney-Smith (6'8", 212 lbs. RS-SO) 10.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg
#0 Kasey Hill (6'1", 181 lbs. FR) 6.8 ppg, 3.4 apg
#25 DeVon Walker (6'6", 195 lbs. SO) 3.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg
#30 Jacob Kurtz (6'6", 210 lbs. JR) 2.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg
Saturday, January 11, 2014
2 keys to beating Arkansas
1. "Man down, man up"
The Gators will be without leading scorer Casey Prather, who suffered a bone bruise in his knee during Wednesday's win over South Carolina. Senior center Patric Young, who is arguably playing the best basketball of his career, has been hobbled by tendinitis in both knees and will not start today. Senior point guard Scottie Wilbekin will not start either, after turning his ankle at the end of Wednesday's game. Sophomore shooting guard Michael Frazier II has been dealing with a calf injury. Young has been in and out of practice, while Wilbekin has not practiced since his injury. Both Young and Wilbekin will play today. The Gators have been undermanned all season, with sophomore guard Dillon Graham (hip) and junior guard Eli Carter (leg) electing to redshirt after not being able to get back to full fitness. According to Coach Billy Donovan, the Gator starting lineup will be: Kasey Hill (PG), Frazier II (SG), DeVon Walker (SF), Dorian Finney-Smith (PF), and Will Yeguete (C). Junior walk-on forward Jacob Kurtz will be utilized and should be a big role in today's game.
2. Dealing with the Razorback crowd
Bud Walton Arena is one of the loudest arenas in the country, and the Razorbacks have won 23 straight games here. According to Donovan, Arkansas is a "top-5 team" when they play at home. Expect all 19,200 seats to be filled. Razorback fans should be excited, as #10 Florida comes into town today and #14 Kentucky comes in on Tuesday.
The Gators will be without leading scorer Casey Prather, who suffered a bone bruise in his knee during Wednesday's win over South Carolina. Senior center Patric Young, who is arguably playing the best basketball of his career, has been hobbled by tendinitis in both knees and will not start today. Senior point guard Scottie Wilbekin will not start either, after turning his ankle at the end of Wednesday's game. Sophomore shooting guard Michael Frazier II has been dealing with a calf injury. Young has been in and out of practice, while Wilbekin has not practiced since his injury. Both Young and Wilbekin will play today. The Gators have been undermanned all season, with sophomore guard Dillon Graham (hip) and junior guard Eli Carter (leg) electing to redshirt after not being able to get back to full fitness. According to Coach Billy Donovan, the Gator starting lineup will be: Kasey Hill (PG), Frazier II (SG), DeVon Walker (SF), Dorian Finney-Smith (PF), and Will Yeguete (C). Junior walk-on forward Jacob Kurtz will be utilized and should be a big role in today's game.
2. Dealing with the Razorback crowd
Bud Walton Arena is one of the loudest arenas in the country, and the Razorbacks have won 23 straight games here. According to Donovan, Arkansas is a "top-5 team" when they play at home. Expect all 19,200 seats to be filled. Razorback fans should be excited, as #10 Florida comes into town today and #14 Kentucky comes in on Tuesday.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Florida opens SEC play with South Carolina coming to town
Game 14: University of South Carolina Gamecocks (7-6, 0-0 SEC) at #10 University of Florida Gators (11-2, 0-0 SEC)
Stephen C. O'Connell Center (capacity: 11,548), Gainesville, Florida 7:00 p.m.
Projected starting lineups and reserves:
South Carolina
#1 Brenton Williams (5'11", 172 lbs. SR) Season stats: 11.2 points per game, 1.8 rebounds per game
#10 Duane Notice (6'2", 221 lbs. FR) 6.7 ppg, 2.9 assists per game
#0 Sindarius Thornwell (6'5", 206 lbs. FR) 10.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg
#25 Mindaugas Kacinas (6'7", 210 lbs. SO) 6.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg
#21 Demetrius Henry (6'9", 215 lbs. FR) 7.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg
Reserves
#4 Tyrone Johnson (6'3", 194 lbs. JR) 11.7 ppg, 3.7 apg
#24 Michael Carrera (6'5", 214 lbs. SO) 7.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg
#14 Laimonas Chatkevicious (6'11, 250 lbs. SO) 3.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg
#32 Desmond Ringer (6'9", 255 lbs. FR) 2.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg
#5 Jaylen Shaw (6'0", 182 lbs. FR) 3.6 ppg, 1.4 apg
Florida
#5 Scottie Wilbekin (6'2", 176 lbs. SR) Season stats: 11.8 points per game, 4.0 assists per game, 3.3 rebounds per game
#20 Michael Frazier II (6'6", 195 lbs. SO) 11.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg
#24 Casey Prather (6'6", 212 lbs. SR) 17.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg
#15 Will Yeguete (6'8", 230 lbs. SR) 4.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg
#4 Patric Young (6'9", 240 lbs. SR) 10.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.0 block per game
Reserves:
#10 Dorian Finney-Smith (6'8", 212 lbs. RS-SO) 10.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg
#0 Kasey Hill (6'1", 181 lbs. FR) 7.6 ppg, 3.3 apg
#25 DeVon Walker (6'6", 195 lbs. SO) 3.7 ppg, 1.5 rpg
#30 Jacob Kurtz (6'6", 210 lbs. JR) 2.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg
Broadcast Information
TV: CSS; Matt Stewart (play-by-play) and Daymeon Fishback (analyst)
Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network; Mick Hubert (play-by-play) and Bill Koss (analyst)
Streaming: ESPN3.com
Stephen C. O'Connell Center (capacity: 11,548), Gainesville, Florida 7:00 p.m.
Projected starting lineups and reserves:
South Carolina
#1 Brenton Williams (5'11", 172 lbs. SR) Season stats: 11.2 points per game, 1.8 rebounds per game
#10 Duane Notice (6'2", 221 lbs. FR) 6.7 ppg, 2.9 assists per game
#0 Sindarius Thornwell (6'5", 206 lbs. FR) 10.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg
#25 Mindaugas Kacinas (6'7", 210 lbs. SO) 6.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg
#21 Demetrius Henry (6'9", 215 lbs. FR) 7.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg
Reserves
#4 Tyrone Johnson (6'3", 194 lbs. JR) 11.7 ppg, 3.7 apg
#24 Michael Carrera (6'5", 214 lbs. SO) 7.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg
#14 Laimonas Chatkevicious (6'11, 250 lbs. SO) 3.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg
#32 Desmond Ringer (6'9", 255 lbs. FR) 2.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg
#5 Jaylen Shaw (6'0", 182 lbs. FR) 3.6 ppg, 1.4 apg
Florida
#5 Scottie Wilbekin (6'2", 176 lbs. SR) Season stats: 11.8 points per game, 4.0 assists per game, 3.3 rebounds per game
#20 Michael Frazier II (6'6", 195 lbs. SO) 11.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg
#24 Casey Prather (6'6", 212 lbs. SR) 17.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg
#15 Will Yeguete (6'8", 230 lbs. SR) 4.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg
#4 Patric Young (6'9", 240 lbs. SR) 10.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.0 block per game
Reserves:
#10 Dorian Finney-Smith (6'8", 212 lbs. RS-SO) 10.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg
#0 Kasey Hill (6'1", 181 lbs. FR) 7.6 ppg, 3.3 apg
#25 DeVon Walker (6'6", 195 lbs. SO) 3.7 ppg, 1.5 rpg
#30 Jacob Kurtz (6'6", 210 lbs. JR) 2.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg
Broadcast Information
TV: CSS; Matt Stewart (play-by-play) and Daymeon Fishback (analyst)
Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network; Mick Hubert (play-by-play) and Bill Koss (analyst)
Streaming: ESPN3.com
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