Florida expects tough contest at Ole Miss

Game 27: #2 University of Florida Gators (24-2, 13-0 SEC) at Ole Miss (16-10, 7-6 SEC)
C.M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum (capacity: 8,867), Oxford, Mississippi. 12:00 p.m.

Opinion/Analysis

The Gators travel to Oxford to face the Ole Miss Rebels, a team that defeated Florida in the SEC Championship game last season.  The Rebels, under head coach Andy Kennedy, are led by two players: Marshall Henderson and Jarvis Summers.  How those two players play will determine the outcome of today's game.  Henderson, who averages 4.5 3-pointers per game, is the epitome of a love/hate player: If you're an Ole Miss fan, you love him; however, if you're an opposing fan, you hate him.  His antics can drive fans crazy (including myself) and I cannot hide the fact that I dislike him.  But he's a great scorer and I have to give him credit for that.  Summers isn't too shabby, either, as he averages 17 points per game.  Ole Miss' frontcourt players are bigger than Florida's, but they don't really give the Rebels much in terms of offense.

The Gators, who have a chance to move up to #1 in the country with a win today, come into today's game a little hobbled.  Michael Frazier (wrist) might see his shooting affected, while backup point guard Kasey Hill (groin) is out.  The Gators are going for their 19th-straight victory.  The Gators are 5-3 at Ole Miss under head coach Billy Donovan.

The Rebels will be fired up for this game after dropping Tuesday's contest to Kentucky at home.  If Henderson is hitting shots and the crowd starts going crazy, the Gators might be in trouble.  Dorian Finney-Smith needs to get his rhythm back, as he's 0/18 from 3-point range in the last six games.  

Ole Miss has lost four of its last five games, but averages more 3-pointers (8.1) per game than any team in the SEC, but also gives up the most threes (7.0) in the conference.

Projected starting lineups and reserves:

FLORIDA

#5 Scottie Wilbekin (6'2", 176 pounds, SR) Season stats: 13.6 points per game, 3.7 assists per game
#20 Michael Frazier II (6'6", 195 pounds, SO) 12.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg
#24 Casey Prather (6'6", 212 pounds, SR) 15.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg
#15 Will Yeguete (6'8", 230 pounds, SR) 5.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg
#4 Patric Young (6'9", 240 pounds, SR) 10.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.0 block per game

Reserves

#10 Dorian Finney-Smith (6'8", 212 pounds, RS-SO) 9.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg
#0 Kasey Hill (6'1", 181 pounds, FR) 5.6 ppg, 3.2 apg *WILL NOT PLAY (GROIN)
#23 Chris Walker (6'10", 220 pounds, FR) 1.6 ppg, 1.2 rpg
#25 DeVon Walker (6'6", 195 pounds, SO) 2.7 ppg, 1.4 rpg
#30 Jacob Kurtz (6'6", 210 pounds, JR) 2.0 ppg, 1.9 rpg

OLE MISS

#32 Jarvis Summers (6'3", 186 pounds, JR) Season stats: 17.0 points per game, 38 assists per game
#22 Marshall Henderson (6'2", 177 pounds, SR) 19.4 ppg, 2.2 apg
#10 LaDarius White (6'6", 211 pounds, JR) 7.9 ppg, 3.3 rebounds per game
#34 Aaron Jones (6'9", 220 pounds, JR) 6.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.1 blocks per game
#23 Dwight Coleby (6'9", 236 pounds, FR) 1.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg

Reserves

#3 Derrick Millinghaus (5'10", 172 pounds, SO) 7.5 ppg, 2.4 apg
#13 Anthony Perez (6'9", 213 pounds, SO) 7.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg
#11 Sebastian Saiz (6'9", 233 pounds, FR) 4.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg
#4 Demarco Cox (6'8", 276 pounds, JR) 4.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg
#1 Martavious Newby (6'3", 210 pounds, SO) 1.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg

Broadcast Information

TV: CBS; Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and Doug Gottlieb (analyst)
Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network; Mick Hubert (play-by-play) and Bill Koss (analyst)
Streaming: CBSSports.com