Stephen C. O'Connell Center (capacity 11,548), Gainesville, FL 9:00 p.m.
Broadcast Information
TV: ESPN2; Dave Pasch (play-by-play) and Fran Fraschilla (analyst)
Radio: WRUF/Gator IMG Sports Network; Mick Hubert (play-by-play) and Mark Wise (analyst)
Streaming: ESPN3.com
Head Coaches
Marquette: Buzz Williams (101-46, 5th season at Marquette/overall)
University of Florida: Billy Donovan (391-158, 17th season at Florida; 426-178 overall, 19th season)
Probable Starters
Marquette Golden Eagles
# 5 Junior Cadougan (6'1", 205 lbs SR) Season stats: 7.0 ppg, 5.0 apg
#13 Vander Blue (6'4", 200 lbs JR) Season stats: 11.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg (battling a sprained knee)
# 22 Trent Lockett (6'5", 210 lbs SR) Season stats: 9.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg
# 10 Juan Anderson (6'6", 210 lbs SO) Season stats: 5.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg
#42 Chris Otule (6'11", 275 lbs RS-SR) Season stats: 8.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg
Bench
# 54 Davante Gardner (6'8", 290 lbs JR) Season stats: 14.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg
#00 Jamil Wilson (6'7", 225 RS-JR) Season stats: 11.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg
Florida Gators
#1 Kenny Boynton (6'2", 190 lbs SR) Season stats: 17.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg
#3 Mike Rosario (6'3", 183 lbs RS-SR) Season stats: 12.7 ppg, 3.0 apg
#15 Will Yeguete (6'7", 240 lbs JR) Season stats: 7.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg
#33 Erik Murphy (6'10", 238 lbs SR) Season stats: 15.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg
#4 Patric Young (6'9", 249 lbs JR) Season stats: 9.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg
Bench
#5 Scottie Wilbekin (6'2", 176 lbs JR) Season stats: 9.7 ppg, 4.3 apg
#20 Michael Frazier II (6'4", 200 lbs FR) Season stats: 3.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg
#24 Casey Prather (6'6", 208 JR) Season stats: 8.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg (played first game vs. UCF)
Injury News
According to Coach Donovan, the active Gator players are injury-free! (Damontre Harris, who is red-shirting after transferring to UF from South Carolina, suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder during the first week of practice and will be out until January or February)
Last Game for Both Schools
Marquette: Defeated UMBC on Monday, 79-46
Florida: Defeated UCF on Friday, 79-66
Gators All-Time Versus Opponent
#3 Mike Rosario (6'3", 183 lbs RS-SR) Season stats: 12.7 ppg, 3.0 apg
#15 Will Yeguete (6'7", 240 lbs JR) Season stats: 7.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg
#33 Erik Murphy (6'10", 238 lbs SR) Season stats: 15.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg
#4 Patric Young (6'9", 249 lbs JR) Season stats: 9.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg
Bench
#5 Scottie Wilbekin (6'2", 176 lbs JR) Season stats: 9.7 ppg, 4.3 apg
#20 Michael Frazier II (6'4", 200 lbs FR) Season stats: 3.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg
#24 Casey Prather (6'6", 208 JR) Season stats: 8.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg (played first game vs. UCF)
Injury News
According to Coach Donovan, the active Gator players are injury-free! (Damontre Harris, who is red-shirting after transferring to UF from South Carolina, suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder during the first week of practice and will be out until January or February)
Last Game for Both Schools
Marquette: Defeated UMBC on Monday, 79-46
Florida: Defeated UCF on Friday, 79-66
Gators All-Time Versus Opponent
The Gators are 1-2 versus Marquette, with losses in 1976 and 1977. The Gators defeated the Golden Eagles 68-58 in last season's Sweet 16.
Last Meeting Between Schools
The seventh-seeded Gators defeated the third-seeded Golden Eagles 68-58 in last season's Sweet 16.
What I'm Wondering
1. It's key for the Gators to get off to a good start tonight. They started their game with UCF 0/9 from the field. Marquette is far more talented than UCF so the Gators cannot afford to come out of the gate slow. How will the Gators come out?
2. Florida's defense against UCF wasn't good at all. They weren't getting back in transition and the players acknowledged that they did lots of defensive drills in practice leading up to this game. Will there be a defensive improvement versus Marquette?
3. Patric Young noted that he needs to finish better around the basket. Even though I feel that he's doing fine around the rim, he has high standards for himself. How will he finish around the basket against the Golden Eagles?
4. Marquette will come into the O'Dome wanting revenge from last season's Sweet 16 loss. Outside of a buzzer-beating loss to Butler in the Maui Invitational, Marquette might be coming in here undefeated. I'm expecting a close game throughout, with both teams making runs at various points in the game. Will the Gators respond whenever the Golden Eagles make a run?
5. Marquette has two big (and I mean BIG) men that are their main forces inside: Davante Gardner (6'8", 290 lbs) and Chris Otule (6'11", 275 lbs). Which team will own the paint?
6. The Golden Eagles are outrebounding their opponents by a margin of +5.5 (37.2-32.2). The Gators, meanwhile, are outrebounding their opponents by a margin of +10.6 (40.0-29.4). Which team will own the glass?
7. The Gators are averaging only 13.0 assists per game, uncharacteristically low for Donovan's teams who are consistently one of the top teams in the SEC in assists. Will the Gators change that tonight?
Records to be Broken in the Near Future
The seventh-seeded Gators defeated the third-seeded Golden Eagles 68-58 in last season's Sweet 16.
What I'm Wondering
1. It's key for the Gators to get off to a good start tonight. They started their game with UCF 0/9 from the field. Marquette is far more talented than UCF so the Gators cannot afford to come out of the gate slow. How will the Gators come out?
2. Florida's defense against UCF wasn't good at all. They weren't getting back in transition and the players acknowledged that they did lots of defensive drills in practice leading up to this game. Will there be a defensive improvement versus Marquette?
3. Patric Young noted that he needs to finish better around the basket. Even though I feel that he's doing fine around the rim, he has high standards for himself. How will he finish around the basket against the Golden Eagles?
4. Marquette will come into the O'Dome wanting revenge from last season's Sweet 16 loss. Outside of a buzzer-beating loss to Butler in the Maui Invitational, Marquette might be coming in here undefeated. I'm expecting a close game throughout, with both teams making runs at various points in the game. Will the Gators respond whenever the Golden Eagles make a run?
5. Marquette has two big (and I mean BIG) men that are their main forces inside: Davante Gardner (6'8", 290 lbs) and Chris Otule (6'11", 275 lbs). Which team will own the paint?
6. The Golden Eagles are outrebounding their opponents by a margin of +5.5 (37.2-32.2). The Gators, meanwhile, are outrebounding their opponents by a margin of +10.6 (40.0-29.4). Which team will own the glass?
7. The Gators are averaging only 13.0 assists per game, uncharacteristically low for Donovan's teams who are consistently one of the top teams in the SEC in assists. Will the Gators change that tonight?
Records to be Broken in the Near Future
- Boynton (1,670 points) needs 8 points to pass Stacey Poole for 5th on the Gators' all-time scoring list
- Boynton (275 threes) needs 10 three-pointers to pass Erving Walker for 2nd on the all-time list (Lee Humphrey leads with 288)
- Boynton (110 games started) needs four more starts to pass Erving Walker for 5th on the all-time list
- Patric Young (81 dunks) needs three more dunks to pass Vernon Delancy for 9th all-time (*dunks are unofficial stats)
Final score prediction: Florida 76 - Marquette 72
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