GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It’s hard to find much fault in the resume Florida is putting together in coach Mike White’s second season.
The Gators would like to have the home loss against Vanderbilt back, for sure. They’d like to see what could have happened at South Carolina if they had hit even a couple 3-pointers.
But at 17-5 overall, 7-2 in the SEC and riding a streak of three straight wins by 32 or more points, the No. 24 Gators are in a “good place,” as White puts it.
What is missing is that signature win over a top-10 opponent, or even a current top-25 team, for that matter. Florida has had its chances against the likes of Gonzaga, Duke, Florida State and South Carolina, but is still searching for that marquee victory that will impress the NCAA tournament selection committee in March.
The Gators get another shot Saturday night when they host No. 8 Kentucky (18-4, 8-1) before a sold-out crowd inside Exactech Arena at the O’Connell Center.
“I think it’d be a huge breakthrough win for us, if we can get it done,” White said. “We’ve had opportunities there. Duke, for the most part, maintained a decent lead, if you think about the last 30 minutes or so of that game. But Gonzaga, we had a double-digit lead in the first half, had a 5-point halftime lead. We played at Florida State in a great environment in a rivalry game and we were right there. Minus three or four mistakes, maybe you have a chance to go steal that one. And we didn’t take advantage of course, so here’s another one. …
“The environment is going to be great. If we play really well, maybe we’re in a position to where it’s a two, three-possession game there, where two, three possessions in the second half, if we do this as opposed to this, we can overcome. We can get over the hump and win a big one.”
Kentucky is not unbeatable by any means this year. In their last three games, the Wildcats lost at Tennessee, lost at home to Kansas and needed overtime to get past Georgia at home.
RELATED: ESPN analyst Jay Bilas discusses Florida-Kentucky matchup
They were without star freshman point guard De’Aaron Fox against the Bulldogs and he remains a game-time decision for Saturday due to an illness.
If Fox is out, that changes the dynamics of the matchup and limits Kentucky’s potent transition game. White, for his part, said the Gators are expecting him to suit up.
Ultimately, the onus is on Florida to play a clean game on the offensive end and not give up the kind of turnovers that Kentucky feasts on for momentum-swinging fastbreak scores.
The Gators have plenty of offensive balance, but they’re going to need their best guys playing well in this one. That means dependable production from sophomore guard KeVaughn Allen (13.6 points per game), junior forward Devin Robinson (11.8 points PPG) and graduate guard Canyon Barry (12.8 PPG) in addition to whatever role player takes his turn stepping into the spotlight, as has been the storyline all season for this team.
And the Gators need to play to their strength, their identity, which is sound team defense. Kentucky has too many offensive weapons for Florida to overcome many lapses on the defensive end.
What the Gators have going for them, though, in addition to simply being one of the top teams in the SEC and playing before a frenzied home crowd, is the considerable momentum and confidence they bring into this matchup.
“I think it’s pretty high. It’s as high as it has been, for sure,” White said. “But our guys also understand what they’re up against with the Wildcats. There’s a lot of respect there from our guys. We’ll see where our confidence is at the tip, 5 minutes, 10 minutes in. I think that’s really important for us. Got to get off to a good start. But we’re in a pretty good place in terms of our confidence.”
What time is tip-off?
The game tips at 8:15 p.m. ET Saturday.
What TV channel is showing Florida-Kentucky?
The game will be televised on ESPN and be streamed online via WatchESPN. Also, ESPN’s College GameDay is broadcasting live from the O’Dome at 11 a.m.
Who is calling the Florida-Kentucky game?
Dan Shulman is on the play-by-play call, Jay Bilas is the analyst and Maria Taylor is the in-game reporter.
Looking at Kentucky
Even if Fox can’t go, the Wildcats will have no shortage of talent or star power on the court.
Fellow freshman guard Malik Monk has been every bit as important this season, averaging 22.4 points per game and shooting 41.2 percent from 3-point range.
Sophomore guard Isaiah Briscoe averages 14.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists and is a capable ball handler when Fox is off the court.
And 6-foot-10 freshman forward Bam Adebayo is a force inside, averaging 13.2 points and 6.8 rebounds.
“Extremely talented team, of course. I like our talent. We’re a talented team as well. But these guys, they’re one of the best offensive teams in the country and they’re one of the best defensive teams in the country,” White said. “It’s hard to argue that there’s many teams out there with a better backcourt of the three of those guys, that combination that those three guys make up.
“I love Isaiah Briscoe’s game. In my opinion he’s one of the most underrated guys in the country. I know he’s got a rep, but I think he does a lot of stuff that doesn’t show up in the box score as well. Those freshmen guards of course are terrific. Abedayo is terrific. They’ve got more depth, they’ve got bigs coming off the bench that are very talented, of course. They play really hard. They’re physical. They’ve got great team speed. They are great on the offensive glass. They’re good at a lot of things.”
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