Florida basketball looks to wrap up its regular season riding an 11-game win streak and a nearly flawless SEC record.
To do so, the Gators (24-6, 15-2 SEC) hit the road Saturday to face Kentucky (19-11, 10-7 SEC) in a high-profile SEC showdown. This will be the schools’ second meeting this season after Florida defeated former Gators contributor Denzel Aberdeen and the Wildcats 92-83 at the O’Connell Center last month.
While already SEC regular-season champions, the Gators’ push for the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament is in full force. Florida is coming off consecutive triple-digit nights against No. 20 Arkansas and Mississippi State. Sufficient to say, the Gator Boys sure are hot entering this matchup.
After an unusually slow midseason for Alex Condon, the Aussie has been on fire in Florida’s last five games, and he looks to keep pace this weekend against the Wildcats. Condon scored a season-high 26 points in Florida’s previous game against Mississippi State, meaning he has scored at least 20 in four of his last five games.
Beside Condon in the frontcourt, center Rueben Chinyelu is coming off back-to-back double-digit rebound games, a statline all too present this season from the 6-foot-10 center. His rebounding — he might be the best in the country on the boards, for that matter — is only one side of the story, though. With his most recent game, Chinyelu was able to set the program record for double-doubles with 18, and is averaging 11.3 points per game.
As for the man behind the plays, coach Todd Golden earned his 100th win at Florida against Mississippi State. With a possible second top seed looming, it marks another testament to Florida’s skill and his coaching ability.
Across the court, Kentucky will enter Saturday with a different type of drive. The Wildcats were handed a 96-85 loss by Texas A&M on Tuesday, and are slowly shifting down in NCAA Tournament seeding. But the word “loss” doesn’t encompass the team’s quality in the back half of SEC play
Guard Otega Oweh has been the star of Kentucky’s lineup. The senior has scored double figures in all but one of Kentucky’s 30 games this season. In SEC play, he’s had at least 20 points in 13 games. Despite the loss, the Wildcats’ last contest featured the same caliber of showing: Oweh had 24 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals. And, with Kentucky hosting its senior night Saturday, it wouldn’t be surprising for the transfer to show out one last time.
With the game in Lexington, Florida may also be at a disadvantage, even if it hasn’t lost on the road since early January. The Wildcats are 14-3 at Rupp Arena this year — a stark contrast from their 4-6 record on the road.
Although it isn’t an end-all game, this Quad 1 matchup will also play a pivotal role in the Gators seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Florida is in the hunt for the remaining No. 1 seed and a win against Kentucky would improve its chances, especially entering the SEC Tournament next week.
The Gators will take the court against the Wildcats at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
