Gators face first SEC road test Saturday at No. 9 Auburn

The Gators men’s basketball team faces yet another top-15 team Saturday in No. 9 Auburn.

The Tigers will be the highest-ranked opponent to date for the Gators, who dropped their SEC opener Wednesday, 83-70, against No. 15 Alabama.

This game will be Florida’s toughest test yet, as Auburn is the top-ranked team in the SEC and undefeated at home so far this season.

“They’re playing at such a high level,” UF coach Mike White said Friday of the Tigers. “They’ve got a chance to compete for a championship in my opinion. They’re really good.”

Florida currently owns a two-game winning streak against the Tigers. The Gators defeated No. 4 Auburn in Gainesville, 69-47, two years ago and topped AU on the road, 74-57, last season.

Important notes about the Tigers

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl boasts tremendous depth on his roster and has done a great job keeping fresh legs on the court. The Tigers have 11 players who average over 10 minutes per game. 

Florida forward Colin Castleton will have his hands full under the rim on Saturday night. Auburn has serious size with forwards Jabari Smith at 6-foot-10 and Walker Kessler at 7-foot-1.

Smith leads the Tigers in points per game (15.7) while averaging 6.5 rebounds per game. He’s also a sharpshooter, making 43.8 percent of his attempts from three-point range. 

“He is a special talent,” White said of Smith. “They say he’s 6’10”. And he’s a two-guard, he’s a two-guard. I mean, he’s got a beautiful stroke. He’s efficient. Gets to his spots. He’s got an ability to raise up with a high release to separate a little bit in the air. Can kind of twist a little bit, go right, go left.

“He’s just advanced. It seems like mentally he’s kind of a step ahead of where he should be at that age. He’s a really good player, but they’ve got several other really good players as well.”

Kessler, on the other hand, uses his frame to lead his team in rebounds per game (7.6) and blocks per game (4.2), which is third in the country. In doing so, he also averages 10.1 points per game. 

Auburn has a deep backcourt as well, led by Wendell Green Jr. and K.D. Johnson. Green Jr. puts up 12.7 points per game and leads the Tigers with 4.6 assists per game. Johnson averages 12.1 PPG and a team-high 2.1 steals per game.

Can the Gators find a way to win?

UF coach Mike White and his staff have now had a few more days to work with the players after the program dealt with COVID-19 issues, but will it be enough? 

Each of Florida’s guards struggled in the loss to Alabama, which doesn’t bode well for Saturday’s matchup with Auburn’s quickness in the backcourt. 

“Myreon [Jones] and Brandon [McKissic] both need extra shots on a daily basis. They don’t miss a day,” White said. “I liked Myreon’s shot selection in the last one. He had one I wish we had back, but he had a lot of really good looks and I’ve got confidence in him that they’ll go. I think we’re doing a better job of passing it as a whole. Gotta do a better job of valuing the basketball, of course.”

The Gators need another big game from Castleton, but he can only do so much. Their guards must play with more rhythm and consistency, and the team has to avoid turnovers after committing 20 against the Crimson Tide.

The Gators are capable of beating a top-10 Auburn team (see the 2019-20 season), but Florida’s backcourt will have to control the tempo, protect the basketball and play its best game of the season.

WHO: Florida Gators (9-4, 0-1) at No. 9 Auburn Tigers (13-1, 2-0)

WHERE: Auburn Arena

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 8 at 8 p.m.

WATCH: ESPN2

RADIO: Gator Sports Network from Learfield