5 things to know about the Florida Gators

On3 imageby:Brett Bibbins01/09/21

Get to know the Gators from Gainesville before the Wildcats tip-off at the O-Dome this evening at 5 pm ET.

1. Keyontae Johnson

I would be remiss if I didn’t start today’s post in mentioning Florida’s Keyontae Johnson. Johnson was the best player on this Gator roster this season, averaging 16 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1 steal per game, while hitting nearly 43% of his threes. Most of you remember that earlier this season, Johnson collapsed on the court during the Gators’ game against Florida State. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was placed in a medically induced coma. Eventually, he was brought out of the coma and was able to follow simple commands, before being released from the hospital after a 10-day stay.

The doctors have reportedly diagnosed Johnson with a heart inflammation, acute myocarditis, which can be a longer term effect of Covid-19, but it appears he’s going to be ok in the long run. However, the SEC’s Player of the Year in the preseason is out for at least three months, which probably keeps him out through the end of the season. An incredibly scary situation and you have to feel sorry for the kid. He has re-joined the team on the sidelines, in a spot on the bench labeled “Coach Key”. Not having Johnson on the floor is a big loss for Florida, and while they have adjusted, his production is assuredly missed. Last season against Kentucky, Johnson had 19 points and 9 rebounds in the first match up, along with 12 points and 3 rebounds in the second match up.

2. Trio of guards

In the absence of Keyontae Johnson, three guards have stepped up into the leading role for the Florida Gators. The trio of Tree Mann, Scottie Lewis, and Noah Locke combine for nearly 37 points, over 12 rebounds, almost 7 assists, and four steals per game. Starting point guard Tre Mann is leading the team in points at 14.6, rebounds at 5.6, and assists at 4.3. His passing his good for top-5 in the SEC. Mann stands at 6’5″ and 190 pounds and hits 44.8% of his shots from three, while converting 77.3% from the free throw line. He also averages 1.4 steals per contest.

Just behind Mann’s production is former Kentucky recruit, Scottie Lewis. Lewis also measures in at 6’5″ and 190 pounds, but brings some different aspects to the game than Mann. His 12.3 points per game is second on the team, while his 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists both rank third. Lewis is a defensive weapon for Florida, leading the team in both steals and blocks at 1.6 a piece. The third solid guard in the backcourt for the Gators is Noah Locke. He’s the shortest of the three guards at 6’3″, averaging just shy of 10 points, 3 assists, and 1 steal per contest. The three guards do combine for nearly 7 turnovers a game, so if Kentucky can defend well on the perimeter, there’s a chance for transition baskets.

3. The size factor

With any team that loses a starting forward and plays a lot of three-guard lineup, overwhelming size isn’t an aspect on Florida’s roster. Starting big man Colin Castleton is a junior forward from Deland, Florida, who played his first two seasons at Michigan before transferring to Gainesville. Castleton scores 11.9 points and grabs 5.3 boards per game, while blocking 1.1 shots. Since Keyontae Johnson went down, he’s has stepped up in a big way for the Gators. Prior to Johnson’s health situation, Castleton hadn’t scored in double figures all season. Since Johnson’s medical issue, Castleton’s averaging 19 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game, while shooting a fantastic 71% from the field.

The problem for the Gators is that Castleton’s size is some of the only size that gets minutes for Florida. Measuring at 6’11” and 231 pounds, he’s the tallest player on the team and most of their interior presence. The only other player that gets contributing minutes and is taller than 6’7″ is 6’10” Omar Payne. Payne plays just 15 minutes per game, averaging 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds. Payne is a solid rim protector while he’s in, at 1.4 blocks per game, but his offense isn’t a factor for Florida so far this season.

4. Split schedule

The first half of the season for Florida was essentially split into two different phases, with a 14-day break in between. The Gators played their first four games in eleven days at the beginning of December, after taking some time off due to a Covid-19 outbreak. They started off hot, beating Army by seven, then Boston College by 20, and a third straight win with a 46-point victory over Stetson. They traveled to in-state rival, Florida State, and hit their next roadblock. The Keyontae Johnson collapse clearly left the team in an emotional state and they dropped their first game of the season. Reeling from seeing their teammate go through something like that, Florida canceled their next three non-conference games and chose to pick back up in conference play.

With a full two weeks between games, the Gators started their second phase of the season playing a man down. So far through SEC play, Mike White’s squad sits at 2-1 with a 19-point win at Vanderbilt and a four point win at home against LSU. On Tuesday, Florida traveled to Alabama where the Crimson Tide absolutely took it to the Gators for a 15-point victory. With an overall record of 5-2, Florida hasn’t really dropped any games they should’ve won, but they haven’t exceeded expectations in any closer match ups either.

5. Continuing SEC streaks

For the third game in a row, Kentucky will look to continue a winning streak against an SEC opponent. Against Mississippi State, they had 14 straight wins before making it 15 in double-overtime a week ago. Against Vanderbilt, Coach Cal had won 10 straight in Rupp Arena and nine straight overall over the Commodores. This evening, the Cats look to win their fifth consecutive game over the Florida Gators. Those other win streaks were impressive, but both are against teams that have had major struggles over Calipari’s tenure in Lexington. Continuing the streak over Florida may be more impressive in my mind, because the Gators are always a solid team with a high level of talent.

The Florida program has already announced that tonight is a t-shirt giveaway night, trying to pump up the fans, despite decreased attendance allowed. The Gators are 4.5 point favorite right now. The overall series between Kentucky and Florida sits at 104-40 in favor of the Wildcats and they’ll look to increase their lead to 55 with a third straight win at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville.


Go Cats. Beat Gators.

@BrettBibbinsKSR

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2024-03-28