Pregame Shootaround: Vanderbilt at Florida (Tuesday, 7 pm)

VANDERBILT at FLORIDA

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m. (ET)
Where: O'Connell Center, Gainesville, Fla.
Records: Florida (17-10, 8-6), Vanderbilt (16-11, 8-5)
TV: SEC Network (with John Saunders, Jon Sunvold and Kaylee Hartung)
Radio: Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network (with Mick Hubert and Bill Koss). Check for availability here.

STAKES, STARS AND STATS

>>> Background: A huge game for both teams relative to the Southeastern Conference standings, league tournament seeding and NCAA Tournament aspirations. UF and Vandy are locked in a two-way tie for fifth place in the league, one game behind a trio of second-place teams and one game in front of three others in a tie for seventh. ... This will be the third of five conference rematches for Florida this season. The Commodores defeated the Gators 60-59 on Jan. 26 at Nashville when UF shot just 21 percent and scored 19 points in the first half. Guard Wade Baldwin IV had 24 points and four assists in that game, with 7-foot center Damian Jones throwing in 20 points to go with 12 rebounds. Guards KeVaughn Allen and Kasey Hill led the Gators with 16 points each, with Allen scoring 11 in the final 32 seconds to make the score appear much closer than the game played out. The Commodores held a comfortable lead (as many as 14 in the second half) most of the way. ... Vandy leads the all-time series 66-63, but UF has a 40-18 margin at home, including four straight wins. ... The Gators are 12-2 at home this season, but lost the last time out to Alabama.

>>> About the Gators: They did not win Saturday at South Carolina, but it was the fourth straight game the Gators answered Coach Mike White's call to expend all energy possible. Given the inconsistent offense on this team, that's the only way UF will be able to compete night in, night out, especially on the road. They're home for this one, but it's not like the Gators can rely on their shooting touch in the O'Dome, where the last time out -- in a loss to Alabama -- they were a woeful 28.6 percent from the floor, 3-for-21 from the 3-point line and 16-for-27 from the free-throw line. ... The Gators went on the road and out-rebounded the Gamecocks, the league leaders in rebounding margin and offensive boards, but will get a different challenge against a Commodores bunch that tops the SEC in defensive rebounds (29.5 pg). UF rates second in the conference in offensive rebounding (13.6 pg). ... Senior forward Dorian Finney-Smith (15.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg) is coming off his seventh double-double of the season after posting 18 points and 13 rebounds at USC, with five of those rebounds on the offensive end. Meanwhile, center John Egbunu (10.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg) had just five points and five rebounds against the Gamecocks. He'll need to step it up against Vandy and its big center. ... The guard trio of Allen, Hill and Chris Chiozza combined to go 7-for-20 from the floor, 3-for-13 from long distance, nine assists and nine turnovers last game. Allen (11.8 ppg), specifically, needs to be more involved on offense. ... Sophomore backup forward Devin Robinson is coming off, by far, the best back-to-back games of his career, despite scoring just five points in the win at Georgia. His effort on the glass was sensational. His 17 points (plus 8 boards) at Columbia were a career high.

>>> About the Commodores: As is always the case with a Coach Kevin Stallings team, the Commodores are difficult to prepare before because of the multiple actions they run. The common denominator for Vandy has been efficient offense over Stallings' league-high 16 years in the SEC, but this bunch -- because of its size -- is very difficult to score on, with their defensive field-goal percentage (.380) tops in the league and sixth-best nationally. Not that the Gators are great from the 3-point line, but good luck from out there as well, fellas. The Commodores defend the long ball at 28.6 percent (3rd nationally) and allow only 5.4 per game (12th nationally). ... In Jones (13.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and Baldwin (14.4 ppg, 5.0 apg), Vandy has a pair of future NBA players, either of which could wind up being first-round draft picks in June. Both guys are mega-long for their positions and have given Florida fits during their careers. ... Forward Jeff Roberson (9.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and guard Matthew Fisher-Davis (9.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg) are deadly 3-point shooters, but the X-factor on the perimeter is 7-1 forward Luke Kornet (9.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg). As a junior, he hasn't been shooting 3s like he did as a sophomore -- just 28.8 percent vs. 40 last season -- but if he bombs in a couple from that "stretch-4" spot it could be a long day for UF's defense, which suddenly will have to extend to the line and thus open the lane for Baldwin's drives.

SOME NUMBERS OF NOTE

* 0 -- Bench points by the Commodores in the first game, which included a goose egg from sharp-shooting guard Riley LaChance, who killed the Gators up there last season, especially from the 3-point line line. LaChance took only one shot in the game in 24 minutes.

* 1 -- Double-figure scoring games for junior forward Justin Leon over his last 10 games after putting together three straight early in SEC play. He had 10 points against Alabama, but in the five other games since returning from a concussion suffered in the opening minutes at Vandy he's totaled 18 points.

* 4 -- Commodores with at least 25 made 3-pointers this season: Fisher-Davis (65), Wade (36), LaChance (38), Roberson (25). All four are shooting better than 35 percent from the arc. For context, the Gators also have four players with at least 25 from deep, but only one (Finney-Smith) is at 35 percent.

* Plus-23 -- Vandy's advantage in free throws when the two teams played at Memorial Gym last month. The Commodores went 21 of 33 from the line, compared to 6-for-10 for the Gators.

* 56.75 -- Florida's average point total in the last four games against Vanderbilt, a testament to the Commodores' defense (and size). UF is 2-2 in those games.

WATCH FOR IT

Get up for the game, Florida fans. This will be the next-to-last appearance by the Gators in the O'Dome until next December (maybe even January), what with the building's renovation to commence in earnest following the March 1 regular-season finale against Kentucky.

Gators Calendar

Pregame Shootaround: Vanderbilt at Florida (Tuesday, 7 pm)

Players Mentioned

KeVaughn Allen

Chris Chiozza

John Egbunu

Dorian Finney-Smith

Kasey Hill

Justin Leon

Devin Robinson

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Pregame Shootaround: Vanderbilt at Florida (Tuesday, 7 pm)

Players Mentioned

KeVaughn Allen

Chris Chiozza

John Egbunu

Dorian Finney-Smith

Kasey Hill

Justin Leon

Devin Robinson

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