Pregame Stuff: No. 23 Florida at Alabama, Tuesday 9 pm (ESPNU)

FLORIDA at ALABAMA

When: Tuesday, 9 p.m. (ET)
Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Records: Florida 12-3 (3-0), Alabama 9-5 (2-0)
TV: ESPNU (Mike Couzens and Brooke Weisbrod)
Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network (Mick Hubert and Mark Wise)

STAKES (The Setup)

Florida has won five straight, including its first three Southeastern Conference games, but Alabama, winner of four straight, may be its toughest in-league challenge so far. The Crimson Tide also are unbeaten in league play. They defeated Mississippi State and came from 14 down in the second half Saturday to beat Vanderbilt. ... Bama leads the all-time series 74-66, but the Gators had won 11 straight dating to the 2009 season until the Tide came to Gainesville last Feb. 13 -- in a game UF desperately needed to win to bolster its NCAA Tournament profile -- and basically controlled the game from the outset on the way to a 61-55 upset. In that one, senior guard Retin Obasohan led the way with 15 points, but it was reserve center Jimmie Taylor who gave the Gators fits inside by scoring 11 points, making five of his seven field-goal attempts and blocking five shots. UF had four players in double figures, including Dorian Finney-Smith with 12 points, but the Gators shot a woeful 28 percent from the floor and went 3-for-21 from the 3-point line. ... Florida has won five straight in Tuscaloosa, but is just 19-47 all-time against the Tide on the road.

STARTERS (Probable Lineups)

Florida	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Class	Per Game
Devin Robinson	F	6-8	200	Junior	12.1 pts / 5.3 reb
Justin Leon	F	6-8	206	Senior	7.2 pts / 3.4 reb
Kevarrius Hayes	C	6-9	220	Sophomore	5.4 pts / 3.9 reb
KeVaughn Allen	G	6-2	183	Sophomore	14.7 pts / 2.6 reb
Kasey Hill	PG	6-1	175	Senior	9.1 pts / 5.0 asts

Alabama	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Class	Per Game
Riley Norris	F	6-7	205	Junior	7.4 pts / 3.9 reb
Braxton Key	F	6-8	225	Freshman	9.4 pts / 5.5 reb / 3.9 asts
Donta Hall	F	6-9	223	Sophomore	5.6 pts / 5.5 reb
Avery Johnson Jr.	PG	5-11	186	Sophomore	7.4 pts / 1.6 asts
Dazon Ingram	G	6-5	205	R-Freshman	9.9 pts / 5.3 reb

STANDING OUT (One to Watch)

**Dazon Ingram**, out of Theodore, Ala., arrived two seasons ago as the two-time state player of the year. He started the first seven games as a freshman, reaching double figures three times, before suffering an ankle injury that ended his season, but occurred in time to claim a medical red shirt. He's picked up where he left. Ingram leads the team in scoring, assists and steals. He's shooting 52.2 percent from the floor and 38.9 percent from the 3-point line, though he doesn't take a lot of long ones (only 18 all season). He is the kind of player who gives the Gators headaches; a high-energy, big guard with the size and strength to overpower UF's smallish backcourt players, and a guy who brings it every possession on both ends.

STUFF (Need-to-Know Info)

ABOUT THE GATORS: They've ridden the hot hand of sophomore guard KeVaughn Allen the past few weeks -- and why not? All Allen has done is average 17.4 points on 51-percent shooting from the floor and 54 percent from the 3-point line over the last seven games, including a season-high 23 points in the win Saturday over Tennessee, half of the performance that earned him SEC Player of the Week honors. He went for 14 four days earlier against Ole Miss. ... UF ranks first in the SEC in steals (8.3 pg) and second in 3-pointers allowed (6.0 pg) and turnovers committed (11.2 pg). The Gators, however, sit dead-last in the league when it comes to defensive rebounding (just 23.2 pg), which is a weakness Alabama's animals on the glass definitely will exploit. ... UF is 5-0 since Kevarrius Hayes replaced John Egbunu at the starting center spot due to an injury, but both players were plagued by foul trouble in the Tennessee game and basically were neutralized, finishing with a combined five points and three rebounds in just 21 minutes. Last year, Egbunu carded a double-double vs the Tide (10 points, 11 rebounds), but was just 2-for-9 from the floor and only 6-for-14 at the foul line, while committing three turnovers. ... Forward Devin Robinson struggled defensively in the UT game. He scored four points and played just 14 minutes, but Justin Leon more than picked up the slack with a career-high 19 points, including 3-for-4 from the 3-point line, and six rebounds. Backup forward Canyon Barry got into the frontcourt act as well, with 15 points that followed a 20-point night against Ole Miss. ... Point guard Kasey Hill had another solid performance on both ends of the floor. Alabama will play incredibly hard on defense, but whoever Hill is guarding is in for quite a

night. ... ABOUT THE CRIMSON TIDE: They're in the second season under Coach Avery Johnson, the former NBA world-champion point guard and coach of the Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets, who has guided the program to a 27-20 mark to date. Johnson is a defensive disciple and his teams at Bama have reflected as much. Case in point: In Saturday's big comeback against Vandy, the Tide shot just 31 percent for the game and still won, thanks to a 27-10 run over the final 14 minutes, holding the Commodores to just 2-for-13 shooting and forcing five turnovers in that span. ... Alabama ranks second in the SEC in scoring defense (61.1 ppg), third in field-goal defense (39.5 percent), but first in opponent rebounds (32.7 pg) and rebounding margin (plus-6.4). ... The Tide do not have a big-time scoring threat, but rather a handful of guys who can be a handful. Forward Braxton Key is a bigger version of Ingram in that he can score it (47.2 percent from the floor) and shoot it (36.4 from 3) in a variety of ways, as well as present problems on the glass (24 offensive rebounds). Key and forward Donta Hall are good enough to keep the previously mentioned Taylor (5.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.7 bpg) coming off the bench. It was Taylor who thoroughly frustrated Egbunu into that tough offensive stat line last season. ... The coach's son, guard Avery Johnson Jr., sat out last season after transferring from Texas A&M. He's shooting nearly 37 percent from the 3-point line. Not to be underestimated: Alabama assistant John Pelphrey will have inside knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the Gators, considering he recruited and coached a handful of them while on Billy Donovan's staff. Pelphrey is a phenomenal scout and advance coach.

STATS (Some Numbers of Note)

* .603 — Florida's collective free-throw percentage through three SEC games. The trio of Hayes, Hill and Egbunu are a combined 9-for-25 (36 percent).

* 0 — Alabama players who average double-figure scoring. Instead, the Tide have nine players who average at least 5.3 points per game.

* 40 — Turnovers forced by the Florida defense the last two games (21 vs Ole Miss; 19 vs Tennessee). The Gators scored 43 points off those miscues.

* 57.1 — Barry's combined shooting percentage the last two games, based on 12 makes in 21 attempts, including 4-for-9 from the 3-point line.

* 59.1 — Allen's shooting percentage from the 3-point line in SEC games, based on 13-for-22 from deep.

STATEMENT (Random thought)

So, we'll be in Tuscaloosa Monday night. Anything going on?

Gators Calendar

Pregame Stuff: No. 23 Florida at Alabama, Tuesday 9 pm (ESPNU)

Players Mentioned

KeVaughn Allen

Canyon Barry

John Egbunu

Dorian Finney-Smith

Kevarrius Hayes

Kasey Hill

Justin Leon

Devin Robinson

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Pregame Stuff: No. 23 Florida at Alabama, Tuesday 9 pm (ESPNU)

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Players Mentioned

KeVaughn Allen

Canyon Barry

John Egbunu

Dorian Finney-Smith

Kevarrius Hayes

Kasey Hill

Justin Leon

Devin Robinson

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