Pre-Game 'Stuff' - Florida at No. 1 Kentucky (Saturday, 2 pm)
Friday, March 6, 2015 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
FLORIDA vs. No. 1 KENTUCKY
When: Saturday, 2 p.m. (ET)
Where: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Ky.
Records: UF 15-15 (8-9), Kentucky 30-0 (17-0)
TV: CBS (Ian Eagle and Doug Gottlieb)
Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network (with Mick Hubert and Bill Koss), check for local outlets here.
STAKES, STARS & STATS
>>> The second game of the annual home-and-home series is chock full of historical implications, with Kentucky trying to become the second team (after UF 2013-14) in Southeastern Conference history to go unbeaten in an 18-game league season, while also maintaining their “pursuit of perfection” to become the first team to go undefeated on the way to an NCAA title since 1976 Indiana. ... Kentucky defeated Florida 68-61 at Gainesville on Feb. 7 when only four Wildcats -- led by guard Aaron Harrison -- accounted for all but one of their team's 68 points. That was also the game UF guard Michael Frazier II suffered a high-ankle sprain that has sidelined him the seven games since. ... UF trails the all-time series 37-95, with a 17-25 record under Coach Billy Donovan. ... The game also will mark Senior Day for a trio of Kentucky players, each of them walk-ons. ... After Saturday's games, the bracket for next week's SEC Tournament in Nashville will be set. Here's a list of Florida's scenarios. 
>>> Florida has won two straight since defeating Alabama on the road and Arkansas at home at the end of January, with both of those coming at home. The Gators played arguably their best all-around game in defeating Tennessee 66-49 last Saturday, then chased it with a 68-64 victory over Texas A&M, an outcome that provided far more drama than necessary, thanks to an abominable display -- 52.6 percent for the game, 44.4 percent on 18 attempts in the final two minutes -- by UF at the free throw line. ... UF, which ranks last in the SEC in free-throw shooting (.635) has gone just 38-for-75 from the line over the previous three games (50.6 percent). ... Frazier, who was averaging 13.2 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting nearly 45 percent from the 3-point in SEC play, practiced some Thursday and could give his ankle a go in the game. Frazier was playing some of the best both-ends basketball of his career when he went down with the injury. ... Junior forward Dorian Finney-Smith (13.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg) has played really well since returning from a three-game suspension for violating team rules, averaging 16 points and 8.5 rebounds the two games, despite playing just 20 minutes to foul trouble against the Aggies. ... Sophomore point guard Kasey Hill (7.0 ppg, 4.9 apg) had 16 assists and just three turnovers in the back-to-back UF wins, but he's 4-for-15 from the free-throw line the last three games. ... Freshman guard Chris Chiozza (4.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg) started the previous two games and made three 3-pointers, nearly matching the four he made through the first 15 SEC games. Chiozza (pictured right), though, was just 4-for-12 from the line, with five straight misses, against A&M. 
>>> After winning their previous games by an average of 22.6 points, the Wildcats had their closest call since surviving 71-69 at LSU on Feb. 10 -- three days after a hard-fought win over the Gators -- in Tuesday night's 72-64 victory at Georgia. ... UK ranks first in nine of the major SEC statistical categories, including scoring defense (53.5 ppg), scoring margin (plus-21.4), field-goal percentage defense (.349), 3-point percentage defense (.270), 3-point field goals allowed (4.6 pg), offensive rebounds (13.1 pg), rebounding margin (plus-7.3), turnovers (10.8 pg) and blocked shots (6.9 pg). ... Harrison (11.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg) is the lone UK starter averaging in double-figures, though freshman guard Devin Booker (11 ppg, .430 from 3) gets there off the bench. ... The Wildcats are absolutely monstrous up front, with 7-foot junior Willie Cauley-Stein (8.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg), 6-11 freshman Karl-Anthony Towns (9.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, pictured right) and 6-10 freshman Trey Lyles (8.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg) making life miserable in the post for every team they've faced. Lyles was sick and did not play in the first game against the Gators. If any of those bigs get in foul trouble, 6-9 Marcus Lee (2.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 27 blocked shot) can step in. ... Kentucky's 207 blocked shots -- 6.9 per game -- leads the nation and are almost twice as many as Florida's 110.
SOME NUMBERS OF NOTE 
* .432 - Combined free-throw shooting percentage of Hill (23 of 52) and Chiozza (10 of 24), UF's primary ball-handlers, in SEC play.
* 3 - Times Kentucky opponents have scored more than 70 points this season, with the 89-86 overtime defeat of Ole Miss the point surrendered this season. Auburn got 75 ... but gave up 110.
* 7 - Times Florida has scored 70 in a game, with only four of those instances coming in SEC play; and just once in the last 14 games (a 72-71 loss at Ole Miss).
* 9 - Victories for the Gators at Lexington -- ever -- including last season's 69-59 win after trailing by seven with less than five minutes to play. [Check out Casey Prather jumping for the offensive rebound (right) over basically the entire Kentucky team.] UF's all-time road record against UK is 9-48 for a winning percentage of .187.
* 22:07 - Real time that elapsed over the final 1:58 of Tuesday night's win over Texas A&M, while the Gators were bouncing free throw after free throw and the Aggies and Gators were burning timeouts.
WATCH FOR IT
The Wildcats -- especially their fans -- were tortured by the fact the Gators became the first team in 35 years to beat their storied program three times in a season last year en route to that remarkable 18-0 finish that ended with a 19-point beatdown at UF's Senior Day. Well, this year the tables are turned and as far as Kentucky is concerned all bills are coming due. UK will be out for orange and blue blood, with their crazed fanbase screaming for more even if the game gets out of hand. The Gators must play with poise the likes of which they've not mustered in order to stay in the game.
