Pregame Shootaround: Florida at Missouri (Saturday, 7:30 pm)

Saturday, March 5

Columbia, MO

7:30 PM

Florida Gators

Missouri

The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

Pregame Shootaround: Florida at Missouri (Saturday, 7:30 pm)

Friday, March 4, 2016 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry

By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer

FLORIDA at MISSOURI

When: Saturday, 7:30 P.M. (ET)
Where: Mizzou Arena, Columbia, Mo.
Records: Florida (17-13, 8-9), Missouri (10-20, 3-14)
TV: SEC Network (with Dave Neal and John Sunvold)
Radio: Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network (with Mick Hubert and Mark Wise). Check for availability here.

STAKES, STARS AND STATS

>>> Background: A game between two teams that are really, really struggling, with Florida's troubles arriving about a month ago, as opposed to the Tigers, who have been down all season. The Gators, losers of four straight and five of the previous six, are in a two-way tie with Alabama for ninth place in the Southeastern Conference standings and are looking merely for a .500 record in league play. The Tigers are alone in last, two games behind Auburn, and will finish in the SEC cellar for a second straight year. ... UF leads the all-time series 3-2, but the Gators lost the most recent meeting, falling 64-52 on the road last season, as the Tigers snapped a 13-game losing streak on Feb. 15, 2015. UF played that game without Dorian Finney-Smith (suspended). Mizzou guard Namon Wright scored 28 points on 10-for-13 shooting. Florida got 14 points from forward Devin Robinson, plus 10 points and eight rebounds from center John Horford in a loss that marked the low point in what became the Gators' first losing season in 17 years. ... UF is 0-2 at Columbia, with the Tigers' other win in the series coming against the 2013 SEC champion Gators.

>>> About the Gators: At the start of last month, UF ranked second in the league in field-goal defense, but during their run of six losses over eight games the Gators have regressed on the defensive end. Each of the last three opponents -- Vanderbilt, LSU and Kentucky -- have shot well over 50 percent from the floor and 44 percent from the 3-point line (with both Vandy and UK at least 50 percent from deep). The Gators now rank 10th in the SEC in defending the arc at 35.1 percent. ... ... Florida was an atrocious 16 of 37 from the free-throw line against Kentucky, but hasn't fallen to the bottom of the league pack. The Gators still rank 13th of 14 teams in free-throw percentage (.637). ... Against Kentucky, UF got a career-high 27 points from sophomore center John Egbunu (11.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg), who overwhelmed the Wildcats post players. On a team that is trending south, Egbunu has produced career-best scoring nights in back-to-back games. He had 22 points last weekend at LSU. In those previous two games, he's 20 of 26 from the floor. .... Finney-Smith (14.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg), the senior forward and now No. 42 on UF's career points list, continues to lead the team in scoring and rebounding. ... Freshman guard KeVaughn Allen broke out of a three-game slump of not reaching double figures by scoring 15 against UK, but was just 5-for-16 shooting. ... Sophomore point guard Chris Chiozza is having all kinds of difficulty finding the basket. He's now 25.3 percent from the floor and 18.2 percent (6 of 33) from the 3-point line over the last eight games. Against Kentucky and LSU he combined to hit just three of his 16 shots and missed all six 3-pointers.

>>> About the Tigers: They're now in the second season under Kim Anderson, a former Tiger player and favorite son who came home in 2014 after leading Central Missouri to a Division II national title. He hasn't found much success at Mizzou, though, The Tigers are 19-43 in Anderson's two seasons, including 6-29 in SEC play. ... The Tigers rate in the bottom four of 10 of the league's major statistical categories, including scoring offense (68.5 ppg), 3-point shooting percentage (.307), 3s made per game (5.6), rebounding (35.6 pg) and offensive rebounding (9.6 pg). Given how generous the Gators have been from outside of late, who knows how the Tigers will spot up in this one. ... Mizzou has lost four straight, but has won two of its previous three home games, including wins against Tennessee and South Carolina. Both of those teams beat Florida this season. ... Freshman forward Kevin Puryear (11.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg) is the only Tiger averaging in double figures. Back also is Wright (9.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg), the guy who bombed the Gators last season, and is the team's best rebounder. ... Point guard Terrance Phillips (7.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg) is the assists (100) and steals (40) leader.

SOME NUMBERS OF NOTE

* .391 -- UF's free-throw percentage in last season's loss at Missouri, based on a 9-for-23 display. That's even worse than the 42.3 posted Tuesday against Kentucky. Point guard Kasey Hill went 1-for-8 that night.

* .714 -- Robinson's 3-point shooting percentage the past four games (all losses), based on 10-for-14 marksmanship. The rest of the Gators are a combined 19-for-78 over those four games (.244).

* 4 -- Active SEC coaches who have gone .500 or better in their first season in the league. Florida coach Mike White is looking to join Andy Kennedy (Ole Miss), Kevin Stallings (Vanderbilt), Johnny Jones (LSU) and John Calipari (Kentucky) on that list.

* 6 -- RPI strength of schedule for the Gators, which includes a non-conference slate ranked fourth nationally and the highest of any team in the RPI Top 75.

* 66 -- Dunks by Egbunu this season, which ties the single-season mark established by Marreese Speights during the 2007-08 season. Egbunu had nine dunks on the way to his 12-for-15 floor game against Kentucky.

WATCH FOR IT

At this point, a win, no matter what it looks like, would be a welcomed sight.