UF Braces for Kentucky Team That's Down, But Not Out
Saturday, February 27, 2021 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
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LEXINGTON, Ky. — So, the Florida basketball team has won two straight games. That's a lot better than the two consecutive losses that preceded the victories, and the Gators felt pretty good about themselves when they got back out on the practice floor Thursday.
"Yeah, maybe too good," UF coach Mike White said Friday. "We weren't very good these last couple days of practice. Today, specifically."
White's remarks came about an hour before the team boarded its chartered flight to Lexington, Ky. If the Gators (12-6, 8-5) got a little big-headed this week, a Saturday afternoon trip to Rupp Arena ought to bring them back to earth. Yes, the present-day Wildcats (8-13, 7-7) happen to be dealing with the storied programs worse season in more than three decades. No matter.
Here's why:
* UK has won three straight games and just a week ago went on the road and undressed No. 19 Tennessee 70-55. The Wildcats have had their issues this season — scoring and shooting, among them — but they're still a talented lot and as maddening as they've made their Big Blue base the last few months they're still capable of beating any team in the league. Kentucky had its mid-week game at Texas A&M scratched due to COVID-19 protocols, meaning the Cats will be a well-rested bunch come the 4 p.m. tipoff.
* Which brings us to the last time these met. UK came to Gainesville on Jan. 9, sporting a 3-6 record that marked the program's worst start in 95 years. The Cats destroyed the Gators that night, at one point taking a 25-point lead in the second half, and handed UF an ugly 76-58 loss, the largest margin of defeat in three seasons.
* And let's not discount history. Florida all-time is 10-52 at Lexington. That's a winning percentage of .162.
"They're one of the better teams in our league," UK coach John Calipari said of the Gators. "It's not like we're playing in front of 24,000 that will carry us home. It's going to be a hard game."
[Read senior writer Chris Harry's "Pregame Stuff" setup here]
Nothing was easy for Tre Mann (1) and the Gators when they last met the Wildcats, who left the O'Dome with a convincing 18-point victory.
For that, the visitors can be thankful. Protocols will keep attendance between 2,000-3,000, meaning the Florida focus can rest almost exclusively on the outstanding play of late from 6-foot-10 freshman forward Isaiah Jackson, one of the best rim-protectors in the country, as well as classmates Brandon Boston Jr. on the wing and Devin Askew at the point.
Kentucky, bet on it, will be a desperate team. The Cats are looking at the unfamiliar scenario of missing the NCAA Tournament for just the second time since 1992. The last time came in 2013, but that team — racked by injuries — still won 21 games.
Think UK's current players want to be known as the first team since the probation-ravaged program of the late-1980s to have a losing record?
"We'll have to be more aggressive. We'll have to be as mentally and physically tougher [Saturday] and more resilient as we've been; as much off the court as on the court, as we face some adversity," White said. "Because there certainly will be some adversity."
