WHAT HAPPENED: The Florida Gators showed second-ranked Tennessee that the Volunteers aren't the only Southeastern Conference team that can play defense, as UF went toe-to-toe with the top-ranked stoppers in college basketball and finished off 67-54 upset victory Wednesday night at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center. Fifth-year senior foward
Colin Castleton was spectacular in the second half, scoring 16 of his game-high 20 points after intermission to go with nine rebounds over 37 minutes. Point guard and fellow-fifth
Kyle Lofton chipped in 14 points, while fifth-year guard
Myreon Jones and sophomore guard
Will Richard had nine each for a UF offense that shot nearly 44 percent from the floor and 35 from the arc against a Tennessee defense that was allowing just 34.5 percent overall on the season, just 22 from 3, not to mention giving up only 54.5 points per game, all leading to the No. 1 overall efficiency on that end of the floor coming into the game. The Gators, who came back from six down with 11 minutes to go, won the game by shutting down the Vols with 28-percent defense. When it was over -- and the O'Dome roof had been blown off for the first time this season -- the Vols equaled the highest-ranked opponent ever beaten in Gainesville, matching the 63-62 upset of No. 2 Auburn last Feb. 19. Castleton finished six of 13 from the floor and 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, as UF worked through second-half cold spells by getting to the line and converting 15 of 20 for the period. Defying their penchant for slow starts, the Gators rolled to a 17-4 lead in just over seven minutes, but the Vols stuck around and eventually took their first lead since the game's opening two minutes on back-to-back 3s by 5-foot-8 point guard
Zakai Zeigler (15 points) and moved ahead 44-38 with just over 10 minutes to go when the Gators began their furious comeback behind a 17-2 spree, with Castleton scoring five points and both Jones and Lofton bombing 3s and defense feeding off the offense to hold UT to just one of its last 10 from the floor.
Fifth-year senior Kyle Lofton (11) scored the game's first basket on a back-door layup Wednesday night.
WHAT IT MEANS: Everything. And more. With the first true signature victory of
Todd Golden's UF tenure, the Gators can do more than dare to dream of postseason possibilities. The good kind, as in the preferred tournament. Yes, there is plenty of work to do, but knocking off the nation's No. 2 team, according to the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) and No. 1 team by
KenPom.com metrics, becomes a gold star on the Gators' resume. Florida is now 2-7 in Quadrant 1 games, according to the NET, and should have a jolt of newfound confidence that it will be up to the coaching staff to channel the right way. UF, which has won six of seven in league play, also sits in a fifth-place tie in the SEC rankings with Kentucky, which is interesting considering the next opponent (read on).
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The Florida coach, his team and its revived hopes for the rest of the season.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: UF came into the game with all-time record of 0-10 against teams ranked No. 1 overall in the
KenPom metrics. The Gators are 1-10 now.
UP NEXT: Florida (13-9, 6-3) will be back on the SEC road, but good news this time, as the Gators won't be pitted against a top-five opponent (not even a ranked opponent, at that). No, just a road date at Kentucky (15-7, 6-3), where they've won 10 times in almost a century. The Wildcats have won five straight in league play, including victories over both first-place SEC teams, Tennessee and Texas A&M, and have fixed some facets of the team's early season struggles. Oh, and they still have reigning 2022 SEC
and NCAA Player of the Year
Oscar Tshiebwe in the post. After going to Lexington, the Gators have a second straight road game (and the third in their last four) and fourth-ranked Alabama next Wednesday, which will be a fourth Q-1 game over the previous five.
