MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 26: Malik Monk #5 of the Kentucky Wildcats shoots against Justin Jackson #44 of the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half during the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 26, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee.
The No. 23 Kentucky Wildcats will visit the Florida Gators on Saturday, and here are all the facts to know before the big matchup.
Florida beat Kentucky 66-64 in their previous game in Lexington on Jan. 20 after the hosts blew a late lead. The Wildcats (21-9, 10-7 SEC) are coming off a 96-78 home win over Ole Miss on Wednesday. After that, Kentucky freshman guard Quade Green said his team needs to “go to Florida and spank them.” The Wildcats have won four straight games.
The Gators (19-11, 10-7 SEC) have won their last two contests against No. 14 Auburn and Alabama.
Should the Wildcats win on Saturday, they would earn a top-four finish in the SEC.
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Kentucky has gotten consistent scoring from Kevin Knox, all-around consistency from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, shot making from Green, hustle plays from Hamidou Diallo and Jarred Vanderbilt and bench scoring from PJ Washington. Sophomore Wenyen Gabriel has also been productive, and played one of his best games on Wednesday.
For Florida, junior guard Jalen Hudson has enjoyed a strong season thus far scoring-wise. He’s averaging 15 points and four rebounds per game.
Next week, Kentucky has the SEC Tournament in St. Louis.
Here are all the details for Saturday’s game:
Date: March 3, 2018
Time: 12 p.m. EST
Place: Exactech Arena, Gainseville, Florida
TV Channel: CBS
Online Stream: CBS Sports HQ
Odds: KenPom projects Kentucky to be a 3.5-point underdog. It gives Florida a 63-percent chance of winning. ESPN’s BPI predictor gives the Gators a 66.5-percent chance of winning.
MEMPHIS, TN – MARCH 26: Malik Monk #5 of the Kentucky Wildcats shoots against Justin Jackson #44 of the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 26, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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