The Big Blue Lowdown

We know what we’ve said in the past. Florida does not match up well against Kentucky and should not be seen as the Cats’ biggest obstacle in SEC play this season.

Though we stand by that statement, all signs point to tonight’s battle with the Gators being a close, hard-fought game.

For one, the O’Connell Center in Gainesville is one of the toughest environments in the SEC—Kentucky hasn’t wont there since 2004, losing at Florida’s house for five consecutive seasons.

But beyond that, the Cats should be concerned with the fact that they will be running into a very motivated team that has already proved it can knock off a powerhouse. UF defeated (at the time) No. 2 ranked Michigan State in November and is still smarting after a loss at Vandy Saturday to start SEC play.

Barring any major surprises, this could be Kentucky’s toughest SEC game for the next month. Here’s what to watch for:

No Fullcourt Press: We have a feeling Coach Billy Donovan is going to call off the horses on the trademark Florida fullcourt press. After watching the way Bledsoe and Wall have shredded pressure in the past, we wouldn’t be surprised to see UF dare Kentucky to beat its halfcourt zones.

Interior Domination?: The Cats possess a huge size advantage and have been the stronger rebounding team all year. The Gators will need to get a lot of favorable calls from the officials to hold their own inside. Big men Vernon Macklin and Erick Murphy have both shown a tendency to get into foul trouble early.

Early Jitters: This will mark only the second true road game for the Cats all year (the other one coming at Indiana). With a national ESPN audience and a 9 pm tip, we expect the “O-Dome” to be rocking. Similarly to the IU game, it wouldn’t surprise us in the least to see UK get off to a slow start and get behind the Gators early.

First Guy Off the Bench: Will DeAndre Liggins continue to make a push toward the starting lineup? We think he might, but a part of us also relishes the idea of seeing Liggins flourish in the 6th man role. With Darius Miller already proving to have a potentially “soft” mental game, we worry that Liggins replacing him in the starting five could render Miller completely ineffective for the remainder of the season. ‘Dre can probably log more minutes as a 6th man, while spelling the first guy to commit a foul.

Florida From Behind the Arc: The Gators shot well against Vandy, despite the loss, but all in all, have been miserable from long distance this season. The team throws up nearly 21 treys per game, but no one on the roster is shooting 40% or above. The Cats have had their struggles defending the three, and we think the Gators will build off their 13-27 performance in Nashville with another hot shooting night to help keep them in the game.

BBL Take: Down the stretch, we think the Cats have too much firepower inside and should ultimately wear down a Gators squad that desperately needs a big conference win. Kentucky’s suffocating halfcourt D should neutralize diminutive guards Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker, and the Cats shot-blocking prowess should make it tough for UF to get buckets down the stretch. As long as UK can make a decent share of free throws we look for a barn burner early with a late surge and pull away by Kentucky.