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Storylines as No. 6 Florida basketball hosts Georgia on Saturday
An old friend returns to the O’Connell Center again when No. 6 Florida basketball hosts Georgia on Saturday at the O’Connell Center (3:30 p.m., SEC Network).
Former UF basketball coach Mike White, in his third season coaching at Georgia, has the Bulldogs (14-5, 2-4 SEC) in contention for an NCAA Tournament berth in his third season.
The No. 6 Florida Gators (17-2, 4-2 SEC), under third-year coach Todd Golden, are SEC title contenders in 2024-25 and appear well on their way to a second straight NCAA Tournament berth. Golden replaced White in March of 2022 when White resigned to take the UGA job and has gone 57-31.
White is 0-5 against Florida since taking over at Georgia. Last season, UF beat Georgia three times, with its last win against the Bulldogs coming in the SEC Tournament on March 14, 2024 (85-80). Overall, Florida has won 11 straight against UGA dating back to the 2018-19 season.
“Mike had a lot of success here,” Golden said. “Mike is a very good coach. Made an Elite Eight and am sure had some great memories here. So, coming back, I assume is probably a little strange. But at the same time life goes on.
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“He’s doing a great job at Georgia. The way they’ve really been able to kind of get their program to where it’s at, in his third year, to now where they’re becoming a tournament team and really setting the tone the way he wants to operate, I have a lot of respect for the way they’ve built their program. I’m sure he wants to come in here and win. He’s gonna try to knock us out.”
Florida is coming off a dramatic 70-69 win at South Carolina in which the Gators rallied back from down 14 points in the final 12 minutes. Will Richard led the charge with 22 points. including a go-ahead driving layup with 5.8 seconds remaining.
“It shows how resilient we are,” Richard said. “It’s hard to win any SEC game, not only at home but on the road, too. So just to come back and win a game like that. it’s definitely big for the team.”
Here are three storylines to watch for UF’s matchup with the Bulldogs:
Can Florida basketball’s frontcourt bounce back after an off night against South Carolina?
UF’s frontcourt has been a strength throughout the 2024-25 season, but the Gators struggled up front at South Carolina. The Gamecocks outscored Florida 34-9 in frontcourt points, as UF’s frontcourt rotation of forward Alex Condon, center Rueben Chinyelu, forward Thomas Haugh and forward Sam Alexis went a combined 4 of 16 from the floor.
“I didn’t think we were at our best, but again, they’ve been a huge reason as to why we’ve been so successful,” Golden said,
Georgia’s frontcourt, led by talented 6-foot-11 freshman center Asa Newell (15.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg) and junior starting forward R.J. Godfrey (6.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg). Like Florida, Georgia is a rugged rebounding team. Florida leads the SEC in rebounding margin at plus-10.9, while Georgia ranks fifth in the conference at plus-6.9.
“Coming back home they’ll be more comfortable,” Golden said of UF’s frontcourt. “I anticipate we’ll play well that way (Saturday), for sure.”
Can Florida basketball turn Georgia over effectively like it did against South Carolina on Wednesday?
Florida is coming off a game at South Carolina in which it scored 22 points off turnovers and recorded 14 steals, its most against an SEC team since UF posted 17 steals against the same Gamecocks on March 4, 2014.
The Gators aren’t normally a pressing team, but employed a 1-2-2 press in the final 12 minutes that helped them rally back from down 14 points against the Gamecocks.
“One of the pluses of our group is we’ve been able to win in different ways,” Golden said. “I think Wednesday was a great example of that. We were not able to dictate the way we wanted to playing our normal style so we had to change it and our guys executed that very, very well.”
Like South Carolina, Georgia is prone to turning the ball over at times, as the Bulldogs are averaging 13.6 turnovers per game.
Can Florida senior guard Will Richard build off his big performance against South Carolina?
Richard’s 22-point game against South Carolina was his fifth 20-point game of the season and first since scoring a season-high 26 points against UNF on Dec. 21. He went 9 of 14 from the field and 3 of 5 from 3-point range and showed an ability to finish with both hands against the Gamecocks.
On Richard’s game-winning driving bank shot, he drove left and finished with his left (off) hand.
“It’s something we’ve been working on for a long time,” Richard said. “Definitely something I have in the bag and I’m glad I got to put it on show and finish it there.”
Prediction
Florida 72, Georgia 60: Florida will extend its win streak over Georgia to 12 games overall as White will drop to 0-6 against the team he coached from 2015-22. Look for the Gators to continue to generate points off turnovers against Georgia’s shaky ballhandlers, and for UF’s frontcourt to bounce back from its lackluster showing at South Carolina.
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1
No. 6 Florida Gators set to face off against Georgia Bulldogs in a highly anticipated SEC showdown
The No. 6 Florida Gators will be looking to continue their hot start to the season as they host the Georgia Bulldogs in a crucial SEC matchup on Saturday. With both teams boasting talented rosters and high expectations, this game is sure to be a must-watch for college basketball fans.
One of the biggest storylines heading into this game is the Gators’ impressive defense, which has been a key factor in their success so far this season. Led by standout forward Keyontae Johnson, Florida has been able to stifle opponents and force turnovers at a high rate. They will be looking to continue their strong defensive play against a Georgia team that has shown flashes of scoring prowess.
On the other side, the Bulldogs will be looking to pull off the upset and hand the Gators their first loss of the season. Led by star guard Sahvir Wheeler, Georgia has the ability to score in bunches and will be looking to exploit any weaknesses in Florida’s defense. This game will be a true test for the Bulldogs and a chance for them to make a statement in the SEC.
Overall, this game has all the makings of a classic SEC battle. With both teams hungry for a win and looking to make a statement early in conference play, fans can expect an intense and competitive matchup. Be sure to tune in on Saturday to see which team comes out on top in this thrilling showdown.
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