Welcome to the A Sea of Blue open game thread for the Florida Gators at the Kentucky Wildcats tonight in Rupp Arena. Game particulars as follows, courtesy of UKAthletics.com:
| Gameday Information |
|---|
| Kentucky vs. Florida Tues., Feb. 7 - 7:00 p.m. ET Rupp Arena Game Notes: UK  | UF |
| Coverage |
| TV: ESPN Radio: UK IMG  Live Video via WatchESPN Live Audio Live Blog Text Updates |
This game has a lot of meaning for UK because not only because of the longest home winning streak in the country, but also because this game could well define the rest of the SEC season. Both these teams were expected to compete for the SEC championship this year, and that is running true to form.
For the Florida Gators viewpoint on this game, be sure to check out Alligator Army, SBNation's outstanding Florida blog.
For Kentucky to win the game tonight, they really need to do only two things well:
- Rebound the ball defensively, and;
- Defend the three.
Sounds simple, right? Well, it's anything but. This Florida game will shoot the three early and often, and folks, no matter what, they are going to make a bunch of them. That means UK must minimize any second chances for the Gators or Florida could quickly wind up in a position to win this game.
On the other hand, if Kentucky rebounds and defends the three, the Gators have few answers. They are not used to trying to win games inside the arc, and I'm not sure they can do it. Kenny Boynton is a fair midrange player, but other than that, it gets really hard if UK is able to force the Gators to put the ball on the floor. Not only that, the matchups in this game really favor Kentucky.
This one's going to be tough, but UK should be well-prepared for this. Let's hope they have their heads in the game and remember what they've learned.
Go, 'Cats!