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Florida basketball: Gators return home to take on Tennessee Volunteers

By Will Thomas

Jan 28, 2023; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Florida Gators forward Colin Castleton (12) drives around Kansas State Wildcats forward Ismael Massoud (25) during the second half at Bramlage Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2023; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Florida Gators forward Colin Castleton (12) drives around Kansas State Wildcats forward Ismael Massoud (25) during the second half at Bramlage Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Florida basketball is coming home to Gainesville, looking to bounce back after their loss on the road to Kansas State.

The only issue is that they’re running into a team that is probably even better than the Wildcats.

The Gators welcome in the 2nd-ranked Tennessee Volunteers into Exactech Arena on Wednesday night at 7:00 pm.

The Vols are 18-3 overall and 7-1 in the SEC. Their lone conference loss came to Kentucky at home a few weeks ago.

There really isn’t any way around it: Tennessee is one of the best teams in the country, and the Gators have struggled to beat them on the court in recent history.

UF has only beaten the Vols in two of their last 10 meetings. Quite the inverse of these two schools on the football field.

Tennessee’s calling card is their defense. They only allow 54.5 points per game and are the best team in the country at defending the three, as their opponents only make 22% of their long balls.

This is not a great matchup for a Gator team that has looked lazy on offense and has struggled from deep for most of the season.

Not great at all.

But, as there is in any college game, there’s a path to victory. And for the Gators, that path is just about the same as always.

Colin Castleton needs to run the paint. The Vols’ top rebounder, Julian Phillips, hauls in 5.1 per game. Castleton gets 7.6.

There isn’t a single player for Tennessee that average a whole block per game. Castleton blocks 3.4 shots per game and can take advantage of a Tennessee interior defense that can’t block shots.

This game will really have to ride on Colin’s shoulders because in all likelihood the shooting will not be good against Tennesee’s defense.

The Gator’s backcourt will have to emphasize ball security and smart passes. The Vols are swiping 9.4 steals per game. That can’t happen if the Gators are to win this game.

It won’t be easy, but the Gators have the blueprint for beating the #2 team in the nation.

Keep up with Florida basketball at Hail Florida Hail.

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