Florida basketball: Gators return home in desperate need of a win

Florida needs to get back on track this afternoon if they want to keep pace in the SEC
Florida Gators guard Riley Kugel (2) slam dunks the ball. The Florida men   s basketball team hosted
Florida Gators guard Riley Kugel (2) slam dunks the ball. The Florida men s basketball team hosted / Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner / USA TODAY
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Florida basketball is off to an 0-2 start in SEC play and has been underwhelming so far in their two conference games, espeically in the second half.

Now, the Gators return home after their loss to Ole Miss to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks in Exactech Arena.

It's safe to say that this game has become a must-win for Todd Golden and the Gators after their sluggish start in the conference.

With the Razorbacks also coming in winless in the SEC, this figures to be a good spot for Florida to pick up their first SEC win.

Florida basketball: Take care of business

The game will tip off this afternoon at 4:00 pm on ESPN.

The Razorbacks come in at 9-6 on the year, with back-to-back losses to Auburn and Georgia. The Gators, at 10-5, have dropped their last two to Kentucky and Ole Miss.

So both teams are pretty motivated coming into this one to pick up an important win to help turn their seasons around.

The Gators have the advantage over the Hogs in a lot of categories on paper. They're scoring more points per game (86.1 to 79.1), rebounds per game (45.1 to 37.4), and assists per game (16.3 to 11.9).

Defensively, Florida will have to contain Tramon Mark, a junior guard who is Arkansas' leading scorer. He's putting up 17 points per game on 53.9% from the field.

The Gators should be able to control the glass in this matchup, as Arkansas' leading rebounder, Trevon Brazile, brings in 6.8 per game, while Tyrese Samuel leads the Gators with 8.3 rebounds per game.

Regardless of which stat you look at, this game is very valuable for Florida. They had been viewed as a tournament team throughout the beginning of the season, but have lost a lot of their credibility over the last two games.

A convincing win over Arkansas could help right the ship and get Florida back on the right track.