SEC Tournament: Florida vs. Georgia Preview, Prediction, Where to Watch
For the third time this season, Todd Golden and the Florida Gators will face former UF head coach Mike White and the Georgia Bulldogs on Thursday evening.
However, the trilogy is of added importance as each squad vies to advance beyond the second round of the 2023-24 SEC Tournament.
Georgia, the 11-seed, is freshly removed from a narrow victory over the Missouri Tigers — who failed to win a game in league play this season — on Wednesday night. Florida, on the other hand, will commence postseason play against the Dawgs.
You can find everything you need to know before tip-off below, including an in-depth rundown of Florida's opponent, game prediction and more.
No. 6 Florida Gators vs. No. 11 Georgia Bulldogs
Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.
When: Thursday, March 14 at 9:30 p.m. ET
Watch: SEC Network | fuboTV (start your free trial)
Radio: Gators Sports Network from LEARFIELD | FloridaGators.com | The Varsity Network App
Odds: The Gators are 8.5-point favorites over the Bulldogs on Thursday, according to SI Sportsbook. The over/under for the contest is set at 155.5 points.
Series history: Florida leads the all-time series against Georgia, 124-103, including a 2-1 record against the Dawgs in the SEC Tournament and a 2-0 record in the rivalry matchup this season.
Important stories
- Gators Extending Head Men’s Basketball Coach Todd Golden
- Florida to Face Georgia in Second Round of SEC Tournament
- Gators Forward Tyrese Samuel Named to AP All-SEC Second Team
- Florida Hoops Trio Earns 2023-24 Regular Season SEC Honors
- Florida Suffers Road Loss to Vanderbilt in Regular Season Finale, 79-78
- Gators Roll Over Tide on Senior Night, 105-87
- Todd Golden: Florida Gators' A Little Ahead' in Program Rebuild Process
- Column: Gators Guard Zyon Pullin Deserves More National Recognition
- Gators' Second-Half Surge Pushes Florida Past Georgia, 88-82
- Gators in 'Great Spot' for March Madness Bid
- Gators Outlast Pesky Dawgs in Overtime Thriller, 102-98
- Exclusive: Golden's Gators Striving for 'Next Step' With Reconstructed Roster
The rundown
The dynamics of these two teams are well-documented.
Florida presents a prolific offensive prowess, ranking No. 17 in offensive efficiency and No. No. 7 in scoring output (84.9) per game, behind a multi-faceted guard attack and complementary bigs. The Gators' offense has elevated the unit to compete with college basketball's elite throughout the 2023-24 campaign.
Georgia, meanwhile, is defensive-oriented but has faltered at points during the year as White's youthful talent finds its footing at the college level. It ranks No. 71 in adjusted defensive efficiency per KenPom and strives to turn defense into offense.
However, the complementary styles haven't proven effective this year, as the Bulldogs are unhealthily dependent on three-point shooting and free throws to muster the majority of their scoring success. Gerogia's propensity for stagnant offense enabled Missorui to take UGA to the wire on Wednesday.
In the first two matchups between the two SEC foes, the Gators' frontcourt helped elevate the unit to victories as UF commanded the rebounding and points in the paint battles.
The second contest brought a notable development as true freshman rotational forward Thomas Haugh emerged as a valuable contributor against a UGA squad employing a small-ball lineup.
He accounted for a career-high 17 points and seven rebounds on the day to be the spark Florida yearned for after a sluggish start in Athens. Fellow frosh big man Alex Condon added 10 points, three rebounds, a steal and an assist to complement Haugh and leading scorer Walter Clayton Jr. en route to the six-point triumph.
The Gators will expectedly lean on their frontcourt again in the third matchup, given the success UF has found with a similar approach in the previous close-margin affairs between the two rivals this season.
Despite Georgia working without wing Jabri Abdur-Rahim of late — as he deals with a lingering ankle injury — Silas Demary Jr. and Blue Cain have grown immensely for the Dawgs throughout the season, providing a firm foundation for the future as the duo of freshmen continues to earn more responsibility as UGA nears the end of the road in 2023-24.
They aim to kickstart the aforementioned future by playing spoiler to the Gators inside Bridgestone Arena on Thursday, as a date with the three-seed Alabama hangs in the balance.
Brandon's Prediction (18-7): Florida 84, Georgia 78
The Bulldogs possess threats from the perimeter against a Gators' defense that can slack defending the deep ball at times. Cain, Noah Thomasson and Justin Hill, particularly, provide the potential to close the gap on the contest with their downtown shooting prowesses.
However, more is needed to topple a well-balanced team like UF. And, while UGA center Russel Tchewa has played well throughout the year, he's outmanned by Florida's quartet of Condon, Haugh, Tyrese Samuel and Micah Handlogten underneath.
Clayton, Zyon Pullin, and Will Richard have demonstrated the ability to hang with any opponent from a scoring perspective. The others' efforts on the glass aid the shooting and facilitation abilities, extending possession and eliminating potential second-chance points for UGA.
So, while I expect another close finish, Florida's frontcourt gives the Gators the edge yet again en route to an uber-important second-round win in the conference tournament.
UF downs the Dawgs for a third time this season to advance into the third round of the 2023-24 SEC Tournament by a six-point margin, 84-78.
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