Florida Gators vs. UConn: Preview, Info, Odds, Where to Watch and More
Todd Golden leads the Florida Gators (6-3) into battle against Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies (9-0) on Wednesday night looking for a statement win in his first month on the job in Gainesville.
Florida has experienced ups and downs to begin the season. After dropping their first two opportunities to earn quadrant one victories and falling to FAU at home, the Gators have another opportunity to bolster their early season resume with a victory over a top-five team in the country on their home turf.
However, the Huskies are vying to prove that they are back as the team to beat in the Big East and reign as a title contender with an impressive, and unexpected, 10-0 start.
Will Golden and the Gators assert themselves as a formidable up-and-coming unit? Or will the Huskies continue to re-emerge into the national spotlight?
You can find everything you need to know about the matchup below.
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Florida Gators vs. No. 5 Connecticut Huskies
Where: Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, Gainesville, Fla.
When: Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 9 p.m. E.T.
Watch: ESPN2
Radio: Gators Sports Network from LEARFIELD / SiriusXM 385 / SXM App 975
Odds: Florida is a 4.5-point underdog to the Huskies, according to the Sports Illustrated Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 143.5 points.
Series history: The Gators are 1-4 all-time against UConn. In the last meeting between the two programs on Nov. 17, 2019, Florida 62-59 on the road to the Huskies. Florida's lone win in the series came in overtime to advance to the elite eight in the 1994 NCAA Tournament, 69-60.
Important stories
- Gators overcome sluggish first half to cruise to win over Stetson, 89-52
- Gators HC Todd Golden updates status of starters Kyle Lofton, Will Richard
- Florida Gators blowout FAMU, 102-62
- Three takeaways from the Florida Gators Phil Knight Legacy outings
- Gators HC Todd Golden clarifies Kowacie Reeves Jr.'s lack of playing time
- Florida Gators defensive breakdowns in loss to FAU are "very correctable"
- Todd Golden sets tournament-level expectations for year-one campaign
- Assistant Kevin Horde shaping the future of Florida's offensive attack
- Gators basketball 2022-23 player profile: Center Colin Castleton
- Profile: Center Jason Jitoboh
- Profile: Center Aleks Szymczyk
- Profile: Forward CJ Felder
- Profile: Forward Alex Fudge
- Profile: Wing Riley Kugel
- Profile: Wing Kowacie Reeves Jr.
- Profile: Wing Will Richard
- Profile: Wing Niels Lane
- Profile: Guard Myreon Jones
- Profile: Guard Denzel Aberdeen
- Profile: Guard Trey Bonham
- Profile: Guard Kyle Lofton
- Gators' complete 2022-23 schedule
The rundown
An early-season litmus test for the Florida Gators is here.
After back-to-back promising performances against mid-major teams, in which the Gators patched holes that resulted in their crushing loss to West Virginia in the last leg of the Phil Knight Legacy tournament, Florida plays host to the fifth-ranked UConn Huskies with the opportunity to test their progress since the beginning of the season.
The Huskies pair a high-octane offense with an active defensive unit, ranking top 10 in both adjusted efficiency metrics, according to Kenpom.com. They're the No. 4 unit on the adjusted efficiency margin scale, as a result.
Colin Castleton will be busy on both ends as he battles with Adama Sanogo, the Huskies' leading scorer with 18.7 points per game this season on 61.5% from the field. He also leads the unit in rebounds with 6.9 per contest. The Gators' big man will be called upon to serve a crucial role on both ends and as the leader.
That's especially true if fellow fifth-year senior Kyle Lofton is unable to go due to a back injury that's kept him sidelined for the past two contests. He'll be a game-time decision.
Meanwhile, guard Trey Bonham and wing Will Richard, who have each emerged as UF's most prolific scorers, will serve in a complementary role of Castleton on the offensive end. They've provided noticeable sparks for Florida in moments of offensive stagnancy this season.
Florida's shown the capability to be a supremely productive unit scoring this season behind the multi-dimensional skillsets of the two backcourt members.
Guards Tristan Newton — the floor general — and Jordan Hawkins will be their main combatants.
That, paired with Florida's drastic improvements in transition defense — allowing just two points per game in the last two contests in the fast break — gives the Gators a legitimate opportunity to compete with the re-emerging blue blood in college basketball.
A close game for Florida will help establish credibility in the early stages of the Todd Golden era in Gainesville while an upset victory could catapult the Gators into league play with buzz for legitimate contention.
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