Florida at Kentucky: Preview, Info, Where to Watch and More

Photo: Kyle Lofton; Credit: Zach Goodall

After upending the No. 2 team in the nation on Wednesday night, the Florida Gators have the momentum needed to close a previously troublesome four-game stretch in favorable fashion.

Going up against three top-five opponents in that span, broken up by a road matchup in the SEC's most daunting environment, the Gators were in desperate need of at least one win for the close of the regular season. Now, following the upset of Tennessee, Florida looks for its second resume-boosting win in as many games against Kentucky.

Can the Gators make it two in a row in the roughest part of their 2023 schedule against John Calipari's Wildcats inside Rupp Arena?

You can find everything you need to know about the matchup below.

Need last-minute tickets? Purchase them via S.I. Tickets here.

Florida Gators vs. Kentucky Wildcats

Where: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Ky.

When: Saturday, Feb. 4 at 8:30 p.m. EST

Watch: ESPN

Radio: Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD / SiriusXM 385 / SXM App 975

Odds: Florida is a five-point underdog to Kentucky, according to the Sports Illustrated Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 135.5 points.

Series history: Florida is 41-107 in the all-time series against Kentucky and 11-54 on the road. In the last meeting between the two programs on Mar. 5, 2022, the Wildcats held off the Gators 71-63 in the regular-season finale.

Important stories

The rundown

Historically, this series has been dominated by Kentucky, especially inside Rupp Arena.

With Florida looking to bolster its at-large resume for a berth into the NCAA Tournament this March, two contests against the college basketball blueblood present the opportunity to do just that. The reality of stealing one or even both of the meetings this season isn’t as far-fetched as it has been in years past.

Kentucky is starting to find its stride after sputtering in the out-of-conference slate and early stages of league play, but there is still lingering concern regarding the unit’s sustainability.

After losing to South Carolina — the bottom feeder in the SEC this season — UK faithful began to question the trajectory of the program as a whole under long-time head coach John Calipari.

Underachieving relative to talent and expectations, there were signs of decline that resulted in fans calling for the lifelong tenure awarded to the Cats' head coach to be revoked.

However, similarly to what Florida is attempting to do, an upset over Tennessee kickstarted the Wildcats' run of five wins in their last six matchups — with the lone loss coming to top-ten Kansas a week ago.

Kentucky is once again led by Lubumbashi, Congo native Oscar Tshiebwe at the five. Averaging a double-double with 16.5 points and 13.6 rebounds (first in college basketball this season), the big man has done his part to keep UK afloat amid midseason turmoil.

In his career, Tshiebwe has had his way against Florida. Scoring 27 points and grabbing 16.5 boards per game against the Gators in two previous meetings, the former player of the year in college basketball presents the biggest concern for UF.

While the unit ranks as a top-ten defense this season, especially in the half-court where Tshiebwe thrives, Colin Castleton struggled to contend as a defender in 2021-22.

Even when he did get stops, second-chance opportunities for one of the most efficient rebounders in college basketball proved to be the difference in both contests. He made up for it on the other end, averaging 20.5 points per game against Kentucky and Tshiebwe.

This time around, attacking the glass on the defensive end to keep the lengthy 6-foot-9 center off the boards will be imperative.

Ultimately, the battle of the bigs will be the factor to monitor while both squads will look to limit the opposing five.

Neither team boasts the elite shooting presence to take over the game at any point from beyond the arc, but each has capable pieces to contribute to the play of the offensive focuses.

Antonio Reeves, Jacob Toppin and Cason Wallace are each averaging over 11 points per game, while Sahvir Wheeler leads Kentucky in assists.

For Florida, Will Richard and Myreon Jones will have to replicate their success from Wednesday night from beyond the arc, while point guard Kyle Lofton will be expected to continue giving 8-to-10 points to add on top of his facilitation efforts as the Gators floor general.

If the unit maintains its confidence on the offensive end, Florida has the ability to contend with Kentucky even in the confines of Big Blue Nation.

Stay tuned to All Gators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @AllGatorsOnFN on Twitter and All Gators on FanNation-Sports Illustrated on Facebook.

Get your Gators football, basketball and other sporting events tickets from SI Tickets here.