Florida Vying to Erase Seven-Season Long Drought Against Kentucky

When the No. 5 Florida Gators enter Rupp Arena on Saturday, they aim to accomplish something they have not done since the 2017-18 season: Sweep the regular-season series with the Kentucky Wildcats.

“I do think our guys are committed to being competitive regardless of the circumstance. If you're not excited to go into Rupp and play, then this isn't the program for you,” Gators head coach Todd Golden told the media on Friday.

During that 2017-18 campaign, the Gators took the first meeting between the two in Lexington, escaping with a 66-64 victory over the Wildcats.

Florida Gators guard Chris Chiozza had 13 points in 2018 against Kentucky. | Matt Stamey-Imagn Images

Four Gators found themselves in double digits, with former Gator Jalen Hudson leading the charge. Hudson finished with 17 points and five rebounds. The other Gators to cross the 10-point threshold were Keith Stone (14), Chris Chiozza (13) and Kevaughn Allen (11).

However, the defense is the key reason Florida walked away from Rupp Arena in triumph. Kentucky shot 40 percent from the field on 65 attempts and 23.5 percent from three on 17 attempts. Florida’s defense also forced 17 turnovers and blocked four shots.

Then, the Gators walloped the Wildcats in the reverse fixture, 80-67, in Gainesville. Once again, Hudson ended as the Gators' leading scorer against the Wildcats, posting 22 points. He shot 53.3 percent overall and 3-for-6 from deep.

The other contributors for Florida on offense were Egor Koulechov with 16 points, Allen with 11 and Stone with 10.

Fast forward to the present day, Golden has his guys peaking at the right time heading into the matchup.

Florida enters the contest on a 10-game winning streak, including a victory over the Wildcats. So, having already seen them, there should not be too many surprises when they share the court for the second time this year.

“Yeah, not a lot’s changed,” Golden said on Friday. “I think they were playing well when we played them, thought they played well against us, and they have some really nice weapons.”

Florida hosted Kentucky back on Feb. 14, beating the visitors, 92-83. Xaivian Lee led all Gators in scoring, logging 22 points. Others contributing double figures were Urban Klavzar (19), Thomas Haugh (17), Alex Condon (14), and Rueben Chinyelu (10). Chinyelu and Condon also posted double-doubles.

Florida guard Xaivian Lee had a team-high 22 points in the Gators' win over Kentucky on Feb. 14. | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Now, it is Kentucky’s turn to play host and while it might be daunting to most, Golden did not sound too scared of the challenge ahead for his team.

“It's a good place, tough place to play, but there's a number of other ones in our league that I would say are really tough to play in as well,” Golden said. “But the tradition and history that come with that program bring a little more excitement leading up to the game. And it's a fun place to compete."

However, the Wildcats are 6-2 in their home arena during conference play in 2025-26. There’s also the Gators ' well-documented struggles in Lexington, holding a 12-55 away record, and they are 4-14 in their last 18 road matchups against the Wildcats.

On the other hand, Golden has been competitive in his three road meetings with Kentucky. Florida is just 1-2 under Golden in Rupp, but the losses came by a combined 11 points in total.

As for the Gators' lone victory during Golden’s tenure, that occurred in the 2023-24 season. A roster headlined by Walter Clayton Jr., Zyon Pullin and Tyrese Samuel, the Gators left Lexington with a 94-91 overtime win.

Clayton Jr., Samuel and Pullin each logged at least 20 points against the Wildcats defense, with Clayton Jr. having a team-high 23 points and seven made threes. Samuel recorded 22 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. Pullin added 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

The Gators rematch with the Wildcats takes place at 4 p.m. on Saturday, with ESPN or ESPN2 providing television coverage.