One key aspect of basketball will be the difference when Kentucky takes on Florida

Can the Wildcats hang with the Florida Gators on the glass?

Jan 24, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope reacts to the action on the court during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats didn’t have a midweek game this week, but the most challenging game of SEC play for the Wildcats is coming up on Saturday as they head to the Swamp. The defending National Champion Gators lost some games early in the season and have taken some losses in conference play, but Todd Golden’s team is playing good basketball.

When facing the Gators, there is one area that will decide the game, and that is the glass. There is no team better in college basketball on the boards than the Florida Gators. The Gators lead college basketball in rebounds per game, pulling down 46.22 per contest. They also lead college basketball on the offensive glass, pulling down 16.65 offensive rebounds per game.

Jan 27, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope directs his team against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Wildcats just got done beating the Tennessee Volunteers, who are another one of the better teams in the nation when it comes to rebounding, and the Vols dominated Kentucky on the glass, winning this battle 46-31, but the Wildcats still found a way to win.

The reality is that if the Wildcats lose the rebounding battle by this type of margin to the Gators, they are going to lose this basketball game, and Florida will likely cover the spread. The Gators have the best frontcourt in college basketball, starting three players over 6’9. The frontcourt includes 6’9 Thomas Haugh, 6’11 Alex Condon, and 6’10 Rueben Chinyelu.

Feb 1, 2026; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden and Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh (10) celebrate against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

All three of these players are elite on the boards, but the best of them is Chinyelu. Knowing that Kentucky is going to be the much smaller team in this game, every player is going to have to crash the boards for the Wildcats to have a shot to get the win.

The recipe for a loss for Pope’s team would be Florida only giving the Wildcats one shot per possession on offense and the Gators getting a ton of second-chance points. There are a lot of similarities that can be drawn between Tennessee and Florida, but the difference is that the Gators have a competent offense.

Florida’s offense is ranked 14th in KenPom, so if the Gators are dominating the offensive glass, those second-chance opportunities will turn into points for Golden’s team. Coach Pope has to have a plan in place for the boards in this game or the Wildcats are going to lose by a wide margin in the Sunshine State.

Kentucky likely won’t win the rebounding battle in this game, but if they can keep it close, they will have a shot to take down the Gators.