Tennessee travels to Gainesville, Florida on Tuesday for a showdown between the two longtime SEC rivals.
The Vols didn’t skip a beat in their return to the court Saturday with a comprehensive 81-61 dismantling of Vanderbilt.
The Gators are 6-4 on the season and 3-3 in the SEC.
Some of Florida’s best wins are against LSU, Ole Miss and Boston College.
Florida will come into Tuesday night’s matchup on the heels of a 72-69 defeat at Mississippi State on Saturday. The Gators were once again without Scottie Lewis who was sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols.
The Gators average 76.7 points per game while shooting 46% from the field and 37% from behind the three-point line. The Key to Florida’s offense is spacing the court and playing at a high tempo.
“They’re gonna spread you out,” Rick Barnes said. “They’re gonna create a point of contact on ball screens. He (Mike White) puts his players in the positions they need to be.”
The Gators will be led by Tre Mann, Colin Castleton and Noah Locke.
Mann averages 14 points per game along with averaging five rebounds per game. He also leads the team with 42 assists and 17 steals.
Castleton has been a formidable post presence for the Gators, averaging 12.6 points per game and five rebounds per game also. The 6-foot-11 Castleton also leads the team in blocks with 23 in the first 10 games of the season.
Locke is a veteran presence for the Gators, averaging nine points per game on 40% shooting from the field while shooting 41% from behind the three-point line. Locke can fill whatever position his coach asks him to slide into and is a versatile option for the Gators.
Defensively, the Gators struggle to contain their opponents.
Florida gives up an average of 71 points per game while its opponents shoot 42% from the field and 36% from behind the three-point line.
Tennessee averages 77 points per game so they should be able to use their strong guard play and speed with the basketball to attack Florida’s defense and create high scoring opportunities in the paint and round the rim.
Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer will create massive problems for the Florida defense.
Against Vanderbilt, Johnson had a career-high 16 points and used his athleticism to create dynamic plays at the basket that will be hard for any opponent to stop.
Springer has carved himself out a spot in the starting five with his play recently. He leads the team in assists in SEC play and his ability to overpower his on-ball defender while always makes him a lethal threat for any defense.
One way for the Vols to maximize their ability on the offensive end is to continue to go to their small-ball lineup more frequently, so they can get the ball into their guard’s hands.
“We like it, we need to work it more in practice,” Barnes said. “As a group, it’s kinda fun to see them moving the ball and playing fast.”
The x-factor for the Tuesday night matchup will be the availability of Scottie Lewis.
Lewis averages 11 points a game on 47% shooting from the field while also shooting 43% from behind the three-point line. He also averages four rebounds per game and has shot the second most free throws on the team. Lewis also has 13 blocks and 12 steals on the season.
Lewis is Florida’s most NBA-ready body and has incredible physical traits that make him a nightmare to guard and even more of a nightmare to be guarded by.
Tipoff from Gainesville is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
