Two of the hottest teams in the SEC are set to face off as Florida basketball hosts Kentucky.
The Gators are riding a four-game win streak, while the Wildcats have won eight of their last nine games and have strung together three in a row.
Florida (18-6, 9-2 SEC) will try to hold onto sole possession of first place in the conference standings as the Gators host Kentucky on Saturday, Feb. 14 (3 p.m., ABC).
The Gators come off an 86-66 road win over Georgia, while the Wildcats held off Tennessee for 74-71 victory.
What has Denzel Aberdeen’s season been like?
The major storyline of this game will be Denzel Aberdeen’s return to the O’Dome to face his former team.
Aberdeen was a key bench piece during UF’s national championship run last season, but the guard opted to hit the transfer portal.
“The reality is we would have loved to have Denzel back,” said Florida coach Todd Golden during SEC media day. “There were other things that were more important to him than what we had to offer at this point.
“Every person, whether it be a coach or a player, have different things that are important to them when making decisions. Unfortunately, it didn’t align. We would have loved to have him back.”
This season, Aberdeen has averaged 12.3 points per game, which is second-best on Kentucky’s team. He has also averaged 3.2 assists per game and 2.5 rebounds.
Aberdeen’s season high was 26 points in UK’s loss to Louisville during the third game of the season. Most recently, Aberdeen recorded 16 points, but turned the ball over three times in Kentucky’s win against Tennessee.
Kentucky’s turnaround
The Wildcats got off to a 5-4 start to the season, which was highlighted by a blowout 95-59 loss to Gonzaga at the beginning of December.
Kentucky even started SEC play with two straight losses before digging out of its hole with an 8-3 conference mark and a 17-7 overall record.
The Wildcats have become one of the better defensive teams in the conference, holding opponents to 71.3 points per game, which is third-best in the SEC. Teams shoots just 41% against Kentucky; however, Florida is ranked ahead of the Wildcats in both categories.
Yet, Aberdeen has been Kentucky’s spark plug as of late after the Wildcats lost starting point guard Jaland Lowe to season-ending shoulder surgery. Aberdeen’s role has expanded, and in the last three games, he has averaged 18 points and is 17 of 28 from the floor.
However, Kentucky’s Otegah Oweh, who was the SEC Preseason Player of the Year, has put up strong numbers. Oweh has recorded 17.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
Where is Kentucky in the metrics?
The Wildcats are listed at No. 27 in the NET rankings.
Kentucky is 6-6 against Quadrant 1 teams, and a combined 11-1 against Quad 2-4 teams.
Breaking down the quadrant system, home games against teams ranked from No. 1-30, neutral-site games against teams ranked No. 1-50, and away games against opponents ranked No. 1-75 are considered Q1 chances.
The Wildcats are listed as No. 27 on KenPom, No. 39 on Bart Torvick and No. 25 in EvanMiya.
Florida basketball vs Kentucky prediction
Florida 85, Kentucky 74: As long as Florida does its thing on the boards, then the Gators easily hold the advantage of this game. UF has been dominant on defense and should be more than prepared for the return of Denzel Aberdeen. Expect Florida to continue its trend of putting teams away early on.
Reach Florida Gators writer Andrew Abadie at AAbadie@usatodayco.com or on X (formerly Twitter) at @AndrewAbadie. You can also find him on Facebook at Andrew Abadie Sports Reporter or on Instagram @andrewabadie_sports.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida basketball vs Kentucky players to watch, prediction for pivotal SEC matchup
Reporting by Andrew Abadie, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
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