Can Florida basketball notch another road win? Scouting report, prediction at South Carolina

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Florida basketball will face another test to its competitive mindset when it plays at reeling South Carolina on Wednesday (7 p.m., SEC Network).

The No. 6 Florida Gators (16-2, 3-2 SEC) will face a South Carolina team still seeking its first conference win. The Gamecocks (10-8, 0-5) have dropped five straight since beating Presbyterian 69-59 in its final non-conference game on Dec. 30.

South Carolina was an NCAA Tournament team a season ago under third-year coach Lamont Paris and beat the Gators 82-76 in Columbia last season on March 2, 2024. The Gamecocks return several key players from that squad, including talented 6-foot-7 wing defender Zachary Davis (8.9 ppg, 4.1 apg) and sophomore forward Collin Murray-Boyles (15.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg), who earned freshman All-SEC honors last season.

“They’re a very physical team,” Florida basketball coach Todd Golden said. “They guard hard. Obviously, being on the road is a challenge in itself, but going against a physical program like South Carolina will be even more of a challenge.”

South Carolina has lost its two SEC home games by an average of three points, including a 66-63 loss to No. 1 Auburn on Jan. 11. Per Fan Duel, Florida is an 11.5-point favorite.

“Their record doesn’t really show what they have on the roster,” Florida guard Alijah Martin said. “They are a better team than what their record is. We’re going to get their best shot.”

Can Florida basketball’s frontcourt outplay South Carolina’s frontcourt?

Murray-Boyles and Florida sophomore forward Alex Condon both have built off their all-SEC freshman seasons. The 6-8, 245-pound Murray-Boyles has posted a team-high 28 steals in addition to being South Carolina’s leading scorer and rebounder. The 6-11 Condon, meanwhile, is averaging 10.8 points and 8.2 rebounds and has notched double-doubles in three of his last four games.

At 6-10 and 260 pounds, Florida center Rueben Chinyelu (5.8 pg, 7.2 rpg, 1.1 bpg) has maintained his physicality inside while catching the ball better in the post…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-basketball-notch-another-road-224118629.html

Author : The Gainesville Sun

Publish date : 2025-01-21 22:41:00

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