Florida will look to put together another great defensive effort when it takes on Butler at the Battle 4 Atlantis on Friday night.
The Gators rebounded from their loss to Oklahoma by scoring a 72-49 victory over Stanford, with Mike White’s team forcing 20 turnovers and holding the Cardinal to just 37 percent shooting.
Meanwhile, Butler enters this game with a lot of momentum after earning an 84-53 win over Middle Tennessee.
Let’s run through what to watch for in this game.
Game Details
- Florida (3-2) vs. Butler (4-1)
- Location: Imperial Arena at Atlantis Resort – Nassau, Bahamas (Battle 4 Atlantis)
- Game Date: Nov. 23
- Game Time: 9:30 p.m. EST
- Watch: ESPNU
Players to Watch
KeVaughn Allen (Florida)
The 6-2 senior is starting to find his way after being held scoreless in the season-opening loss at Florida State.
Allen has notched double figures in back-to-back contests, and he scored 13 points while grabbing four steals in the victory over Stanford.
For Florida to be an NCAA Tournament lock this season, it’ll need Allen to make consistent contributions on both sides of the court.
Sean McDermott (Butler)
McDermott was a big reason why the Bulldogs set a Battle 4 Atlantis record with 16 made 3-pointers against Middle Tennessee.
The 6-6 junior scored 21 points while going 7 of 11 from beyond the arc, which helped him tie the tournament record for a player after Wisconsin guard D’Mitrik Trice hit the same amount earlier in the day during the team’s win over Oklahoma.
While Kamar Baldwin and Paul Jorgensen will certainly command a lot of the attention from opposing defenders, it’s clear that the Gators better keep an eye on McDermott due to his tremendous outside shooting.
Key Stats
Florida has been up and down at times this season, but the performance against Stanford showed why this team has ranked in the top 25 in defensive efficiency in each of the past six seasons.
The Gators currently rank seventh in that category this season, as they’ve held four of their five opponents to 65 points or less.
Butler’s offensive display against the Blue Raiders was undoubtedly impressive, and the Bulldogs are excelling in several different offensive categories.
LaVall Jordan’s team is 19th in 2-point field-goal percentage (60.0 percent), 39th in turnover percentage (15.8 percent), and 76th in 3-point field-goal percentage (37.5 percent).
However, Butler has allowed opponents to shoot 36.9 percent from long range, which may help ease some of Florida’s early struggles in that area (32.4 percent).
The Bulldogs enter the game with more experience (95th nationally) while Florida has a bit more size across the board (90th in average height).
Game Outlook
- Spread: Pick ’em
- Over/Under: 136
- KenPom Projection: Florida, 53 percent chance to win
- ESPN BPI Projection: Florida, 57.8 percent chance to win
It’s worth noting that these two will now actually play against each other twice this season, as Florida will host Butler on Dec. 29.
The first matchup feels like a toss-up, especially when you consider that both teams are playing their third game in three days.
One important storyline worth watching is the play of Jalen Hudson, who was essentially benched in Florida’s win over Stanford. The Gators’ leading scorer from a year ago (15.5 ppg) played just seven minutes and didn’t record a point.
White will need his entire rotation to once again be focused on the defensive side of the court due to Butler’s efficiency on offense.
The Gators need to find some good looks in transition while attacking the rim to draw fouls. Jordan plays a seven-man rotation, so getting a key player in foul trouble would be a big boost for Florida when you consider that there may be tired legs on both sides.
This matchup should be a grind for both teams, and it likely won’t feature a ton of scoring.
In what truly feels like a coin flip game, I’ll lean on the playmaking ability of the Bulldogs’ guards to give them the win.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 52-10
Game Prediction: Butler 65, Florida 63
For more SEC basketball coverage, follow me on Twitter @theblakelovell.