The Arkansas Razorbacks and the Florida Gators were both picked in the preseason to finish around the top of the SEC, and while both squads have had their respective ups and downs throughout the season, they are rounding into form for the stretch run of the SEC slate.
The Razorbacks have not had such good luck to start conference play, losing three in a row to Mississippi State, Auburn, and LSU, bookended by two wins over Tennessee and Missouri.
Arkansas will now hit the road for the beginning of a stretch where it plays four of its next six games away from Bud Walton Arena. This portion of the schedule is crucial to them turning around their fortunes in conference play and finishing in the top six of the SEC.
The Gators have started out 4-1 in conference, but lost their last contest on the road against Ole Miss in a highly contested game that featured 13 ties and 17 lead changes throughout the back-and-forth contest.
That ended the four-game winning streak that Florida had compiled against the likes of Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Missouri, and Mississippi State.
Let’s look at the players to watch, the keys to victory, and a score prediction for Wednesday’s game in Gainesville.
Players to Watch
Daniel Gafford (Arkansas)
Gafford, the 6-11 freshman playing for his home-state Razorbacks, has been one of the best freshmen in the SEC, averaging 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 65 percent from the field.
He has been the only reliable post presence for the Arkansas this season, and with Florida forward Keith Stone playing some incredible basketball over his last few games, it will be very important for Gafford to control the low block on both ends of the floor.
If he can do that, it should open the floor up for Daryl Macon and Jaylen Barford to have open looks.
Egor Koulechov (Florida)
Koulechov has been one of the best perimeter options for the Gators, as well as one of the best rebounders on the Gators’ roster, and that impact has been felt in a big way this season.
The graduate transfer from Rice has scored in double-figures in each of the last six games, including a double-double against Ole Miss on Saturday with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The shooting threat that Koulechov provides, as well as the big body, is something that Arkansas struggles to match up with, which makes him the player to watch for the Gators in this game.
How Arkansas Can Win
The Razorbacks need big games from their dynamic guard duo of Macon and Barford in order to win this game.
The Gators boast their own group of great guards in Chris Chiozza, KeVaughn Allen, Egor Koulechov, and Jalen Hudson, so for the Razorbacks to have success in this game, their guards need to hold their own in the backcourt, both offensively and defensively.
How Florida Can Win
The Gators need to force turnovers to create transitions buckets for themselves.
The Razorbacks rank 10th in conference play in turnovers committed, and the Gators rank in the top 85 in KenPom adjusted tempo, so keeping the game fast-paced is what the latter will want to attempt to do.
If Florida can get Chiozza in the open court, his elite speed and passing ability can make the offense nearly unstoppable offensively.
Prediction
The Gators and Razorbacks will play a very up-tempo game, which plays to both team’s strengths.
Both backcourts will be important to this matchup, but it will come down to which frontcourt can control the paint on both ends of the floor.
The frontcourt has been playing very well for the Gators, and while Gafford is a formidable foe, look for Stone to have a solid performance that will prove the difference in this game.
Prediction: Florida 78, Arkansas 72