No. 6 Florida basketball at South Carolina: Storylines, SEC prediction

On By Littum

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

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 lost five straight since beating Presbyterian 69-59 in their last non-conference game on Dec. 30.

South Carolina was an NCAA Tournament team a season ago under third-year coach Lamont Paris and hit Gators 82-76 at Columbia last season on March 2, 2024. The Gamecocks return several key players from that squad, including talented 6-foot-7 wing guard Zachary Davis (8.9 ppg, 4.1 apg) and sophomore forward Collin Murray -Boyles (15.4). ppg, 9.2 rpg), who earned first-year 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. 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’re a better team than their record is. We’re going to get their best shot.”

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

Murray-Boyles and Florida sophomore forward Alex Condon have both built 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 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.1 bpg) has maintained his physicality inside while catching the ball better in the post and finishing better around the edge. Chinyelu had nine points on 4-for-6 shooting in UF’s win over Texas.

“He’s a really hard worker,” Golden said. “He has been since he got here. I think it’s just a combination of just getting more comfortable and getting to a point where he knows where his spots are and he’s executing it and more confident. “

South Carolina center Nick Pringle (9.9 ppg, 6.3 apg), a transfer from Alabama, is another scoring threat for the Gamecocks, though UF boasts quality frontcourt depth with sophomore forward Tommy Haugh (7.6 ppg. 5, 3 rpg) and junior forward Sam Alexis (5.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg). UF can do more damage on the boards against South Carolina, as the Gators lead the SEC in rebounding margin (plus-11.8), while South Carolina is 10th (plus-2.9)

Can Florida basketball point guard Walter Clayton Jr. set a new school 3-point record?

Clayton has made at least one 3-pointer in 41 straight games for UF, tying Michael Frazier II, who made his mark in 2014-15. He can set the record on Wednesday against the Gamecocks. Clayton (17.9 ppg) is coming off a 19-point performance against Texas and has averaged 23.5 points over his last two games, going 16-for-32 from the floor and 5-for-12 from 3 -points range during the stretch.

“Walt is clearly one of the most talented players in America,” Golden said. “He doesn’t need a lot of time or space to be able to get those shots up. And sometimes, like we learned with (Missouri guard) Caleb Grill last week, you can strongly contest a shot and it will still go in. Walt’s one of those guys, you might play good defense on him, but sometimes good offense is a little better than good defense.

How will Florida basketball handle the goal as a highly ranked team on the road?

Florida is 2-1 in true road games this season, coming off a 71-63 victory in its last road game on Jan. 11 at Arkansas. South Carolina fans are known to turn out for games against the Gators at Colonial Life Arena, which, when full, seats 18,000.

“We’re a pretty good road team,” Martin said. “But you know winning on the road is hard. Winning in general is hard. But going on the road and winning is harder. So you know we just have to be on it from the tip and super sharp.”

Forecast

Florida 72, South Carolina 61: Florida’s frontcourt depth will play a role and withstand fatigue and foul trouble to help secure another SEC road win. Clayton will sink a 3-pointer in the first half to secure the UF record 42-game streak with a 3-pointer and will play more carefully with the ball to help UF maintain a lead in the second half.

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1