Kentucky BasketBall Preview – Know Your Enemy: Florida Gators
By Paul Jordan
GAME 22
FEBRUARY 5, 2011 – 9 PM
#23 FLORIDA GATORS
Stephen C O’Connell Center – Gainesville, FL
TV – ESPN
SERIES HISTORY
KENTUCKY LEADS 88-32
RECENT GAMES
3/7/2010: KENTUCKY 74 Florida 66
1/12/2010: KENTUCKY 89 Florida 77
3/7/2009: Florida 60 KENTUCKY 53
2/10/2009: KENTUCKY 68 Florida 65
3/9/2008: KENTUCKY 75 Florida 70
It seems that every time Kentucky plays Florida, it is the biggest matchup of the season. After losing seven straight games to UF, Kentucky has won four of the past five games and last years win at the O’Connell Center snapped a five game losing streak on the road versus the Reptiles. This is the home game of Florida’s season as ESPN Gameday is camping out in Gainesville, so expect a rarity for Florida – a sold out home basketball game. The crowd will be insane, and as the history dictate, it will be a close and hard fought game. Incidentally Florida is 3-0 against UK when Gameday is held in Gainesville for this game.
Florida represents about as much baggage as any game for UK other than Louisville. You have the former UK assistant Donovan and his success. You have the whole Donovan drama about whether he accepted the deal to become UK’s coach two years ago (he did). And now you have Rick Pitino’s kid on the Gator coaching staff and the rumor that he was the one that leaked Eric Bledsoe’s transcript. Throw in the fact that UK won a fierce recruiting battles recently for Brandon Knight, John Wall, and Eric Bledsoe, plus the fact that Stacey Poole’s dad was a Gator legend and that Eloy Vargas was a former Gator and it’s easy to see how this has become the rivalry it is.
THE STARTERS
#11 – G – ERVING WALKER – JR 5’8 171
14.5 ppg, 3.3 apg, 3.2 rpg
#1 – G – KENNY BOYNTON – SO 6’2 183
13 ppg, 2.5 apg, 1.7 rpg
#25 – F – CHANDLER PARSONS – SR 6’10 218
10.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.5 apg
#23 -F – ALEX TYUS – SR 6’8 220
8.8 ppg, 5 rpg, 0.9 apg
#32 – C – VERNON MACKLIN – SR 6’10 245
11.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 0.5 apg
BACK COURT
Erving Walker is a true Jekyll/Hyde type player as he can follow up a brilliant play with an extremely boneheaded one. You really never know what you are going to get with him. Despite being 5’8, he is a very consistent scorer and he is effective from all over the court. Walker is out of control at times as a ball handler, and he never met a 3-point shot he didn’t like. He is hitting 38.3% of his treys for the season and has been especially cold over the last five games (7-33) but he is still averaging 14 a game over that span. Like Walker, Kenny Boynton can be wild and out of control at times and he has never met a shot attempt he did not like. He does tend to score in double digits, but sometimes he has ugly shooting nights to get there and every so often, he will throw up a clunker of a game and go like 2-11 or 0-9. He’s hitting 30,2% of his treys and just 35.7% overall, but he does pass the ball a bit more than the average SG and tries to play PG every now and then. He is fast and athletic, but does not offer a lot in the way of rebounding. If Kentucky is looking for a major opportunity to grab an advantage, they need to get Erving Walker in foul trouble and get Scottie Wilbekin on the floor. Wilbekin is just 17 years old and at times it shows as he can be horribly outmatched. He is averaging 2.2 points and 2 assists in 17 minutes a game.
FRONT COURT
Chandler Parsons is listed as a forward, but he plays like a guard and even leads the Gators in assists. Last year, the Gators were so shorthanded, they even played him at the point at times and he was basically unguardable when he is in “PG mode”. He hits the three fairly well (38.3%) and his history of being a clutch shooter has been documented, but he has seemed to disappear at times in the scoring department. He rebounds fairly well on the offensive boards but can be soft if the play gets too physical. He is a dangerous player, but his Achilles heel may be a the FT line where he is hitting just 54.5%. Alex Tyus has shaved his head and no longer has the “bald predator” look, but you have to figure, he lost part of his game when his locks were shorn. Tyus is a player that will make you pull your hair out as a fan – he can be brilliant one game and devastating bad the next. For the most part, he has played well against UK but his overall numbers in almost every category are down this year. He should grab more rebounds but he has a tendency to get out hustled and play soft at times. Controlling Vernon Macklin has to be the number one priority for Kentucky’s front court. He is big and physical and likes to bang. In short, he is exactly the type of player that has given UK problems this season. He is very gifted with the ball (hitting 57% of his shots) and would average about 5 points a game more if Florida utilized him on offense more. Look for Donovan to make sure Macklin touches the ball on almost every possession on Saturday, but Macklin can bite on the cheap fouls and get into foul trouble. Erik Murphy, at 6’10, is another player that can give Kentucky problems as he is gifted offensively and can mix it up. He is averaging 5.7 ppg and 3.2 rpg for just 13 minutes a game, so he does produce when he is in. He has only played 22 minutes in the past three games though. Highly touted freshman Patric Young, at 6’9. seems to have passe
d Murphy in the battle off the bench. He’s averaging 3.4 points and 3.4 rebounds in 17 minutes a game and is rough around the edges at times, but shows flashes for that five star potential.
OUTLOOK
I have to admit, this is not a good matchup for UK. In my nightmares, I have visions of Vernon Macklin throwing up a 20/20 game and the Gators have a blow out win. That is a possibility, but when you consider that this starting lineup has been together for two full seasons now and they still lose to a team like Jacksonville at home … well you have hope. Florida is a very talented team, but not very discliplined as Walker and Boynton seem to run amok at times without purpose. It’s a mixed bag what you are going to get when you face Florida and with a team that inconsistent it is a problem. For Florida.
Florida comes into the game with a major lack of PG depth yet again and that is the Achilles heel of this team. Walker is flashy, but he is not the type of true PG Donovan wants. At some times, you get Florida playing as five individuals rather than a team unit and if that happens, Kentucky must exploit that weakness.
As much as the head is telling me to pick Florida in this game, I have to have faith in these Wildcats. At no time this season have they had their backs to the wall like this and a win can help to turn the tide on this season. I have to go with the heart. KENTUCKY 81 Florida 77
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