The Kentucky Wildcats will be facing off against the #6 Florida Gators on Saturday, and it's a rematch that Kentucky fans have been waiting for. This is not only because it is the start of SEC play but also because the Gators left them with a bitter pill over time the last time the two teams played against each other. That's the bad news as we look into the matchup history of these two teams, but there's also a ton of good news, as Kentucky has dominated this matchup over the years. Kentucky and Florida have played each other 152 times in basketball, and the Wildcats have won 110 of them.
Who won the last time Kentucky played Florida in basketball?
The last time that Florida and Kentucky played each other, it went to overtime at Rupp Arena, and Florida came out on top with a 94-91 win. However, during the season, the two teams were even, with each winning at the other team's arena. Kentucky won earlier in the season by a score of 87-85.
Big Blue Nation will be quick to remind anyone who wants to point to this loss as an indication of Saturday that it is an entirely new coaching staff and team. That Calipari is gone, and so is the entire team that was part of that loss to Florida.
How about the last 10 matchups?
We just covered the last two matchups above, which were one win and one loss. However, over the last ten matchups, including those two, Kentucky holds the advantage with an 8-2 favor. Kentucky had won five straight before the loss mentioned above. Florida's only other win over Kentucky in the last ten was in 2021 when Florida won (also at Rupp Arena) with a score of 71-67. The three games before that also were Kentucky wins.
Here is a look at the last 10 games:
Kentucky 91 - Florida 94 OT Loss Jan. 31, 2024 - Rupp Arena
Kentucky 87 - Florida 85 Win Jan. 6, 2024 - O'Connell Center
Kentucky 82 - Florida 74 Win Feb. 22, 2023 - O'Connell Center
Kentucky 72 - Florida 67 Win Feb. 4, 2023 - Rupp Arena
Kentucky 71 - Florida 63 Win March 5, 2022 - O'Connell Center
Kentucky 78 - Florida 57 Win Feb. 12, 2022 - Rupp Arena
Kentucky 67 - Florida 71 Loss Feb. 27, 2021 - Rupp Arena
Kentucky 76 - Florida 58 Win Jan. 9, 2021 - O'Connell Center
Kentucky 71 - Florida 70 Win March 7, 2020 - O'Connell Center
Kentucky 65 - Florida 59 Win Feb. 22, 2020 - Rupp Arena