Gators Men’s Basketball Looks for First SEC Win

The Gators men’s basketball team is set to host the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday afternoon in the teams’ third conference game.

The Gators (10-5, 0-2 SEC) and the Razorbacks (9-6, 0-2 SEC) are seeking their first SEC win of the season.

Previous Games

Florida is coming off of a poor performance against the Ole Miss Rebels on Wednesday. The team gave up 100-plus points for the first time in regulation this season, losing 103-85. Walter Clayton Jr. led all scorers with 23 points and Zyon Pullin followed with 18 points.

Riley Kugel, one of the Gators’ most athletic scorers, played just four minutes and didn’t record any points. Friday, coach Todd Golden said he had a productive meeting with Kugel and expects the sophomore guard to make an impact Saturday.

Arkansas’s most recent game came against the Georgia Bulldogs, and the Razorbacks fell 76-66 in Athens.

Key Players

Clayton Jr. has been scoring well in conference play. In the matchups with Ole Miss and Kentucky, he recorded 23 points in each game. The guard said hitting shots is opening up opportunities for him to succeed.

Additionally, Alex Condon posted a double-double in Florida’s contest with the Rebels, scoring 11 points and bringing down 15 rebounds. Condon, a freshman, has scored in double-digits in his first two SEC games, scoring 10 points against Kentucky.

For Arkansas, three players average double digits in scoring. Mark Tramon leads the team by averaging 17 points per game. Following Tramon is Khalif Battles, who is averaging 12.9 ppg while Keyon Menifield Jr. averages 11.8 ppg.

The Razorbacks have faced a tough schedule. The team has faced four ranked teams but are 1-3. Arkansas defeated then-No. 7 Duke 80-75 Nov. 29.

Golden said one of the main areas the Gators will focus on is transition defense against the Razorbacks.

Tip-off Saturday is at 4 p.m. at the O’Connell Center. ESPN will provide TV coverage and the game came be heard on ESPN 98.1-FM and 850-AM WRUF.