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Florida hosts Ben Simmons and LSU Friday
By: Brian Graham - StatFox
Published: 1/8/2016  at  5:34:00 AM
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LSU TIGERS (9-5, 2-0 SEC)

at FLORIDA GATORS (9-5, 1-1 SEC)

Stephen C. O'Connell Center - Gainesville, FL
Tip-off: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. ET
Line: Florida -5.5

LSU will try to build off its best win of the season when it visits slumping Florida on Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers (9-5 SU, 5-7 ATS) have opened 2016 with a pair of impressive victories, as they won 90-82 as a double-digit underdog at No. 23 Vanderbilt on Saturday before blowing out No. 9 Kentucky on Tuesday by an 85-67 margin. Meanwhile, the Gators (6-5-1 ATS) are only 3-3 in their past six games, which included an 83-69 loss at 4.5-point underdog Tennessee on Wednesday. LSU has not played well outside of Baton Rouge this season at 1-4 (SU and ATS), and has allowed a whopping 85.7 PPG in three true road games. The O'Connell Center is always difficult for visitors, and this season is no different, as Florida is 6-1 SU (3-1-1 ATS) at home where it outscores opponents by a whopping 21.4 PPG. The Gators are also a perfect 3-0 ATS after an ATS loss, but the Tigers are 3-1 ATS with a +15.8 PPG margin when following an ATS victory this season. Although Florida opened the decade with six straight SU wins in this series (4-2 ATS), LSU won both meetings last season, including a shocking 79-61 win in Gainesville as an 11-point underdog.

Can LSU stay perfect in the SEC by winning in a hostile environment? For the answer, connect to The Platinum Sheet for all the StatFox Experts Best Bets throughout the season. The experts have a profitable 53% ATS record (66-58-1) in Best Bets over the past five weeks, including 58% ATS (14-10-1) last week. StatFox Brian has a 68% ATS mark (17-8) in the past five weeks, while StatFox Zach is a profitable 55% ATS (41-37-2) over the past six weeks.

LSU has a potent offense that produces 84.3 PPG (18th in nation) on 47.8% FG (37th in D-I), but makes a subpar 32.5% threes (243rd in nation). This is also a mediocre rebounding team (+1.4 RPG margin, 168th in D-I) and foul shooting team (66.9% FT, 234th in nation), but is very unselfish with 17.1 APG (27th in D-I). The Tigers are very efficient on offense with only 11.8 turnovers per game (66th in nation), and they have also forced 15.6 TO per game (46th in D-I), which equals a stellar +3.8 TO margin (24th in nation). This helps combat an otherwise lackluster defense that is allowing 75.9 PPG (262nd in D-I) on 47.8% FG (37th in nation) and 36.1% threes (265th in D-I). Freshman F/C Ben Simmons has not shown a weakness in any area, as he scores 20.1 PPG on 59% FG, 33% threes and 74% FT, while chipping in a hefty 12.9 RPG, 5.2 APG, 2.1 SPG and 1.4 BPG. The 6-foot-10 Simmons leads the SEC (T-5th in nation) with 11 double-doubles, including three straight games where he's averaged 23.7 PPG and 12.0 RPG. Senior G Keith Hornsby (16.3 PPG, 51% FG, 47% threes, 84% FT) has scored at least nine points in all seven of his games this season, including 23 points on 8-of-13 FG (4-of-7 threes) in the last road game at Vanderbilt on Jan. 2. Hornsby averaged 13.5 PPG on 5-of-12 threes last season and will be counted on to provide more long-range shooting on Saturday. Sophomore F Craig Victor II (13.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG) has scored at least 10 points in all five of his games thanks to a healthy 52% FG clip. Victor, a transfer from Arizona, is also a stellar defensive player with 2.0 SPG on the season and nine steals in his past four contests. Junior G Tim Quarterman (12.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.7 APG) is coming off a monster game against Kentucky where he had 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Florida's offense hasn't been great this season with 73.1 PPG (184th in nation, 11th in SEC), as they make a mere 41.6% FG (284th in D-I) on a horrendous 28.9% threes (330th in nation) and 62.0% FT (325th in D-I). However, the Gators defense has been swarming opponents all season in allowing only 63.5 PPG (27th in nation) on 38.2% FG (21st in D-I) and 32.1% threes (100th in nation). Four Florida players average double-figure points this season, with F Dorian Finney-Smith (13.1 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.1 SPG) leading the charge. Although the senior has been in a shooting funk over the past three games (10-of-33 FG, 4-of-16 threes), he still tallied 12 points and 11 boards in Wednesday's loss. In Finney-Smith's one game versus LSU last season, he had 10 points and eight rebounds, but made just 4-of-13 FG and committed five turnovers. F Devin Robinson is in the midst of a strong sophomore season where he's averaged 11.1 PPG (50% FG) and 6.9 RPG. Robinson has scored at least 10 points in seven of the past eight games. Sophomore C John Egbunu has also provided muscle in the paint with 10.8 PPG (59% FG), 7.0 RPG and 1.6 BPG, but has made only 4-of-17 free throws (24%) in the past five games. The Gators are hoping he can keep LSU star Ben Simmons off the glass. Florida's main perimeter scorer is freshman G KeVaughn Allen (10.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG), who has pumped in five straight games with double figures where he's averaged an impressive 18.8 PPG on 52% shooting.


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