Exactech Arena – Gainesville, FL
Tip-off: Tuesday, 7:00 pm ET
Line: N/A, Total: N/A

The Gators will be looking to keep their spot atop the SEC when they host the Gamecocks on Tuesday.

South Carolina is struggling heading into this meeting with Florida, as the Gamecocks have now lost two straight games and three of their past four. This is a team that prides itself on its defensive ability, but they have now allowed 79.3 PPG over the past four contests. That type of defense is not going to cut it, as South Carolina is not the type of team to win games with its ability to score the ball. In fact, the Gamecocks beat the Gators 57-53 when the teams met in South Carolina on Jan. 18. That is exactly the type of game that the Gamecocks will need on Tuesday, but the Gators are playing some excellent basketball right now. Florida has won eight straight games coming into this one, and the team has covered in six of those contests. The Gators are very good on both sides of the ball and they are capable of winning games in a track meet or a low-scoring grind. One thing worth pointing out about South Carolina is that the team is 10-4 SU but only 6-8 ATS against SEC opponents this season. The Gamecocks are also just 1-2 both SU and ATS when playing as a road underdog on the year. The Gators, meanwhile, are 7-1 SU and 4-4 ATS when playing as a home favorite on the year. They are also an impressive 8-6 ATS when playing SEC opponents this season.

The Gamecocks are not playing their best basketball heading into this game, but G Sindarius Thornwell (20.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2.1 SPG, 1.0 BPG) still happens to be doing his thing. Thornwell is averaging 27.6 PPG over the past five contests, and he will need to be on his game on Tuesday as well. Thornwell played well the last time he faced the Gators, scoring 20 points on 5-for-11 shooting from the field. It’d be big if he can have another good game on Tuesday, but he’ll also need his wingman G PJ Dozier (13.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.7 SPG) to come through. Dozier scored 15 points in a loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday, but he had just 13 points total in the previous two games. South Carolina badly needs Dozier to score at least 15 moving forward, which is something he didn’t do against Florida last game. Dozier had just 10 points in that one, and he’ll need to shoot a lot better than the 2-for-9 he shot against the Gators in January. Another guy worth mentioning is F Chris Silva (10.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.4 BPG). Silva is a solid scorer around the basket and he can also rebound and block shots. He’ll need to make his presence felt on Tuesday or this game could get out of hand.

If Florida is going to beat South Carolina on Tuesday then the team is going to need something out of the shooting guard duo of Canyon Barry (13.2 PPG) and KeVaughn Allen (13.1 PPG, 1.2 SPG). The two don’t always play well together, but both are capable of going off for the Gators. Barry did, however, get a bit banged up last game. He hurt his ankle and it’s possible that he’ll have trouble moving as well on Tuesday. G Kasey Hill (9.7 PPG, 5.0 APG, 1.8 SPG) is also going to need to be at his best on Tuesday. Hill is not very consistent, but he is capable of playing well in big games like this one. He had 21 points and six assists in a win over Kentucky in Gainesville, and the Gators will be hoping that version of Hill shows up here. Florida will also be hoping that F Devin Robinson (11.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG) comes through. Robinson didn’t score a single point in a win over Mississippi State on Saturday, but he did have 10 rebounds and two blocks. Robinson is insanely talented and has the potential to really play well at the next level. He will, however, need to finish out the season strong in order to improve his draft stock. A good game against an elite defense like South Carolina’s would go a long way.