1:00 pm - CBS
Memorial Gymnasium, Nashville, Tennessee
The Gators travel to "that really weird looking basketball court" today to face off against SEC East rival Vanderbilt at 1 pm.
Vanderbilt had this Florida team on the ropes earlier this season in Gainesville, bringing an 11 point lead into the halftime locker room but unable to pull out a victory in the end. They used the great shooting of forward Derrick Byars to build a pretty good lead in the first half, but the Gators stormed out in the second to win the game by 10.
Byars, along with a few other Commodores, could easily create problems for the Gators today in front of their home crowd. Byars averages 16.5 points/game, and Vanderbilt as a team shoots very well from beyond the arc (38%). The Gators will need to play some good perimeter defense and don't give up any big shots and momentum swings in this one.
Vanderbilt also forces close to 16 turnovers a game, so it should be a priority for the Gators to protect the ball today.
This could turn into "one of those games." However, if the Gators establish a good game in the paint and can shoot the 3 better than they have in the last two games, we should see a victory today.
Go Gators!!!