The Georgia Bulldogs are no joke. While they are 1-3 in the SEC (9-8 overall), they have defeated Georgia Tech and Tennessee, while playing very well in their three SEC losses to Kentucky, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. But the Dogs are 0-5 on the road and they are at Florida tonight.
UF (14-5, 3-2 SEC) has righted the ship after starting 0-2 in the league. South Carolina's rousing win over UK last night puts pressure on the Gators, as Florida does not want to be in the bottom of the East. UF is not top-25 quality, butKenny Boynton, Erving Walker and Chandler Parsons are. The three are not only Florida's best scorers, but can contribute without scoring. Contrast this to Alex Tyus, who needs the ball in his hands or Vernon Macklin, who is the only starter not scoring in double digits and is averaging only 5 rebounds per game. Macklin is the biggest disappointment, because if he had the minutes and was out of foul trouble, he would be a great player.
At 6-foot-10, UGA's Trey Thompkins will give Tyus and Macklin problems tonight. The sophomore is averaging 19 points in SEC play. He can also slide out and shoot from three, as he did with his three 3-pointers against Tennessee. If Florida can force turnovers (UGA is last in turns) and rebound (they are 3-0 in SEC when they out rebound the opponent), the Gators can win and keep momentum going into Sunday's game at Tennessee.