Ten conference wins is a magic number for any at-large team. With a win today at Georgia, the Gators would get to ten wins and firm up their chances of an NCAA bid.
The Gators (20-8, 9-4 SEC) cannot take the Bulldogs lightly however. Georgia (12-14, 4-9) is 12-3 in home games, and has defeated Illinois, Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Vanderbilt in Athens. In their previous game, a Florida 87-71 win over the Dogs a month ago, UGA forward Trey Thompkins scored 24 points (10-12 shooting) as the Dogs shot nearly 60%. Florida still has not figured out a way to slow a dominant big man and they probably won't do it today. Thompkins has scored in double digits in 22 of 26 games this season and has four double-doubles in SEC play. The sophomore is shooting 50% and 76% from the line.
While UGA leans on their big, Florida needs to find a way to get Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton shooting more efficiently. The guards did this in their last game against Tennessee, scoring a combined 31 points on 9 of 19 shooting. But remember what was a big storyline of that game; UF getting points inside. When the Gators work inside-out, opposition guards have to sink in the zone, giving space to UF's undersized guards. Boynton has started going to the hole, rather than running in and curling out. Walker was freed up enough to make 3 of 4 triples, his most made since the UGA game on January 27. Walker also made threes in transition, which isn't ideal, but gives him the opening needed to shoot.
For Florida to be successful today, they need to limit the damage from Thompkins and score inside to open up Boynton and Walker.