Florida looking to end 3-game skid against South Carolina
Florida dropped its third-straight game to a ranked opponent from the Southeastern Conference on Wednesday, but the schedule lightens up a bit with a road matchup against South Carolina on Saturday.
Colin Castleton has been the star of the team lately, averaging 20 points per game against the SEC and shooting over 60% from the field. That should be enough to propel the Gators to at least one conference win, but the rest of the team is shooting below 40% over the last three games. The numbers get worse from beyond the arc. Florida is shooting 27.6% from deep over this losing streak.
LSU had two players foul out early on Wednesday and another starter on the bench with an injury. Florida should have been able to secure the win at home, but some of the shots heaved up in the final two minutes barely found the backboard. The Gators are struggling right now, but a tough open to conference play is over and college basketball is a streaky sport (see the Gators’ 6-0 start).
During that undefeated month of November, Florida would have crushed South Carolina. The Gamecocks also beat Florida State this season, but only by a point while Florida beat its in-state rival by 16. Both teams have lost to Auburn this month and the Gators aren’t playing as well as they were before, so this could end up being a trap game.
Mike White will need his team to stop senior guard Erik Stevenson. He’s one of two Gamecocks averaging over 10 points per game this season, and he just put up 25 against Auburn. South Carolina doesn’t have anyone averaging more than 5.9 rebounds per game, so Castleton should be able to control this one if he keeps playing the way he has since the new year began.
How to follow Florida basketball vs South Carolina Gamecocks
Gameday betting odds for Florida basketball vs South Carolina
Tip-off is at 1 p.m EST in Columbia, South Carolina.
Projected Starting Lineups:
FLORIDA
Player | Pos | H/W | Class |
F | 6-7 / 220 | Senior | |
Colin Castleton | F | 6-11 / 231 | Senior |
G | 6-1 / 163 | Senior | |
G | 6-3 / 185 | Graduate | |
G | 6-3 / 175 | Senior |
SOUTH CAROLINA
Player | Pos | H/W | Class |
AJ Wilson | F | 6-7 / 234 | Graduate |
Wildens Leveque | F | 6-10 / 255 | Junior |
James Reese V | G | 6-4 / 170 | Graduate |
Jermaine Cousinard | G | 6-4 / 211 | R-Junior |
Erik Stevenson | G | 6-4 / 209 | Senior |
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