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Kentucky Wildcats beat Florida Gators. UK basketball has now won six consecutive SEC games

Kentucky head coach John Calipari encouraged his team as the Wildcats faced off against Florida in Rupp Arena on Saturday evening. Kentucky defeated Florida 72-67. Feb. 4, 2023
Kentucky head coach John Calipari encouraged his team as the Wildcats faced off against Florida in Rupp Arena on Saturday evening. Kentucky defeated Florida 72-67. Feb. 4, 2023

Editor's note: A correction was made to this story to accurately reflect that Tennessee has more wins against Calipari and UK than Florida with 12.

From the game:Kentucky basketball breaks down Florida's defense in 2nd half for its 6th straight SEC win

Kentucky men's basketball hosts Florida in its latest Southeastern Conference game Saturday night in Lexington.

The Wildcats (15-7, 6-3 SEC) overcame an injury to starting guard Cason Wallace and a separate injury to Sahvir Wheeler (who returned in the second half) to beat Ole Miss 75-66 Tuesday in Oxford, Mississippi. It pushed UK's win streak in conference games to five.

To make it six, the Wildcats will need to top a Gators squad that enters with momentum after upending No. 2 Tennessee at home Wednesday.

The Gators (13-9, 6-3) are led by Todd Golden, who is in his first season as coach after a stellar tenure at San Francisco. As of now, the Gators are not projected to be an NCAA Tournament team. But much like Kentucky, Florida will have chances to improve its résumé before the regular season ends — it has road games at Alabama and Arkansas in the next two weeks, needing victories in both to avoid having to win the SEC Tournament to earn the league's automatic bid to the Big Dance.

Center Colin Castleton leads the Gators in points (15.1) and rebounds (7.1) per game, as well as blocked shots (68).

Florida is among the stingiest defenses in the nation, ranking eighth in Division I in defensive efficiency (points allowed per 100 possessions), per KenPom. Eleven of the Gators' last 12 opponents have shot 40% or worse from the field.

Florida averages 6.1 blocks per game, which leads the SEC and ranks third nationally. Castleton's 3.1 blocks a contest is tops among SEC players.

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When is the UK vs UF basketball game?

When: 8:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, Feb. 4

Where: Rupp Arena (20,500)

Where are they now?The 2012 University of Kentucky men's championship basketball team

What channel is the Kentucky vs Florida basketball game on?

The game will be televised live on ESPN. Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analysis) will have the call.

Eligible subscribers can find the game on Spectrum 28, DISH Network 140 and DirecTV 206.

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How to stream the Kentucky-Florida basketball game?

You can watch the game through WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app, ESPN+ or fuboTV.

For subscribers:Analyzing Kentucky basketball signee Justin Edwards' game after a live look in Louisville

How to stream the UK-UF basketball game for free?

You can stream ESPN on YouTube TV, which offers a free trial here, and can get a free trial with fuboTV here.

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How to listen to the UK basketball vs UF game on the radio?

Tom Leach (play-by-play) and Jack Givens (analyst) will have the UK radio network call on 840 AM in Louisville and both 630 AM and 98.1 FM in Lexington or online at UKAthletics.com.

Best of the best: Who are Kentucky men's basketball's all-time coaching wins leaders?

What is the series history for Kentucky vs Florida men's basketball?

The Wildcats have won 72.3% of their matchups with the Gators, boasting a 107-41 edge in the series. UK has won two in a row and seven of the past eight meetings. But Florida has beaten Calipari's squad nine times since he became Kentucky's coach prior to the 2009-10 season. The only school with more wins against UK during the Calipari era is Tennessee, which has 12.

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Kentucky men's basketball vs Florida live updates, score, highlights

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Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky vs Florida basketball: Odds, how to watch, score, updates