GAINESVILLE — Beating John Calipari on the highway final season was an enormous step for Florida coach Todd Golden and his program.
A win now towards Coach Cal away from Gainesville might sign a pure development for Golden’s surging Gators.
Calipari’s stunning offseason transfer from Kentucky to Arkansas makes the SEC’s winningest coach a better mark than with the Wildcats, who received the 2015 nationwide title and a dozen convention crowns — six every in the course of the common season and convention match — whereas he was there.
The No. 8 Gators (14-1, 1-1) intention to take benefit Saturday in Fayetteville and construct on Tuesday evening’s 73-43 rout of top-ranked Tennessee.
“It was an unimaginable win; clearly an ideal program-building win that speaks volumes about the place we’re at,” Golden stated Friday. “But when we’re in April and we’re speaking about our win towards Tennessee in January, we haven’t performed what we wish to do.”
The Razorbacks (11-4, 0-2) have but to seek out their stride however are normally a troublesome out at Bud Walton Enviornment, the place UF has misplaced two straight and is winless since 2019.
An 89-87 win Dec. 11 towards Michigan within the Jimmy V Traditional at Madison Sq. Backyard was notable. In any other case, Arkansas is 0-4 towards different opponents ranked in Quad 1 of the NCAA’s Web rankings, together with a 73-66 loss Wednesday evening at house to Ole Miss.
Calipari’s squads, composed primarily of one-and-done freshmen for greater than a decade at Kentucky, sometimes enhance as a season progresses.
“They’ve actually gifted guards, and so they’re lengthy, they’re athletic, they’re actually good across the rim — and usually his groups play that means,” Golden stated. “Because the yr goes on, they’ll proceed to tackle his id an increasing number of.”
But the deck additionally isn’t stacked in Cal’s favor.
The 5-star prospects that flocked to Lexington to play for Massive Blue Nation are going to want convincing to go to the Ozarks.
Ahead Adou Theiro, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound junior, adopted Calipari to Fayetteville and averages team-highs in factors (16.9), rebounds (5.9) and steals (2). Sophomore guard DJ Wagner, who averages 10.5 factors, additionally performed final season at Kentucky. True freshman level guard Boogie Fland, a top-25 recruit in 2024 out of the Bronx, averages 15.5 factors and 5.9 assists, second within the SEC.
The Razorbacks undergo a drop-off from there.
In the meantime, the Gators’ wealth of choices is amongst their calling playing cards.
With main scorer Walter Clayton Jr. struggling to a season-low 7 factors, backup Denzel Aberdeen had a season-high 16 factors. Led by a career-high 15 boards by sophomore heart Rueben Chinyelu, UF held a 56-37 rebounding edge towards a Vols squad getting into with a plus-10.4 margin throughout its 14-0 begin.
After permitting Kentucky to shoot 58% throughout a 106-100 loss final Saturday in Rupp Enviornment, UF held Tennessee to 13.8% taking pictures to stake a 34-15 halftime lead and finally 37 factors under their season scoring common (79.8).
“You play a recreation and also you be taught from it,” Chinyelu stated Friday. “You are taking what it is advisable to be taught and you progress on from it. If you happen to don’t do nicely, it’s previously.
“If you happen to cry, it doesn’t change the state of affairs.”
Florida rode the momentum of a 94-91 Jan. 31 victory at Rupp Enviornment towards Calipari’s ultimate Kentucky workforce to succeed in the NCAA match for the primary time since 2021.
The present Gators are a successfully a lock for the Massive Dance. However an SEC highway win towards a Corridor of Fame coach studying the lay of the land in new environment can be one other signal of progress.
“Simply have to proceed to place collectively actually good efforts,” Golden stated. “It’s at all times been laborious in faculty basketball to go on the highway and achieve success, however this league, this season is much more tough that means.”
Edgar Thompson will be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
Up subsequent …
Florida at Arkansas
When: 4, Saturday
TV: ESPN