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(14) Florida (20-5) at LSU (10-16)
Florida is undefeated in February and at the top of the SEC East Division, yet the Gators still believe they can play better.
Though they could be down a starter, the No. 14 Gators look for a fifth straight victory while trying to hand struggling LSU a 10th consecutive loss in a league crossover matchup Sunday in Baton Rouge.
Florida (20-5, 9-2) takes the court for the first time since beating rival Tennessee 61-60 on Feb. 12 - its 12th win in 14 games.
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That victory also showed coach Billy Donovan that his fledgling group has learned to adapt itself successfully to the grind of the SEC.
“There’s no one on our team that’s ever been in a situation like this, where you’re playing for first place, you’re playing for a league championship, you’re in the middle of it right now,” Donovan said. “They’re starting to understand what this is all about.”
On the verge of making consecutive NCAA tournament appearances for the first time since winning back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007, the Gators believe that growth process is not finished.
“We’ve come from a long ways,” senior center Vernon Macklin said. “It’s a learning process for us. Coach D and the rest of the coaching staff is helping us out so we’re learning and getting better and growing right now.”
The Gators look to take another step in their progression by snapping a three-game skid at LSU.
Though Florida has not won in Baton Rouge since Jan. 28, 2003, the Tigers (10-16, 2-9) haven’t won overall since beating Arkansas 56-53 on Jan. 12.
Knowing their past history at LSU, the Gators don’t expect to take the lowly Tigers for granted.
“They are still an SEC team,” Florida sophomore guard Kenny Boynton told the school’s official website. “We should come out with a lot of intensity and be ready to play.”
The Gators might need to do that without versatile forward Chandler Parsons, who suffered a deep thigh bruise against Tennessee. The 6-foot-10 senior has averaged 10.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists while starting all 25 games this season.
“If he does play, I would say that he would probably definitely not start,” Donovan said. “It would be a situation where we would put him in there just to see how he felt.”
Florida could continue to lean on 5-8 junior Erving Walker, who averages a team-leading 14.7 points. Walker finished with 16 points and hit a driving, go-ahead layup with 14 seconds left to help beat the Volunteers last weekend.
Boynton, averaging 12.9 points, scored a team-high 20 during a 72-58 win over LSU in the teams’ only meeting in 2009-10.
The Tigers have averaged 53.8 points and shot 36.8 percent during the nine-game skid - their worst since dropping 12 in a row Jan. 9-Feb. 20, 2010.
Freshman Ralston Turner scored 17 points as LSU stayed close but was done in by 10 missed free throws and 17 turnovers in Thursday’s 67-56 home loss to Alabama.
Trying to avoid a fifth consecutive home loss, LSU also looks to snap a nine-game skid against Top 25 opponents since beating No. 22 Butler 75-71 in the first round of the 2009 NCAA tournament.
Florida is undefeated in February and at the top of the SEC East Division, yet the Gators still believe they can play better.
Though they could be down a starter, the No. 14 Gators look for a fifth straight victory while trying to hand struggling LSU a 10th consecutive loss in a league crossover matchup Sunday in Baton Rouge.
Florida (20-5, 9-2) takes the court for the first time since beating rival Tennessee 61-60 on Feb. 12 - its 12th win in 14 games.
AdChoices
That victory also showed coach Billy Donovan that his fledgling group has learned to adapt itself successfully to the grind of the SEC.
“There’s no one on our team that’s ever been in a situation like this, where you’re playing for first place, you’re playing for a league championship, you’re in the middle of it right now,” Donovan said. “They’re starting to understand what this is all about.”
On the verge of making consecutive NCAA tournament appearances for the first time since winning back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007, the Gators believe that growth process is not finished.
“We’ve come from a long ways,” senior center Vernon Macklin said. “It’s a learning process for us. Coach D and the rest of the coaching staff is helping us out so we’re learning and getting better and growing right now.”
The Gators look to take another step in their progression by snapping a three-game skid at LSU.
Though Florida has not won in Baton Rouge since Jan. 28, 2003, the Tigers (10-16, 2-9) haven’t won overall since beating Arkansas 56-53 on Jan. 12.
Knowing their past history at LSU, the Gators don’t expect to take the lowly Tigers for granted.
“They are still an SEC team,” Florida sophomore guard Kenny Boynton told the school’s official website. “We should come out with a lot of intensity and be ready to play.”
The Gators might need to do that without versatile forward Chandler Parsons, who suffered a deep thigh bruise against Tennessee. The 6-foot-10 senior has averaged 10.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists while starting all 25 games this season.
“If he does play, I would say that he would probably definitely not start,” Donovan said. “It would be a situation where we would put him in there just to see how he felt.”
Florida could continue to lean on 5-8 junior Erving Walker, who averages a team-leading 14.7 points. Walker finished with 16 points and hit a driving, go-ahead layup with 14 seconds left to help beat the Volunteers last weekend.
Boynton, averaging 12.9 points, scored a team-high 20 during a 72-58 win over LSU in the teams’ only meeting in 2009-10.
The Tigers have averaged 53.8 points and shot 36.8 percent during the nine-game skid - their worst since dropping 12 in a row Jan. 9-Feb. 20, 2010.
Freshman Ralston Turner scored 17 points as LSU stayed close but was done in by 10 missed free throws and 17 turnovers in Thursday’s 67-56 home loss to Alabama.
Trying to avoid a fifth consecutive home loss, LSU also looks to snap a nine-game skid against Top 25 opponents since beating No. 22 Butler 75-71 in the first round of the 2009 NCAA tournament.
