Florida continues to work their way through the SEC with absolute ease. The team is 10-0 in conference play this season, allowing them to hold steady at No. 3 in the nation right now. The Gators are getting by with a dominating defense, a unit some say is the best in years. They will put that to work on Tuesday as Florida hits the road for a rival matchup against the Tennessee Volunteers.
Florida is in the midst of a 15-game win streak. During that time they are allowing just 57.9 points per game while ranking sixth in the league in scoring defense. The last time these two teams met up, the Gators put that top-ranked unit on display winning 67-41. The Volunteers shot just 26.8 percent in that game while going 1 for 19 from beyond the arc. It was the second-lowest single-game 3-point percentage by any Florida opponent.
The Volunteers were hoping the SEC's fourth best scorer Jordan McRae would put up a big game against the Gators. Instead, he scored just five points despite averaging 19.7 points per game. McRae along with Josh Richardson and Antonio Barton combined to shoot just 2 of 29.
Tennessee has bounced back well since that disastrous performance. McRae has gone on to average a 57.1 shooting percentage from 3-point range in the last four games. Freshman Darius Thompson is helping improve the offense in his first few games as a starter. The Vols are averaging 73.5 points and just 9.5 turnovers in the last four games.
The Gators have gotten back Chris Walker since that matchup. The freshman had been ruled ineligible by the NCAA, forcing him to sit out the first set of games after accepting illegal benefits. He should help Florida in the hostile road matchup. Tennessee has no plans to shoot poorly a second time around. At home, the Volunteers are shooting 47.4 percent and 41.1 percent from the 3-point line.
