Gators at a Glance
* Florida visits fifth-ranked Kansas State and Keyontae Johnson, who averaged 14.0 points per game and 7.1 rebounds as an All-SEC performer at UF in 2019-20 before being named the 2020-21 Preseason SEC Player of the Year. Johnson scored 789 points in 72 career appearances for the Gators, but was not cleared to return to competition at UF.
* Florida owns three all-time road wins at AP-ranked nonconference opponents: at #18 Florida State (1/2/93), at #18 Maryland (12/14/02), at #11 West Virginia (1/30/21).
* The Gators have won five of their last six and are ranked 12th in defensive efficiency nationally (KenPom) as Florida has held SEC opponents to .374 from the field and .245 from 3-point range.
* Florida is coming off a complete performance vs. South Carolina, where Colin Castleton’s 18 points led five scorers in double figures and the Gators dished a season-high 21 assists vs. five turnovers. Myreon Jones flirted with a triple-double with 10 rebounds and eight assists — both career highs — to go along with nine points and zero turnovers.
* Six SEC schools hired new head coaches in 2022, including Florida. Todd Golden has posted a 5-0 mark against his fellow first-year coaches around the league and swept his first time through last offseason’s hires.
* UF built a 16-point first-half lead at Mississippi State, then staved off the Bulldogs’ rally, getting a stop on the final possession of the game to seal the win. Colin Castleton posted 13 points, while Will Richard added 12 on 4-for-5 shooting from 3-point range. Kyle Lofton and Myreon Jones combined for 11 assists and zero turnovers, and Lofton chipped in a season-high and team-leading eight rebounds.
* Colin Castleton leads UF in scoring (15.0), rebounding (7.6), blocked shots (63), free throws made (80) and steals (21). Kyle Lofton tops the Gators with 57 assists, and Will Richard paces the squad with 32 made 3-pointers and a .421 3-point percentage.
* As a team, the Gators’ 6.0 blocked shots per game are tied for fourth in the NCAA. Individually, Castleton’s 3.15 blocked shots per game rank fourth the nation.
* Colin Castleton earned SEC Player of the Week honors on Jan. 16 behind two strong performances in the wins at LSU and vs. #20 Missouri. At LSU, Castleton posted 18 points and five blocks with a career night at the free throw line (12-for-15). He followed up with an all-around performance against Mizzou, tallying 16 points, 13 rebounds, a career-high six assists, three steals and two blocked shots.
* The Gators’ win at LSU snapped the Tigers’ 13-game home winning streak. As UF made its second-half run, the Gators got timely 3-pointers from Myreon Jones and Riley Kugel, each of whom assisted on the other’s big basket.
* The Gators had five players in double figures in their win vs. UGA, led by Kyle Lofton’s season-high 18. Colin Castleton posted 12 points, eight rebounds, seven blocked shots and five assists, while Will Richard added 14 points and nine rebounds.
* UF’s 19-point rally at Florida State marked the fourth-largest in team history and the largest on the road since a 22-point comeback at South Carolina on Feb. 24, 1993. Castleton scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half.
