The Tip-Off
* Florida and Tennessee meet in the Gators’ home SEC opener, with the Gators looking to bounce back from their first loss of the season.
* UF is 2-17 all-time against the AP #1 team, including 0-5 at home. Both of the Gators’ #1 wins came in NCAA Tournament play: the 2007 national championship vs. Ohio State and the 2000 Sweet 16 vs. Duke. Florida’s 2023 victory vs. a #2 Tennessee team matched its highest-ranked all-time home win and regular season win. Florida’s most recent game vs. the nation’s #1 team was a 72-61 home loss on Jan. 25, 2020, to Baylor in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
* The Gators take part in consecutive top-10 showdowns for just the second time in program history, the only other being a three-game run to close the 2007 NCAA Tournament as the #3 team in the nation with wins vs. #10 Oregon, #7 UCLA and #1 Ohio State.
* After five top-10 matchups in Florida’s history of SEC play entering this season, the Gators have their second top-10 matchup in four days to open the SEC calendar.
* UF puts its 15-game home winning streak on the line, having won its final eight home SEC games last season and all seven nonconference home games this season.
* Walter Clayton Jr. has made a 3-pointer in 37 straight games, the third-longest such streak in UF history, trailing Michael Frazier II (41) in 2014 and 2015 and Lee Humphrey (39) in the 2006-07 season.
* Clayton’s 33 points in the SEC opener at Kentucky matched his career high, as he hit a season-high six 3-pointers. It was his fourth game over the last eight with five or more 3-pointers.
2024-25 at a Glance
* Walter Clayton Jr. matched a career high with 33 points and Alijah Martin added 26 as the Gators fell short in their SEC opener at #10 Kentucky, 106-100. Clayton knocked down six 3-pointers while Martin hit five as the Gators reached the century mark for the first time in series history.
* Florida put together a 13-0 start, the team’s second-best in program history, trailing only the team’s 17-0 start in 2005-06.
* Will Richard’s 22 points vs. North Carolina included an offensive rebound and putback to break an 84-all tie in the final minute, part of UF’s 8-0 run to finish off the victory. Alijah Martin added 19 points, and Alex Condon’s 10 rebounds helped the Gators post a +10 advantage on the boards.
* Florida posted a dominant 83-66 neutral-site win vs. Arizona State that included a +20 rebounding margin and an Alijah Martin double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds).
* The Gators’ 87 points in the SEC-ACC Challenge win vs. Virginia marked the third-most allowed by the Cavaliers over the past decade. Walter Clayton Jr. led UF with 27 points, while Alex Condon (19), Alijah Martin (16) and Denzel Aberdeen (12) all tallied double figures.
* Florida used a 27-0 run to bury Wichita State en route to the Gators’ ESPN Events Invitational championship, eventually outscoring the Shockers 67-22 over a 24-minute stretch. Walter Clayton Jr. took home MVP honors, while Alex Condon earned All-Tournament Team recognition.
* UF put together an extended 31-8 stretch vs. Wake Forest, capped by a 10-0 run to open the second half, as Walter Clayton’s 21 points led four double-digit scorers in the victory.
* Florida’s +18 rebounding advantage pushed the Gators past Florida State for the fourth straight win vs. the Seminoles. Walter Clayton Jr. led the attack with 25 points, while Alijah Martin added 17.
