Gators at a Glance
* Florida travels to Arkansas coming off a win vs. Ole Miss that saw five players score double figures, but the Gators now must adjust to losing All-SEC big man Colin Castleton, who suffered a broken hand in the game. Myreon Jones hit a season-high five 3-pointers to lead UF with 15 points vs. Ole Miss.
* The Colin Castleton injury poses a significant challenge for the Gators as he has led UF in scoring (16.0), rebounding (7.7), blocked shots (78), free throws made (113) and co-led in steals (24, Kyle Lofton).
* Kyle Lofton has dished a team-high 81 assists, and Will Richard paces Florida with 40 made 3-pointers and a .404 3-point percentage.
* Over the past three games, Kyle Lofton has a 19/2 assist-to-turnover ratio. Lofton has also posted double-figure scoring in each of the last two games with 12 vs. Vanderbilt and 10 vs. Ole Miss.
* Kowacie Reeves has shot 10-for-21 over the last two games (.476), including four made 3-pointers. He scored 14 points vs. Vanderbilt and 13 against Ole Miss to bounce back from a 3-for-20 stretch over the previous four games.
* Florida ranks 16th in defensive efficiency and eighth in two-point field goal percentage defense nationally (KenPom). The Gators have held SEC opponents to .393 from the field and .302 from 3-point range.
* As a team, the Gators’ 5.7 blocked shots per game rank fifth in the NCAA. Individually, Colin Castleton’s 3.00 blocked shots per game rank tied for third the nation.
* The Gators have played a top-25 schedule in the nation (KenPom) and recently completed the most challenging four-game stretch in program history, which included three top-five opponents (two on the road) and a trip to Kentucky.
* Prior to his injury, Colin Castleton had four straight 20-point games, including a 29-point, 10-rebound double-double at #3 Alabama. He had also led the Gators in scoring in eight consecutive contests.
* Colin Castleton’s 20 points and nine rebounds led the Gators’ win vs. #2 Tennessee, along with Kyle Lofton’s 14 points and four rebounds. Both Lofton and Will Richard posted a +26 plus-minus. The win marked Florida’s sixth all-time top-2 win and matched the highest ranked home win in program history.
* With his outing at Kentucky, Colin Castleton became the first player since Dwyane Wade 20 years ago (3/8/03 vs. UK) to post 25 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three blocked shots and a steal against an SEC team.
* Florida turned in a complete performance vs. South Carolina, where 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.
* 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 earned SEC Player of the Week honors on Jan. 16 behind strong performances in 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) to help the Gators snap LSU’s 13-game home winning streak. He followed up with an all-around performance against Mizzou, tallying 16 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocked shots.
* 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.
