Gators at a Glance
* Florida visits Georgia looking to get back in the win column while continuing to adjust to life after Colin Castleton (broken hand suffered 2/15 vs. Ole Miss), who had 12 points, eight rebounds, seven blocked shots and five assists in UF’s first meeting vs. Georgia.
* Freshman Riley Kugel has stepped up, averaging 20.3 points in the three games since Castleton’s injury, including a career-high 24 vs. Kentucky and 20 on the road at Vanderbilt. Kugel is the first Florida freshman with back-to-back 20-point games since Kenny Boynton (2009-10) and also carries a six-game streak in double figures into Tuesday’s contest.
* Kugel has scored 12+ points in six straight games. He is averaging 17.7 points per game during that stretch, shooting .513 (39/76) from the field and .375 (9/24) from 3-point range and hitting 3.2 free throws per game.
* Kowacie Reeves (10.7) and Kyle Lofton (10.3) are both averaging double-figure scoring in the three games since Colin Castleton’s injury.
* Colin Castleton’s injury has posed a significant loss for the Gators as he led UF in scoring (16.0), rebounding (7.7), blocked shots (78) and free throws made (113). His 3.0 blocked shots per game rank fourth nationally.
* Kyle Lofton has a team-high 92 assists and 28 steals, and Will Richard paces Florida with 42 made 3-pointers and a .396 3-point percentage.
* Todd Golden is Florida’s only first-year head coach with multiple top-25 wins since John Lotz in the 1973-74 season, topping #2 Tennessee and #20 Missouri. Only Golden, Lotz and Tommy Bartlett (three, 1966-67) have multiple ranked wins as a first-year coach in UF history.
* The Gators have played a top-20 schedule in the nation (KenPom) that included the most challenging four-game stretch in program history, which featured 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 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.
