The Tip-Off
* Florida and Alabama meet again after playing three memorable games in a 23-day span last season as the Gators took two of three from the Tide, eclipsing 100 points in wins at home and at the SEC Tournament after falling in overtime at Tuscaloosa.
* Florida has recorded 25 regular season wins for the third time in program history, also reaching that milestone in 2013-14 (29) and 2006-07 (26). This is the 12th time UF has recorded 25+ total wins.
* Florida played five top-10 matchups vs. an SEC opponent in program history prior to this season. Wednesday will mark the Gators’ fifth top-10 showdown in SEC action this season.
* Florida owns four top-25 wins this season, matching last season’s total and the team’s second-most over the past decade (six, 2017-18). Two of those four have come on the road: at #1 Auburn, at #22 Mississippi State.
* This marks the second meeting in series history with both teams ranked in the top 10, previously occurring on Feb. 23, 2002, as the #8 Gators lost a 65-64 road meeting at fifth-ranked Alabama. Antoine Pettway’s layup at the buzzer helped Alabama overcome an 18-point outing by Matt Bonner.
* Walter Clayton Jr. is having a two-season run that ranks among the all-time best in Florida history. He is the seventh player in program history to score 1,100 points over two seasons and the sixth to hit 170 3-pointers over two seasons (see page 9). Clayton has also made a 3-pointer in a UF-record 51 consecutive appearances.
* Will Richard enters Wednesday’s game off 25 points in the win vs. #12 Texas A&M and a career-high 30 points at Georgia. He is the fourth Gator over the last 30 years to post consecutive 25-point games in SEC action, joining Colin Castleton, Anthony Roberson and Jason Williams. Richard is the fifth Gator in that time with five or more 3-pointers in consecutive SEC games, along with Roberson, Noah Locke, Brett Nelson and Kenyan Weaks.
2024-25 Highlights at a Glance
* Florida picked up its fourth top-25 win of the season with an 89-70 victory vs. #12 Texas A&M, as Will Richard’s 25 points led five Gators in double figures. UF outscored the Aggies 24-11 over the final eight minutes.
* The Gators set a program record with five straight games with five players scoring in double figures from Feb. 8-22. Denzel Aberdeen, Rueben Chinyelu, Thomas Haugh and Urban Klavzar all had career-high scoring performances during that stretch.
* UF won at Mississippi State to earn ranked road wins in back-to-back games for the first time in program history. Already without Alijah Martin, Florida lost Alex Condon to injury 30 seconds into the contest, and Florida’s super-subs responded. Denzel Aberdeen poured in 20 points, while Thomas Haugh stuffed the box score with 16 points, nine rebounds, a career-best eight assists, two blocked shots and two steals.
* Florida earned its first all-time road win at a #1 team at Auburn, as Walter Clayton Jr.’s 19 points led five Gators in double figures. Alex Condon had 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Thomas Haugh scored 16 off the bench. The Gators became the fifth team all-time to post wins vs. two different #1 teams in a season.
* Denzel Aberdeen (22 points) and Thomas Haugh (20 points) went for career highs in the win vs. South Carolina.
* Will Richard’s driving layup with 4.8 seconds left at South Carolina gave Florida its winning margin, as well as its first lead of the game to cap off a rally from 14 points down with 12 minutes to play.
* Florida earned its third all-time win vs. #1 and first in a regular season game with a 73-43 rout of top-ranked Tennessee. The Gators allowed just 12 field goals, the fewest by a #1 team in the shot clock era. Alijah Martin led Florida with 18 points, Denzel Aberdeen added 16, and Alex Condon posted a double-double (12/12).
* Florida posted a 13-0 nonconference record, which marked the Gators’ second-best in program history (17-0, 2005-06) and included a 4-0 record against ACC opponents.
