Nate Allen
FAYETTEVILLE - The two SEC teams doing what no other team in their league could do this season clash tonight in Gainesville, Fla.
Arkansas and Florida play at 6 p.m. (CST) on ESPN2 at the Gators’ Exactech Center in Gainesville.
Coach Eric Musselman’s Razorbacks, 21-6 overall and 10-4 tied for third with Tennessee in the SEC, and Coach Mike White’s Gators, 17-10, 7-7 in the league, are the lone SEC teams to defeat SEC leader Auburn.
As part of winning 11 of its last 12 games, 10 of 11 in the SEC after an 0-3 start, then unranked Arkansas on Feb. 8 beat then nationally No. 1 Auburn, 80-76 in overtime before a 20,000-plus capacity crowd at Walton Arena.
Auburn ranked No. 2 nationally when the unranked Gators stunned with a 63-62 triumph in Gainesville last Saturday while the then No. 23 Razorbacks defeated 16th-ranked Tennessee, 58-48 in Knoxville.
So any tendency for the Hogs to get too giddy over their Saturday success should be tempered by Florida’s even bigger Saturday success.
“We understand going to Florida, the way they played today in a win against Auburn is going to be a very, very difficult place,” Musselman said on radio post Saturday’s Arkansas vs. Tennessee game at Walton. “Florida’s really good at home. They have a great student section. So we have to try to win a 40-minute game in Gainesville.”
Musselman believes Florida future not relishing their recent Razorbacks past would have forged foremost on his minds regardless of last Saturday’s outcomes.
Focusing on one at a time has become his Hogs’ hallmark including their loss three games ago at Alabama, Musselman said.
The Hogs almost won that one in Tuscaloosa, Musselman reminded of the 68-67 loss to Alabama.
“We look one game ahead,” Arkansas native and Razorbacks sophomore sixth man guard Devo Davis of Jacksonville, said. “Florida is next. We play them away, and that's something we want to focus on and continue to be smart and look at our scout and make sure everyone knows it. Just try to go down there and get a road win."
That would be an achievement for Arkansas 21st century lore. Arkansas in Gainesville hasn’t beaten Florida since Nolan Richardson’s 1995 national runner-up Razorbacks prevailed, 94-85.
“Every game is just a basketball game to us,” Arkansas sophomore center Jaylin Williams of Fort Smith Northside said. “So we're not going to think about that. We're not the teams before that went there. We're going to go into that game confident and ready to play and just be energetic as a team."
Old Jacksonville High Titans Davis and Gators guard Tyree Appleby reunite on opposite sides tonight.
Appleby, probably having to explain often as a Gator that he’s from Jacksonville, Ark. and not Jacksonville, Fla. is Florida’s second leading scorer averaging 10.1 points. The 6-1 senior guard was THE leading scorer against Auburn. He scored a career high 26, 20 in the second half including 6 of 9 from the field when the Gators overcame a 9-point deficit to win by one.
Colin Castleton, the 6-11 transfer via the University of Michigan and the Gators’ best player averaging team leading 15.7 points and 9.1 rebounds, also excelled against Auburn. Castleton tallied 19 points and eight rebounds while blocking three Tigers shots.
Some meetings at the rim could be interesting between Castleton and Arkansas’ Williams, 6-10 and coming off a 4-charges taken, 13 points/16 rebounds double-double against Tennessee.
Mike White starts an all-transfer Gators five with 6-7 senior Anthony Duruji at forward via Louisiana Tech and guards Philandrous Fleming, 6-5, via Charleston Southern, and Myreon Jones via Penn State joining Appleby.
Musselman also has capitalized on the transfer portal. Among his top eight are SEC second-leading scorer but recently foul-troubled Arkansas guard JD Notae via the University of Jacksonville (Fla.), starting swingmen Au’Diese Toney via the University of Pittsburgh, and Stanley Umude, via the University of South Dakota, guard Chris Lykes, via the University of Miami (Fla.) and forward Kamani Johnson via Arkansas-Little Rock.
Photos curtesy of Craven Whitlow, CW3 Sports Action
Razorback sophomore guard Devo Davis (#4) from Jacksonville, AR signals his made three pointer against Tennessee Saturday afternoon
at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, AR.
Razorback senior guard Chris Lykes (#11) from Mitchellville, MD
protects the ball late in the game against Tennessee Saturday afternoon at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, AR.
Razorback sophomore forward Jaylin Williams (#10) from Ft. Smith, AR grabs a rebound against Tennessee Saturday afternoon at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, AR.
Razorback sophomore forward Jaylin Williams (#10) from Ft. Smith, AR grabs another one of his 16 rebounds against Tennessee Saturday afternoon at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, AR.
