/OGT- Florida at #5 Kansas State 1/28/2023 6:00 pm ESPN2

Florida at #5 Kansas State
Bramlage Coliseum (11,654) | Manhattan, Kan.
SEC/Big 12 Challenge | Game 21 | Jan. 28, 2023 | 6 p.m. EST
ESPN2 | ESPN App

BROADCAST INFO
ESPN2 | ESPN App
Play-by-Play: Rich Hollenberg
Analyst: Chris Spatola

Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD
SiriusXM 137/190 | SXM App 961
Play-by-Play: Sean Kelley
Analyst: Lee Humphrey

 

HEAD COACHES
Todd Golden
12-8 | 1st season at UF
69-44 | 4th season overall
Jerome Tang
17-3 | 1st season at KSU/overall

MATCHUP BASICS
All-Time Series: 1-1
All-Time vs. Big 12: 26-21
SEC/Big 12 Challenge: 6-3
SEC/Big 12 Away Games: 2-2
All-Time vs. Top-5: 22-62
All-Time Away vs. Top-5: 2-30
Nonconf. Top-5 (Reg. Season): 5-18
Away/Nonconference Top-5: 0-9
Last Meeting:L, 61-67, 12/22/12 (Away/KC)

 

FLORIDA POSSIBLE STARTERS
# Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Min. Pts. Reb. Misc.
12 Colin Castleton F 6-11 250 Gr. 30.5 15.0 7.6 3.2 blk
0 Myreon Jones G 6-3 177 Gr. 19.1 4.9 2.9 2.3 ast
5 Will Richard G 6-4 206 So. 27.1 10.2 4.4 1.7 3fg
11 Kyle Lofton G 6-3 188 Gr. 30.8 8.7 2.8 3.2 ast
24 Riley Kugel G 6-5 207 Fr. 17.5 6.7 2.2 .405 3fg%

KANSAS STATE STARTERS
# Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Min. Pts. Reb. Misc.
11 Keyontae Johnson F 6-6 230 Sr. 33.7 18.3 7.5 2.3 ast
35 Nae’Qwan Tomlin F 6-10 210 Jr. 28.8 10.5 5.8 1.2 stl
23 Abayomi Iyiola C 6-10 220 Sr. 14.8 4.5 3.5 .542 fg%
1 Markquis Nowell G 5-8 160 Sr. 35.8 17.1 3.2 8.3 ast
5 Cam Carter G 6-3 190 So. 27.1 6.8 3.0 1.5 ast

 

NUMBERS OF NOTE
3​

This season marks the third time in program history that UF faces
multiple nonconference AP topfive opponents (UMass and Kansas in 1995-96; Ohio State and Syracuse in 2011-12)

22/0​

Over the last two games, Myreon Jones (13/0) and Kyle Lofton (9/0)
have combined for 22 assists and zero turnovers.

2​

Florida has two all-time road wins vs. top-5 opponents, defeating
fourth-ranked Kentucky teams on Dec. 17, 1966, and on Jan. 20, 1988.

 

GATORS AT A GLANCE​

• Florida visits fifth-ranked Kansas State and Keyontae Johnson, who averaged 14.0 points per game and 7.1 rebounds as an All-SEC performer at UF in 2019-20 before being named the 2020-21 Preseason SEC Player of the Year. Johnson scored 789 points in 72 career appearances for the Gators, but was not cleared to return to competition at UF.

• Florida owns three all-time road wins at AP-ranked nonconference opponents: at #18 Florida State (1/2/93), at #18 Maryland (12/14/02), at #11 West Virginia (1/30/21).

• The Gators have won five of their last six and are ranked 12th in defensive efficiency nationally (KenPom) as Florida has held SEC opponents to .374 from the field and .245 from 3-point range.

• Florida is coming off a complete performance vs. South Carolina, where Colin 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.

• Six SEC schools hired new head coaches in 2022, including Florida. Todd Golden has posted a 5-0 mark against his fellow first-year coaches around the league and swept his first time through last off season’s hires.

• 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 leads UF in scoring (15.0), rebounding (7.6), blocked shots (63), free throws made (80) and steals (21). Kyle Lofton tops the Gators with 57 assists, and Will Richard paces the squad with 32 made 3-pointers and a .421 3-point percentage.

• As a team, the Gators’ 6.0 blocked shots per game are tied for fourth in the NCAA. Individually, Castleton’s 3.15 blocked shots per game rank fourth the nation.

• Colin Castleton earned SEC Player of the Week honors on Jan. 16 behind two strong performances in the 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). He followed up with an all-around performance against Mizzou, tallying 16 points, 13 rebounds, a career-high six assists, three steals and two blocked shots.

• The Gators’ win at LSU snapped the Tigers’ 13-game home winning streak. As UF made its second-half run, the Gators got timely 3-pointers from Myreon Jones and Riley Kugel, each of whom assisted on the other’s big basket.

• The Gators had five players in double figures in their win vs. UGA, led by Kyle Lofton’s season-high 18. Colin Castleton posted 12 points, eight rebounds, seven blocked shots and five assists, while Will Richard added 14 points and nine rebounds.

• 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.

 

ABOUT THE OPPONENT​

• Kansas State climbed to a top-five ranking in its first season under
longtime Baylor assistant Jerome Tang.

• KSU has earned road wins at Texas and Baylor and topped #2 Kansas in overtime.

• Keyontae Johnson leads the Wildcats with 18.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

• Markquis Nowell averages 17.1 points and 8.3 assists per game. He has
knocked down a team-leading 47 3-pointers (.385, 47/122) and has 47 steals.

• Nae’Qwan Tomlin averages 10.5 points per game and has 22 blocked
shots.

OPPONENT’S LAST 5 GAMES
Jan. 10 Oklahoma State W 65-57
Jan. 14 at TCU L 68-82
Jan. 17 Kansas W/OT 83-82
Jan. 21 Texas Tech W 68-58
Jan. 24 at Iowa State L 76-80

OPPONENT’S NEXT 5 GAMES
Jan. 31 at Kansas
Feb. 4 Texas
Feb. 7 TCU
Feb. 11 at Texas Tech
Feb. 14 at Oklahoma

ALL-TIME SERIES (1-1)
Dec. 18, 2010 N W 57-44
Dec. 22, 2012 A L 61-67

UF IN SEC/BIG 12 CHALLENGE (6-3)
Dec. 10, 2013 #13 Kansas W 67-61
Dec. 5, 2014 at #11 Kansas L 65-71
Jan. 30, 2016 #9 West Virginia W 88-71
Jan. 28, 2017 at Oklahoma W 84-52
Jan. 27, 2018 Baylor W 81-60
Jan. 26, 2019 at TCU L 50-55
Jan. 25, 2020 #1 Baylor L 61-72
Jan. 30, 2021 at #11 West Virginia W 85-80
Jan. 29, 2022 Oklahoma State W 81-72

NONCONFERENCE ROAD TOP-5 (0-9)
Dec. 10, 1977 at #4 Marquette L 67-81
Jan. 2, 1988 at #3 Pittsburgh L 68-80
Feb. 10, 1990 at #5 Georgetown L 40-56
Dec. 7, 1994 at #4 Kansas L 63-69
Dec. 9, 1998 at #3 Duke L 86-116
Dec. 6, 2000 at #2 Michigan State L 83-99
Nov. 15, 2011 at #3 Ohio State L 74-81
Dec. 2, 2011 at #4 Syracuse L 68-72
Dec. 12, 2015 at #1 Michigan State L 52-58