Florida (9-3/0-0 SEC) vs. #15/20 Alabama (10-3/1-0 SEC)

Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center (10,151) Gainesville, Fla. | Game 13 | Jan. 5, 2022 | 7 p.m.

HEAD COACHES Mike White 132-78 | 7th season at UF 233-118 | 11th season overall Nate Oats 52-25 | 3rd season at Alabama 148-68 | 7th season overall MATCHUP BASICS All-Time Series: 70-76 All-Time/Home: 41-21 Series under White: 4-3 Home/under White: 1-2 Last Meeting: L, 71-86, 1/5/21 (Away)

NUMBERS OF NOTE

.643 Phlandrous Fleming has gotten hot from 3-point range, shooting 9-for-14 over the last four games, including a 4-for-5 day against Stony Brook in UF’s last game before the break. 37 Florida’s freshmen, sophomores and juniors combined for a season-high 37 points in the Gators’ last outing vs. Stony Brook. Previously, that group’s highest output had been 18 points vs. Troy.

84 Colin Castleton’s 84 blocked shots through 36 games at UF are tied with John Egbunu for Florida’s program record for career blocks by an incoming transfer. Egbunu came from USF and played 58 games for the Gators 2015-2017.

2021-22 AT A GLANCE

• Florida has another go on its SEC opener after last week’s date at Ole Miss was postponed due to COVID issues. The Gators welcome Alabama to Gainesville for the first time since UF’s 21-point comeback double-overtime victory to open the 2019-20 SEC schedule.

• Phlandrous Fleming Jr. posted his first 20-point performance as a Gator in UF’s win vs. Stony Brook, becoming the third UF player to have a 20-point game this season, joining Myreon Jones (20 vs. Elon) and Colin Castleton (26 vs. North Florida). Fleming has been on fi re from 3-point range, shooting 9-for-14 (.643) over the past four games.

• UF’s 3-point defense has been elite in the Gators’ wins, limiting opponents to .244 shooting (35-for-143) from beyond the arc in those games. Florida’s foes are averaging 3.9 made 3-pointers in its victories, including four games with just two 3-pointers allowed.

• Florida is among the SEC’s top three teams in blocked shots (tie-second, 5.7), scoring defense (second, 59.9), 3-point fi eld goal percentage defense (third, .287) and offensive rebounding (third, 13.0).

• Florida battled back from a double-digit deficit to knock off Ohio State on Tyree Appleby’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer to win the Fort Myers Tip-Off. Phlandrous Fleming led the Florida attack with 19 points and four steals, supported by Colin Castleton’s double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

• The Gators rode a strong late-first half performance to victory against Cal, outscoring the Bears 29-10 over the final 8:10 of the opening frame. Four Gators scored in double figures, led by Colin Castleton’s 16 and Tyree Appleby’s 15.

• The Gators used a 13-0 second-half run to spark the win against 20th-ranked FSU, and Colin Castleton earned SEC Player of the Week honors with a 15-point, 16-rebound, six-blocked shot performance.

• After playing with no seniors on their roster last season, the Gators have six senior or graduate players on the active roster this season.

• The Gators are one of six teams nationally with a win in each of the past four tournaments and the only Southeastern Conference team to reach every NCAA Tournament in that span (since 2017).

• The Gators added a quartet of veteran impact transfers who have a combined 3,882 career points scored at their previous schools. Florida’s 2021 class of incoming transfers rates in the nation’s top two in career points (Arkansas, 4,125 points, 6 players).

• Guards Brandon McKissic (UMKC) and Phlandrous Fleming Jr. (Charleston Southern) both bring conference defensive player of the year and first-team all-conference credentials to Gainesville as graduate transfers.

• The Gators also added a pair of undergrad transfers in senior guard Myreon Jones (Penn State) and junior forward CJ Felder (Boston College). Jones led the Nittany Lions in scoring last season with 15.3 points per game and averaged 2.4 3-pointers made, while Felder posted 9.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game last season