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Published Jan 26, 2021
Gators looking to stay hot vs Vanderbilt
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Nick de la Torre  •  1standTenFlorida
Staff
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@delatorre

Riding high off of a three-game winning streak the Florida Gators are looking to keep the good times rolling at home before a break in the SEC schedule for the SEC/Big 12 challenge.

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Who: Vanderbilt (4-7, 0-5 SEC) vs. UF (8-4, 5-3)

Where: Stephen C. O'Connell Center | Gainesville

When: Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.

TV: SEC Network

This will be the first rematch for the Gators this season. Playing in its first game after returning to action following Keyontae Johnson collapsing on the floor against FSU, the Gators handed the 'Dores a 91-72 loss. Florida has won five-straight over Vanderbilt.

Florida is also coming into the game after handing No. 6 Tennessee its worst loss of the season and followed that up with an impressive road win over Georgia.

Tre Mann comes into the game averaging 16.8 points, shot 17-for-20 (.850) from the free-throw line, and added 16 assists and nine steals over the last four games. He's rounding into quite a point guard for the Gators, even though, at times, he and his coach agree that he gets too

"I think he’s a pretty good point guard. I think he’s going to be playing point guard for a really long time. But he’s also a point that can play off the ball. You can call him a one, a two, a three, he’s a really, really, good guard," Mike White said of Man. "We’re playing as much on the ball as we are off the ball. He sees it. He’s getting better at seeing it. He’s getting better at delivering it with either hand. He got a little causal the other day at times, a little bit uncharacteristic when we got the lead. Tre’s incredible. He’s in there the next day, wants to watch the possessions, what should I have done here? Coach, you’re right, I got a little casual there, I’m better than that. He works. He cares. He’s got basketball character and he’s grown in that role. He’s one of the better guards in our league.”

Probable starting lineups
PlayerPositionHeightWeightClassStats

Anthony Duruji

F

6-7

220

R-Jr.

6.1 pts 4.1 reb

Omar Payne

F

6-10

230

So.

4.4 pts 3.8 reb

Tyree Appleby

G

6-1

170

R-Jr.

10.3 pts

2.9 reb

Noah Locke

G

6-3

203

Jr.

10.6 pts

2.2 reb

Tre

Mann

G

6-5

190

So.

14.7 pts

5.3 reb

4.1 ast

One to watch for Vanderbilt 

Scotty Pippen Jr. has been all the offense for the 'Dores recently. The sophomore guard has accounted for 50 percent of all of Vanderbilt's field goals in its last five games. Pippen Jr. ranks second in the Southeastern Conference in scoring, averaging 20.6 points and 5.3 assists per game. He’s one of only four players in the country averaging more than 20 points and five assists a game,

Numbers of note

6: The Gators are averaging 6.0 blocked shots per game this season, led by Colin Castleton (2.2) and Omar Payne (1.7). That pace is ahead of the team record of 5.3, set in 2005-06 and the only time UF has previously averaged more than five blocks per game.

5: Florida’s current five-game series winning streak vs. Vanderbilt matches the Gators’ third-longest all-time against the Commodores. UF had seven straight series wins from 2004-07, six in a row 1983-86 and fi ve consecutive 2001-03.

16.8: Over the past four games, Tre Mann has averaged 16.8 points per game. Mann has shot 17-for-20 (.850) from the free-throw line and added 16 assists and nine steals during this stretch.