Gators set to take on No. 1 Baylor

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The O'Dome will host another top five team on Saturday.

Florida (12-6, 4-2) will host No. 1 Baylor (16-1, 6-0) this weekend with the Bears coming into the game on a 15 game winning streak.

"They’re terrific. (Coach) Scott (Drew)’s got a really good team," Mike White told reporters on Friday. "They’re old, they’re deep, they’re tough, they’re versatile. They can play different ways. They can play some small ball, they can pound you on the interior. They’ve got, what may be, I’d have to do some research and maybe take a staff poll, maybe the best backcourt in the country. Got to be in the conversation, if not the best."

White is accurate. Baylor's backcourt boasts names like Jared Butler and MaCio Teague, with Butler averaging 16.1 points per game and Teague averaging 13.6.

"He (Butler) and Teague have – to me – a high, high level of just feel," said White. "The more you watch them on film the more you appreciate their understanding of the game … how to create angles, how to use shot fakes, pivots and extra pivots and drawing fouls. Those guys, they’re really good.”

Florida guard Noah Locke is very familiar with Butler after playing against him in AAU.

"I didn’t remember who he was, I knew he looked familiar in the scouting report. We played him in Atlanta and I remembered after a while after I researched him," said Locke. "He’s a good player. Very crafty. He scores the ball very well. We’re just going to have to continue to guard him the right way and follow the scouting report.”

The Bears are obviously a threat offensively, however, they are disruptive on the other side of the ball.

"They’re better defensively than they are offensively," White said. "Wow, I mean, they’re terrific. They’ve got the best resume, I would imagine, in college basketball right now. Defensively they’re versatile, they’re quick, strong, disciplined. They don’t make many mistakes, and they defend their glass."

This is the second weekend in a row the Gators are facing a top-five team. It is also another chance for White's group to finally get a win over a No. 1 team. As Florida's head coach, White has faced a No. 1 team four times in his five seasons.

"It’s very exciting. You’ve got a group of guys that are very good," Locke said. "Very ready for this situation. This is the second year and I think last year we played Tennessee when they were No. 1. It’s a great opportunity for us and we’re ready for it."

"Just take advantage of good opportunities when we get them," Blackshear said. "They're a really sound, disciplined team, aggressive as well. So when we get an opportunity, take those opportunities. Allow our defense to help our offense when we have the opportunity, push in transition when we got the opportunity, but also be calm. Understand that defenses break down when you make them work for a while, so just take advantage."

"I think they’ve got really good speed and quickness in the backcourt. And they’ve got girth, too," White said. "They’re just a strong team. And they’ve got really versatile front court defenders, led by (Freddie) Gillespie and (Mark) Vital, who can defend guards, both those guys can defend 1 through 5.

"So, overall, you think team speed, you think backcourt. Their overall team speed is elite, in my opinion, based on their 4 and 5 being able to move like guards as well. Versatile, disciplined, challenge everything. Nothing’s easy. They defend actions, they defend penetration, they defend shooters. It’s very hard to score against them."

The Gators have improved offensively since starting SEC play, however, in their last outing against LSU, White's side failed to deliver defensively inside the paint - allowing the Tigers' offense to have their way inside.

"I feel like offensively, I think guys are playing much more confident, making the shots when they are open. Just feeling, feeling like things are just going well for us. We see one of our teammates making shots and it starts building confidence for everybody else. And we are playing more as a team offensively, moving the ball much better," said Locke.

"I feel like defensively we just got to get our focus back. Certain times in the game we just have lapses that we usually don’t have. Once we overcome that, everyone locks in on defense, talking and communicating as much as we can, defensively things are going to be better."

Florida and Baylor are set to tip off on Saturday at 8 p.m.

The game tips off at 8 p.m. ET with a national broadcast on ESPN.