Setup: Third-ranked Florida welcomes South Carolina for a Southeastern Conference matchup featuring a team near the top of the standings against one at the bottom. The Gators enter on a three-game winning streak, highlighted by consecutive road victories over ranked opponents — No. 1 Auburn and No. 22 Mississippi State — marking the first time in program history they’ve accomplished that feat. Florida currently holds its highest Associated Press ranking in a decade. Meanwhile, South Carolina dropped its 11th straight SEC contest, falling 72-68 at home to No. 19 Ole Miss.

Series: Florida leads the all-time series 49-29, with a 22-10 record in Gainesville. However, the Gators have dropped three of the last four home meetings, with the lone win coming in 2023. The most recent matchup between the two programs took place last month, when senior guard Will Richard drove down the left side and converted a left-handed layup off the glass with 4.8 seconds remaining to secure a 70-69 victory. South Carolina’s Jacobi Wright attempted a long three-pointer at the buzzer that missed, sealing the win. Florida’s defensive pressure, particularly its 1-2-2 press, forced 13 steals and fueled the comeback despite trailing by 14 with 12 minutes left, 13 with nine minutes to go, nine with just over six minutes remaining, and five with 1:05 to play. Richard finished with 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, along with four rebounds and three steals. Walter Clayton Jr. contributed 16 points and seven assists, while Alijah Martin added 14 points and three steals.

Etc: The Florida-South Carolina basketball game serves as the finale to a busy day of Gators athletics on campus. Events include golf hosting the Gators Invitational at 7:45 a.m., softball against Boston College at 11:30 a.m., men’s tennis versus North Florida at noon, lacrosse against North Carolina at noon, a second softball matchup against Binghamton at 2 p.m., baseball’s second game of the season against Air Force at 4 p.m., and finally men’s basketball tipping off at 8:30 p.m.

Tale of the Tape

The Gators

One of the season’s biggest developments came Friday when 7-foot-1 junior center Micah Handlogten announced he will forgo the rest of what was supposed to be a medical redshirt season and make his 2024-25 debut on Saturday. As a sophomore, Handlogten averaged 5.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and ranked among the nation’s top five offensive rebounders before suffering a broken leg in the SEC Tournament. Though medically cleared for nearly two months, the original plan was for him to sit out and retain two years of eligibility. His return now provides Florida with much-needed frontcourt depth after ankle injuries sidelined starter Alex Condon (10.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg) and reserve Sam Alexis (4.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg). Neither will be available for Saturday’s game.

Despite missing key contributors, the Gators have won three straight. They defeated Vanderbilt without point guard and leading scorer Walter Clayton Jr., who was out with an ankle injury. Guard Alijah Martin, injured in the same game, has missed the last two contests — both road upsets over No. 1 Auburn and No. 22 Mississippi State — while Condon was lost just seconds into the Mississippi State matchup. Clayton returned after missing only one game and has been outstanding since, averaging 19 points, six rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.5 turnovers, and 38 minutes across the last two outings.

Even shorthanded, Florida has produced its most efficient stretch of the season, averaging 12.3 made three-pointers and 20.3 assists over the last three games. Defensively, the Gators have climbed to No. 8 nationally in efficiency, holding Auburn (No. 1 offense) and Mississippi State (No. 26 offense) to a combined 42.1 percent shooting overall and 28.6 percent from deep.

Forward Thomas Haugh has stepped up in back-to-back performances. At Auburn, he posted 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and a steal. At Mississippi State, he matched the scoring and rebounding totals while adding a career-high eight assists, two steals, and two blocks in a career-best 37 minutes after Condon’s injury. Center Rueben Chinyelu also impressed against the Bulldogs, recording 10 points, six rebounds, and two blocks in 30 minutes. His plus-20 on-court rating was second only to Clayton’s plus-21. With Handlogten returning, Florida gains another interior presence to complement these efforts.

Guard Denzel Aberdeen has thrived as a starter, averaging 14.3 points while filling in for Clayton against Vanderbilt and Martin in the Auburn and Mississippi State games. He has shot 43 percent overall, 35.3 percent from three, and converted seven of 11 free throws, while playing strong defense — notably against MSU standout Josh Hubbard — and protecting the ball. Guard Will Richard added 10 points and two steals in the last outing, reaching double figures in three straight games since a two-point showing in the loss at Tennessee on Feb. 1. Backup guard Urban Klavzar has been a spark off the bench, hitting a three-pointer in three consecutive games and going 6-for-7 from deep during that stretch, with a 75 percent mark in SEC play. Depending on Martin’s availability, freshman wing Isaiah Brown (2.5 ppg) may see minutes at the “4” spot.

The Gamecocks

This marks the third season for Coach Lamont Paris, but the current campaign is beginning to resemble his first year — perhaps even more challenging. Paris arrived in Columbia from Tennessee-Chattanooga, taking over for Frank Martin after a decade at the helm. His debut season in 2022-23 ended with an 11-21 record and just four SEC victories. Last year, however, he steered the Gamecocks to a 26-8 mark, a fifth-place finish in the conference, and an NCAA Tournament appearance that concluded with a first-round loss to Oregon.

South Carolina has since lost several key contributors to graduation and the transfer portal. While they’ve been competitive in some close contests — including Wednesday’s narrow defeat to a strong Mississippi team — the fact that they remain winless in SEC play, with lopsided losses by margins of 35, 20 (twice), and 23 points, has been surprising.

Statistically, the Gamecocks sit at the bottom of the league in most offensive categories, including effective field-goal percentage, turnover rate, and both two- and three-point shooting. Defensively, they hover in the lower third across several metrics. Still, it’s worth noting that five of their SEC losses — against Vanderbilt, Florida, Mississippi State, and Texas A&M among them — were decided by four points or fewer.



Despite their struggles, South Carolina remains scrappy and capable, especially on the road where the pressure of playing at home is absent. That determination could pose problems for a Florida team currently dealing with injuries to key players.

Backup guard Morris Ugusuk (6.4 ppg) is a player opponents must keep an eye on. He hurt Florida earlier with nine points, all coming from beyond the arc, as he helped South Carolina build its lead. Ugusuk has also posted 20 and 15 points in narrow defeats against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma.

Another contributor off the bench is graduate senior Benjamin Bosmans-Yerdonk, a 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward. Though he averages only seven minutes per game, he has collected more offensive rebounds (20) than defensive (16) this season and delivered some key plays in the post during Wednesday’s contest.

Freshman guard/forward Arden Conyers (4.3 ppg) has shown flashes, reaching double figures in four SEC games.

Shooting guard Myles Stute (5.4 ppg) opened the season as a starter in the first 14 games and was one of the team’s most reliable perimeter shooters. However, he has yet to appear in conference play due to complications from a blood clot.

Numbers of Note