Florida vs. UConn, game preview

The No. 15 Florida Gators take on the No. 13 UConn Huskies at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT.  The game begins at 7 pm ET on ESPN 2.  Florida is 6-1, with its lone loss at No. 10 Wisconsin.  UConn is undefeated, and Florida will be their first AP Top 25 opponent.

One thing UConn does very well is shoot the basketball.  The Huskies are shooting 49.2% from the field, and 44.7% from three-point range.  UConn also has one of the best backcourts in the country.  Point guard Shabazz Napier is averaging 15.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.  Guard Ryan Boatright is averaging 11.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.

Relying on guard play is working for the Huskies, but they need more contributions from their big men.  Freshman center Amida Brimah is averaging 13.4 minutes and 1.6 rebounds per game, not good for a seven footer.  Senior big man Tyler Olander is averaging 9.4 minutes and 1.4 rebounds per game.  If head coach Kevin Ollie gives Brimah and Olander more playing time, they will need to grab more rebounds, and give the Huskies more second chance opportunities.

The Gators match up well against the Huskies.  Guard Michael Frazier II is averaging 14.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.  Guard  Scottie Wilbekin has come back from a five game suspension, and is averaging 9.5 points and 7.5 assists in his first two games of the season.  Forward Casey Prather may be the x-factor for the Gators tonight.  He is averaging 19.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.  UConn forward DeAndre Daniels will be guarding Prather, and Daniels should prioritize defense over offense despite averaging 13.4 points per game.

Great match ups will surely lead to a fantastic battle in Storrs, CT.  Don’t forget to check out the action on ESPN 2 at 7 pm ET.

Please follow us on Twitter @fansided, and “like” our page on Facebook.