Connecticut Huskies at Florida Gators College Basketball Preview
The Connecticut Huskies will look to continue their surprising start to the season on Wednesday when they take on the Florida Gators in Gainesville, FL. Connecticut jumped out to a 9-0 start this season and is currently ranked fifth in the nation. Florida enters the game with a 5-3 record, having won two consecutive games after falling to West Virginia on November 27th. The game is scheduled for 9:00 PM EST and will be broadcast on ESPN2. The Huskies are a 3.5-point favorite, with a current total set of 143 points.
Wednesday’s meeting marks the sixth time the two teams have met in their storied histories. Florida was able to land its first victory during the early 1990s but have fallen four consecutive times. The most recent meeting came in 2019 when the Huskies squeaked out a three-point victory behind Christian Vital and Tyler Polley.
Huskies seeking a number-one ranking
There are those that believe, right now, that this Connecticut team is the most complete group in the country. There are not many reasons to think otherwise other than what was expected during the preseason. Danny Hurley’s team has defeated four consecutive teams that rank within the top 100 in the Kenpom rankings, including the top 25 squads from Alabama and Iowa State.
Sophomore guard Jordan Hawkins has burst onto the scene this season and is currently second on the team in scoring at over 13 points per game while shooting nearly 40% from deep. The popular preseason breakout candidate has missed two of the Huskies’ nine games this season and has still logged three efforts in which he has connected on five triples.
Adama Sanogo leads the team in scoring at 18.7 points per game, while East Carolina transfer guard Tristian Newton is contributing over 11 points, four rebounds, and four assists per game.
The Huskies are almost perfect against the spread this season with an 8-0-1 record ATS and own an average margin of victory of over 24 points per game.
Florida looking to take the Huskies on a death roll
The Florida Gators have one of the most undervalued rosters in the entire nation this season. New head coach Todd Golden was able to land significant scorers via free agency, and all have performed admirably. Will Richard (Belmont), Trey Bonham (VMI), and Kyle Lofton (St. Bonaventure) are combining for roughly 33 points per game while taking turns leading the team in scoring. Forward Colin Castleton leads the team in both scoring and rebounding on the season, while sophomore guard Kowacie Reeves is just oozing with breakout potential.
The Gators are just 4-5 against the spread on the season but are 3-2 ATS in The Swamp. Florida has gone over the total in five of their nine games this season, outperforming the total by 6.6 points per game. They have gone over in three of their five home games this season, with the margin remaining static.
