Location: Cintas Center – Cincinnati, OH [Capacity: 10,250]
Time: 4:00 p.m. (ET)

TV: ESPN2
Online Audio: Yahoo!
Live Updates: @OnlyGators

Odds: Xavier -1.5; O/U 126.5

HISTORY and STREAKS

» Xavier leads the all-time series against Florida 2-0. The Musketeers defeated the Gators 76-64 in Gainseville, FL, last season.
» Florida is only 14-17 all-time against A-10 opponents under Donovan and have lost three straight including two last season.
» The Gators defense has signifigantly improved over the last seven games, holding opponents to just 53.7 points per contest and allowing only one team to score 60. Simultaneously, Florida has failed to score 70 points once in the same seven games.
» Florida has out-rebounded 11 of 12 opponents this season – including in its three defeats – and is doing so by a +7.8 rebound per game advantage.
» The Gators are 80-22 under Donovan in the month of December.
» Florida bests Xavier in three of four major statistical categories nationally including rebounds per game 37.6-35.7 (97th-177th), assists per game 13.8-13.3 (138th-168th) and field goal percentage .467-.440 (57th-168th). However, the Musketeers score more points per game than the Gators 70.8-69.1 (160th-186th).

KEEP AN EYE ON…

» Sophomore guard Kenny Boynton and junior point guard Erving Walker…a backcourt duo that has combined to average 25.9 points per game and has accounted for 46 of their team’s 63 three-pointers this season.
» Redshirt senior center Vernon Macklin…who is shooting a team-high 58.6 percent this season with most of his buckets coming inside the paint.
» Senior F Chandler Parsons…who is averaging 9.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and is an integral part to the Gators’ success.
» Xavier G Tu Holloway…who leads his team with 20.8 points, 5.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game in an average of 39 minutes.
» Musketeers F Jamel McLean..who is his team’s biggest presence inside and averages 9.5 rebounds and almost a block per game while contributing 10.5 points.

Tags: Atlantic 10, Billy Donovan, Chandler Parsons, Chris Mack, Cintas Center, Erving Walker, Jamel McLean, Kenny Boynton, Tu Holloway, Vernon Macklin, Xavier Musketeers

Location: Stephen C. O’Connell Center – Gainesville, FL [Capacity: 12,000]
Time: 6:00 p.m. (EST)

TV: ESPN / ESPNHD
Online Video: ESPN360
Live Updates: OGGOA on Twitter

Odds: Florida -4, O/U (OFF)

KEEP AN EYE ON…
» The dynamic backcourt of…sophomore point guard Erving Walker and freshman guard Kenny Boynton who are averaging 31.5 points and 7.9 assists per game in conference play this season.
» Speaking of Walker and Boynton…they have hit 51 of the Gators’ 64 treys in SEC play. Walker has gone for 20+ points in five of 10 SEC games.
» Junior forward Alex Tyus…who is dominating the front court, averaging 14.7 points and 7.9 rebounds over the last 15 contests. He has hit double figures in 14 of 15 games and scored 15+ in eight of those. Tyus had a career-best 15 rebounds Wednesday.
» Junior F Chandler Parsons…who has back-to-back double-doubles and four on the season (six for this career). He has also been helping dish the ball with six assists in each of his last two games.
» The duo of Tyus and Parsons…who are combining for 15.6 rebounds per game during SEC play including 26 on Wednesday night.
» Double-digit scoring by Vernon Macklin…the Gators are 11-1 when the redshirt junior transfer center finishes in double figures.
» Musketeers guard Jordan Crawford leads both his team and the A-10 in scoring at 19.7 points per game.

STREAKS:
» Xavier leads the all-time series against Florida 1-0, with their sole win coming in the Hurricane Classic in Miami, FL, on Dec. 28, 1959. The Musketeers won 86-74.
» This is the first time the Gators have played a non-conference opponent during SEC play since 2003.
» Under head coach Billy Donovan, Florida is 4-3 against the Atlantic 10; they lost earlier this season to the Richmond Spiders 56-53.
» The Gators have been holding opponents to 58.8 points per game in their 17 wins while allowing the number to jump to 75.7 points per game in their seven losses.
» Florida is 11-2 at home this season and 80-10 in the O’Dome since 2005.
» The Gators are 5-3 in games decided by five points or less compared to 4-6 in such games last season. Florida is 4-1 in the last five contests that were that close.
» UF is now 6-1 in conference play and 12-2 overall when out-rebounding an opponent after losing to South Carolina on Wednesday.
» Xavier has a win over then-No. 19 Cincinnati this season and leads the A-10 in scoring offense (79.4) and three-point shooting (39.4 percent).
» The Musketeers have reached two Elite Eights and a Sweet 16 in the last six years.
» Florida will honor the 2000 NCAA Championship runner-up team at halftime.

Read OGGOA’s Florida Gators vs. Xavier Musketeers preview after the jump!
Continue Reading » Gameday: Florida Gators vs. Xavier Musketeers

Tags: Alex Tyus, Chandler Parsons, Chris Mack, Erving Walker, Jordan Crawford, Kenny Boynton, NCAA Tournament, O'Connell Center, Vernon Macklin, Xavier Musketeers