How No. 25 Kentucky matches up vs. No. 14 Florida — with a game prediction
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Florida’s Thomas Haugh averages 17.5 pts, 6.3 rebs and boosts Florida.
- Kentucky’s Otega Oweh averages 17.1 PPG and keeps UK competitive.
- Florida’s home form and recent blowouts support an 83-75 pick.
How the No. 25 Kentucky Wildcats (17-7, 8-3 SEC) and the No. 14 Florida Gators (18-6, 9-2 SEC) match up at each position for Saturday’s SEC men’s basketball contest at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center — with a game prediction:
Small forward
• Kentucky’s Collin Chandler (9.4 points, 3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 40.9% 3-pointers) continues to back up his new “Captain Clutch” nickname by making big plays under game-deciding pressure. The latest such play by the 6-foot-5, 205-pound sophomore from Farmington, Utah, was a cold-blooded 3-pointer that Chandler drained with 33 seconds left to give UK the lead for good in last Saturday’s 74-71 win over then-No. 25 Tennessee. Chandler did not play in Kentucky’s 106-100 win over eventual NCAA champion Florida last season at Rupp Arena.
• As a junior, Florida’s Thomas Haugh (17.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists) has emerged as an SEC Player of the Year and All-America candidate. The 6-9, 215-pound product of New Oxford, Pennsylvania, has 10 games this season of 20 points or more and four games with points/rebounds double-doubles. Haugh came off the bench to score nine points in 21 minutes against UK last season.
Advantage: Florida
Power forward
• Kentucky sophomore Andrija Jelavic (5.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 49% FGs) had four points, four rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal in 20 minutes of playing time in last week’s win over Tennessee. The 6-11, 225-pound sophomore from Zagreb, Croatia, has made a combined 8 of 13 shots over UK’s past three games.
• Florida junior Alex Condon (13.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 50.5% FGs) had 12 points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal in the Gators’ 86-66 win at Georgia Wednesday night. A 6-11, 230-pound product of Perth, Washington, Condon played well against Kentucky last season with nine points, 10 rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot.
Advantage: Florida
Center
• Kentucky freshman Malachi Moreno (8.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.7 blocks, 59.2% FGs) came up big in last Saturday’s win over Tennessee. The 7-foot, 250-pound product of Great Crossing High School in Georgetown went for 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks vs. the Volunteers. Moreno has scored in double figures in two of the past three games.
• Florida junior Rueben Chinyelu (11.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 60.9% FGs) had 20 rebounds in Wednesday night’s victory at Georgia. The 6-10, 235-pound product of Enugu, Nigeria, has recorded double-figure rebounds in 17 games so far this season and has had 20 or more three times. Against UK last season, Chinyelu hit all four of his shot attempts and finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal.
Advantage: Florida
Shooting guard
• In SEC play, Kentucky senior Otega Oweh (17.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.8 steals, 48.3% FGs) has played at a level appropriate to his preseason projection as SEC Player of the Year. The 6-4, 220-pound product of Newark, New Jersey, has scored 20 points or more in nine of UK’s 11 league games, including the past five in a row. Oweh had 16 points, four rebounds and two steals vs. Florida last year.
• Florida sophomore Boogie Fland (11.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 41.9% FGs) has really struggled with his outside shot in 2025-26. A 34% 3-point shooter last season as a freshman at Arkansas, the 6-3, 185-pound sophomore from Bronx, New York, is making only 18.7% (17 of 91) from behind the arc so far this season. Fland, a John Calipari-era UK signee, played well in the win at Georgia, making 7 of 13 shots and finishing with 15 points, three rebounds and two steals.
Advantage: Kentucky
Point guard
• Kentucky senior Denzel Aberdeen (12.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 37.5% treys) will return to Gainesville to face the team for which he played the first three seasons of his college career. The 6-5, 195-pound product of Orlando, Florida, has scored in double figures in seven of UK’s past nine games. “His play over the past month has been phenomenal,” Mark Pope said Thursday. Aberdeen had 16 points, two rebounds and three assists in last weekend’s win over Tennessee.
• A transfer from Princeton, Florida senior Xaivian Lee (11 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists) is also struggling with his outside shot. The 6-4, 180-pound product of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is making only 25.5% (37 of 145) of his trey tries so far this season. His prior errancy did not keep Lee from attempting nine 3-pointers in the win at Georgia; he made three and finished with 18 points, three rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
Advantage: Kentucky
Bench
• Kentucky junior power forward Mouhamed Dioubate (8.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 53.2% FGs) made a vital play in last Saturday’s win over Tennessee when he rebounded a missed Collin Chandler free throw with 7.1 seconds left and UK clinging to a 72-71 lead. Playing for Alabama last season, the 6-7, 220-pound Dioubate had 12 points and 12 rebounds in a 104-82 loss to Florida in the SEC Tournament semifinals. ... Junior center Brandon Garrison (4.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 56.1% FGs) fouled out in 16 minutes last season against Florida. The 6-10, 245-pound Oklahoma City product finished with two points, three rebounds and three assists vs. the Gators. ... Freshman guard Jasper Johnson (6.2 points, 1.3 rebounds, 2 assists) had four points and two assists in last week’s win over Tennessee. ... Sophomore forward Trent Noah (3.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 38.5% treys) missed all three of his shot attempts last week (two vs. Oklahoma, one vs. Tennessee) after scoring nine points and claiming seven rebounds in UK’s 85-77 win at Arkansas two Saturdays ago.
• Florida junior guard Urban Klavzar (9.8 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 38.2% treys) had a streak of five straight games in double figures snapped when he scored eight points in the win at Georgia. ... Isaiah Brown (5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 47.4% FGs) hit 3 of 4 treys and had 12 points in the win at Georgia. The 6-4, 210-pound sophomore has scored in double figures in three of the past seven games. ... Micah Handlogten (4.6 points, 6 rebounds, 64.8% FGs) had two points and six boards in the victory at Georgia. A 7-1, 260-pound product of Lake Norman, North Carolina, Handlogten had five points and six rebounds in a 94-91 overtime win over Kentucky in 2023-24.
Advantage: Even
Trends and history
• Kentucky leads the all-time series with Florida 111-42. The Wildcats have won 11 of the past 13 meetings.
• Kentucky coach Mark Pope is 1-0 vs. Florida.
• Florida head man Todd Golden is 1-4 against Kentucky.
• Mark Pope and Todd Golden have significant pre-SEC history. When Pope was head coach at BYU and Golden at San Francisco, their teams played seven times in West Coast Conference competition. Pope and BYU went 4-3 vs. Golden and USF.
• Florida is 10-1 this season on its home court; Kentucky is 3-3 in true road games.
• Since losing at home to Auburn 76-67 on Jan. 24, Florida has been strafing teams. In the four games since the loss, Florida has won SEC contests by margins of 47 (at South Carolina), 23 (Alabama), 18 (at Texas A&M) and 20 (at Georgia) points.
Advantage: Florida
Prediction
Florida 83, Kentucky 75
This story was originally published February 13, 2026 at 6:00 AM.
