NCAA Men’s Basketball: Tennessee Volunteers vs Florida Gators- Possible Lineups and Predictions

NCAA Men’s basketball returns to action with a huge Southeastern Conference matchup. The Tennessee Volunteers are back on the road as they face the Florida Gators at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center at 7 pm EST.

The Vols have had an excellent start to their season. Although they are currently 10-1, they have played only one game against a ranked opponent, which was the Missouri Tigers.

Tonight, they come in with an edge over the Gators. The Vols have won their last four matchups against them, and so they hold the edge.

The Gators‘ current record stands at 6-4. They were 5-1 after their first 6 games, but have managed just 1 win in their last 4 games since then.

So the Gators will be aiming to improve tonight, as they hope to avoid their 5th defeat of the season. This is their first matchup with the Vols this season, and they face each other once again a month later.

NCAA Men’s basketball: Can the Volunteers extend their winning run?

The Volunteers signed 4-star prospect Corey Walker Jr, but he has not been able to play a single game due to injury. There is still no confirmed news about his return. But the rest of the team is fit for the game.

The Volunteers will start with Josiah-Jordan James, Santiago Vescovi, and Jaden Springer as their guards, while John Fulkerson and Yves Pons start as their forwards.

The Gators have a few injuries to take care of. Keyontae Johnson is ruled out of the season due to a heart condition while Alex Klatsky, Scottie Lewis, and Colin Castleton are questionable. Castleton is their second-best currently and if he doesn’t return in time, they will be in trouble.

Their lineup will feature Tyree Appleby, Noah Locke, and Tre Mann as their guards, along with Anthony Duruji and Colin Castleton as their forwards. 

This will be an easy win for the Volunteeers, who come in as the favorites. While they have been solid defensively, ranking as the #2 defense in the country according to KenPom, the Gators are struggling offensively. So this will be a mismatch, and the Vols should be the winners comfortably.