There was a moment before the six-minute mark in the first half of Saturday’s game where Florida basketball looked like it was going to challenge the Kentucky Wildcats on its home court. But after a re-aggravated thigh injury sustained by Tyree Appleby, the ‘Cats turned it up a notch and the Gators never really had a chance in the 21-point loss.
Florida actually scored the first two points to grab a lead it would quickly relinquish for the remainder of the game in the Quadrant 1 loss, while the Wildcats picked up a Quadrant 2 win for their resume. Fortunately for the Gators, the NET rankings following the defeat showed plenty of mercy on the Orange and Blue.
Interestingly, Florida fell from its previous ranking of No. 48 in our last update after its fourth-straight win, which came over the Georgia Bulldogs, but up from its Saturday ranking of No. 50 to an equilibrium of No. 49. The loss leaves the Gators with one lonely Quadrant 1 win, coming back in November against the Ohio State Buckeyes on a buzzer-beater bomb by Appleby.
Next up for the Gators are the Texas A&M Aggies, who they face in College Station on Tuesday. TAMU is currently ranked No. 73 in the NET rankings making it a Quadrant 1 matchup for Florida while it will only be a Quadrant 2 game for the Aggies. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. EST.
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