Gators face Vanderbilt on the road as the regular season winds down

The 2021-22 college basketball regular season is coming to an end, but Florida still has plenty of work to do to make it into the NCAA Tournament. Before facing No. 7 Kentucky in the regular-season finale on Saturday, the Gators have a chance to sweep the season series against the Vanderbilt Commodores on Tuesday.

Florida won by 19 in the team’s first matchup of the season, but things are a little different this time around. Neither team had their best big man on the court in January as Vanderbilt’s Liam Robbins was recovering from a stress fracture suffered in the preseason and Colin Castleton was out with a shoulder injury. Both will be on the court this time, but Florida will be without Jason Jitoboh, who notched eight points and 10 rebounds against the Commodores.

Robbins, a 7-footer, should be able to compete with Castleton on both sides of the court. The hope is to create enough room to get Scotty Pippen Jr. going after he scored just six points in Gainesville.

This will be Florida’s second-straight road game against an SEC opponent, but being the away team didn’t slow down the Gators against Georgia. Phlandrous Fleming Jr., a Georgia native, dropped 27 points in his homecoming in front of nearly dozens of friends and family. If that hot hand carries over for Fleming, the Gators will be in good shape in Nashville.

Anthony Duruji should be a game-time decision after being a late scratch from the Georgia game due to an ankle injury.

How to follow Florida basketball at Vanderbilt

Game day Tipico betting odds for Florida at Vanderbilt

Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. EST in Nashville, Tennessee.

Projected Starting Lineups:

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