UK will try for season sweep against Florida

Mark Mathis, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
·2 min read

Feb. 27—A sense of growing together as a team has fueled a recent 3-game winning streak for the University of Kentucky.

The Wildcats will try and build on this on the court unity when Florida visits for the last "regular" home game of the season Saturday at Rupp Arena.

UK of course added another home game next Saturday, a makeup game with South Carolina that had been postponed from earlier in the season because of COVID-19.

But, UK's Senior Day will be before this matchup against the Gators (12-6, 8-5 in SEC).

Three players will celebrate Senior Day: graduate Davion Mintz, senior Olivier Sarr and senior Riley Welch.

Mintz has had an experienced perspective to offer the Wildcats, along with some strong outside shooting to help UK's offense get going over the last couple of weeks.

"I was talking to Keion (Brooks Jr.) and Olivier (Sarr) yesterday. It just seems like there's a different type of feel out there," Mintz said of UK's approach in games now. "A few games ago we went on a little stretch and during that time it was like, OK, we're winning these games, but something just still feels off. We're still missing that piece, a form of like unity.

"Then just this past stretch that we had, now it's just like a different feeling out there. Like, I'll do anything for my brother. I can't even describe it. I think that we were all like devoted in doing what we have to do.

"We feel not the pressure, but we feel the importance of now we don't have a choice, we have to be unified out there and I think that's the biggest thing that's changed."

The path is pretty clear for the Wildcats, 8-13 and 7-7 in the SEC. If they want to make the NCAA Tournament, they will most certainly have to win the SEC Tournament.

They have this Florida game, a trip to Ole Miss on Tuesday and the regular-season finale next Saturday with South Carolina to get ready for a major run in Nashville.

UK thumped Florida 76-58 when they met in Gainesville in early January. The Cats got 13 points each from Mintz and Brandon Boston Jr., in that win.

It was considered UK's best game to that point in the season. UK is going for its sixth straight win over the Gators.

Kentucky will have to deal with a hot Florida player in Colin Castleton, a 6-foot-11 junior forward, who has played well in big games this season.

Guard Tre Mann had a double-double (19 points, 13 rebounds) in a 74-57 win at Auburn on Tuesday.