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No. 11 Kansas hosts Florida Friday
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Published: 12/5/2014  at  4:58:00 AM
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FLORIDA GATORS (3-3)

at KANSAS JAYHAWKS (5-1)

Allen Fieldhouse - Lawrence, KS
Tip-off: Friday, 9:00 p.m. ET
Line: Kansas -7.5 Total: 125

No. 11 Kansas has bounced back nicely since losing to No. 1 Kentucky early in the season, and will look to get a win against another SEC team, Florida, in the Big 12/SEC series.

The Gators (1-4 ATS) are not the same team as they were last season when they captured the No. 1 overall seed, as a lot of the veterans that got them to the Final Four are no longer on the team. Florida fell out of the rankings in last week’s poll, which ended the third longest streak in college basketball (Duke and Kansas). The school is riding a five-game winless skid (0-4-1 ATS) by dropping three of those games straight-up, including a 75-64 defeat in the most recent game last Friday versus North Carolina. The Jayhawks looked bad in their 72-40 loss to Kentucky on Nov. 18, but have bounced back with four straight wins (SU and ATS), capping off the Orlando Classic on Sunday with a 61-56 victory against Michigan State. Head coach Bill Self has done a nice job of winning big when favored by 6.5 to 9 points at home, going 11-3 ATS in this scenario. To put into perspective just how dominant Kansas has been at home, Self has more conference titles at this school (10), than he has home losses (nine). But Florida also has an elite head coach in Billy Donovan, who is 64-38 ATS (63%) after 2+ straight ATS losses since taking over the Gators program. These two schools played last season, with Florida getting the 67-61 victory in Gainesville thanks in large part to 24 turnovers for Kansas. There are no new injuries for the Jayhawks, but the Gators could be missing PG Eli Carter, who could miss his third game in the past five contests with a sprained left foot.

Can Florida pull off the upset on Friday night? For the latest college basketball picks, check out The Platinum Sheet for all the Expert picks. The experts have begun the 2014-15 season with a bang, posting a collective 59% ATS mark (52-36) in Best Bets. The five experts are led by StatFox Gary's stellar 72% ATS mark (13-5), while StatFox Zach is 65% ATS (11-6), and StatFox Brian is 61% ATS (11-7) to open the season.

The biggest reason for the Gators’ struggles early in the season is because of their inability to score the basketball. Florida averages only 63.5 PPG (260th in nation), which is the lowest in the SEC. It has been very difficult on offense, as they also rank 230th in assists (11.7 APG) and 305th in shooting (38.7% FG). The team was able to get some easy baskets last season, but they are unable to do that this season. SG Michael Frazier II (15.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.5 APG) was a terrific role player last season, but he has shown signs of emerging as a focal player on the offense. Michigan transfer PF Jon Horford (10.3 PPG, 50% FG, 7.0 RPG) has helped the Gators replace departed senior Patric Young, giving the Gators some size down low. PG Eli Carter (9.0 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.3 APG) appears to be out for this game, meaning PG Kasey Hill (8.2 PPG, 3.5 APG, 3.0 RPG) will have to play like the McDonald’s All-American he was out of high school.

The Jayhawks enter this game ranked 39th in the nation in rebounding (40.8 RPG), 162nd in scoring (69.2 PPG) and 186th in assists (12.5 APG). Leading the way for Kansas is PF Perry Ellis (15.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG), who has really blossomed into an all-conference performer. The backcourt of Frank Mason III (9.8 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.7 APG) and Wayne Selden Jr. (7.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.7 APG) are continuing to improve in their sophomore campaign. Selden Jr. has really struggled with his shot (29% FG), but he has done a nice job of developing his all-around game. Once he is able to find his shot and get things rolling, he could see his scoring numbers nearly double. Freshman swingman Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (6.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG) is only 17 years old, but he is starting to pick up his offensive game. He can absolutely shoot the ball, and his developing shot (4-for-9 threes in past two games) could help the Jayhawks start to score more points.


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