Florida Needs a Victory Against Kansas State to Stay Elite

The Florida Gators are currently ranked in the top 10 of both of the major polls, but with a recent loss to the Arizona Wildcats, the Gators need a victory against Kansas State to stay in the top 10. Not only that, a win would keep Florida an elite team, since they have been one of the best teams in college basketball this season.

Coming into this game, Florida is 8-1 on the year, with a 1-1 road record. This team won at Florida State in a blowout game, then barely lost to the Wildcats at Arizona. However, the Gators were leading the Wildcats the entire game before Arizona’s Mark Lyons hit a game-winning two-pointer with just seconds left in the game.

Kansas State is not the easiest opponent in the world, with a record of 8-2 on the season. The Wildcats only two losses came against two ranked teams in the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Michigan Wolverines.

Kenny Boynton has to find his grove to start the game. Boynton was leading the team in points just a game ago, but with back-to-back performances of seven points or less, Boynton is only averaging 12.6 points per game on the year, which trails senior Mike Rosario (12.9 PPG).

Not leading the team in points is not a big deal, but it is a big deal when the team is counting on you to contribute on the offensive side of the ball. Boynton is one of the best shooting guards in the nation, but he has not been playing like it in the past couple of games.

Kansas State will be a true test for a Florida team that needs to win to stay in the top 10 of the rankings. Florida has played great all season long and they need to continue this trend against the Wildcats.