Gators Reel Off Three Consecutive SEC Wins Without Colin Castleton to Stay in the NCAA Tournament Hunt

In spite of their worst start in SEC Conference Play, the Florida Gators have seemingly turned things around. After losing to then-ranked #15 Alabama, #9 Auburn, and #12 LSU, the Gators have reeled off three straight conference wins against South Carolina, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt. Keep in mind that this has been with a limited and absent version of former All-SEC Center Colin Castleton, who leads the Gators with 15.4 PPG, 9.1 RPG, and 2.8 BPG. Castleton’s impact on the Gators can’t be understated enough, as he has been a game-wrecker in the paint on both ends of the floor. Unfortunately, Castleton will be sidelined indefinitely with a shoulder injury, meaning that Florida will need their reserves to step up in his place to continue to contend in the SEC.

Florida’s Fleming and Reeves Lead the Gators to Impressive SEC Victory Over South Carolina

Junior forward Wildens Leveque wins the tip off for Carolina at the start of the game against the Florida Gators on Jan. 15, 2022 in Columbia, SC. The Gamecocks lost to Florida 71-63.

Florida’s road win over South Carolina is a prime example of their role players stepping up when their star wasn’t shining their brightest. In the 71-63 conference win over the Gamecocks, it was Fleming and Reeves, not Castleton, who led the offense with 14 points each. Tyree Appleby did well with facilitating the Gators offense, notching a team-high six assists. Even Brandon McKissic and Jason Jitoboh played important roles in the win, as McKissic recorded two points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Jitoboh had six points and four rebounds. Castleton still played and did well, with ten points and seven rebounds, but it was certainly encouraging to see Florida’s second unit step up in a meaningful game against the Gamecocks.

Anthony Durguji and Tyree Appleby Combine for 39 Points En Route to Florida’s Comeback Win Over Mississippi State

Florida beats Mississippi State basketball: Iverson Molinar struggles
Mississippi State guard Iverson Molinar (1) looks around Florida Gators guard Brandon McKissic (23) to try and make a pass as the teams play an SEC basketball game at the Exactech Arena, in Gainesville Fla. Jan. 19, 2022. Credit: Brad McClenny/The Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

In Florida’s first game without Castleton, the reserves were once again able to step up against Mississippi State. After quickly falling behind 41-35 in the first half, Duruji’s 18 second-half points kept the Gators within striking distance of the Bulldogs, and would go on a 24-5 run with 4:58 left to close the game out, 80-72. While Duruji’s 22 points and three rebounds were impressive, he wasn’t alone in leading the come-from-behind win. Appleby posted a well-rounded statline of 17 points, four rebounds, and five assists in 28 minutes. Reeves and Fleming each provided much-needed offense again, notching 14 and 10 points, respectively. Even Jitoboh, who made his first collegiate start in place of Castleton, had eight points and two rebounds.

A Great Team Defensive Performance, Led by Jitoboh, Helps Gators Stifle Scotty Pippen Jr. and Vanderbilt

Gators win 61-42 over Vanderbilt on strong defensive effort
Photo: Matt Pendleton, USA TODAY Sports

In Florida’s first two SEC wins without Castleton, the Gators relied on their offense to carry them. In spite of this, Florida’s defense completely stopped Vanderbilt, holding the Commodores to a season-low 42 points. Florida made sure to focus on Pippen Jr., who entered the game as the SEC’s leader in PPG with 18.8 PPG. As a result, Pippen Jr. managed just six points on one-of-ten from the field. In fact, the Commodores shot just 29% overall, while making 4-23 (17.3%) of their three-point attempts and 12-23 (52.1%) of their free-throw attempts. Meanwhile, Florida had their most balanced offensive game of the season. Five Gators’ had seven or more points, including Appleby’s team-leading 11 points. Jitobah added eight points and ten rebounds, while Brandon McKissic notched nine points and four assists.

(Featured image by Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

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