Florida center Patric Young (4) is one of the key veterans helping the Gators pull away from the rest of the SEC this month.
SEC
Southeastern ConferenceCollege basketball is about peaking in March, but the Florida Gators definitely have January covered.
Florida has won 16 consecutive January games against Southeastern Conference opposition, which includes this year’s 4-0 league start. Billy Donovan’s Gators won their first eight SEC games last season and went on to win the league with a 14-4 mark, and they are the only undefeated team this year through the first two weeks of conference clashes.
“I don’t know if there’s anything we necessarily do or don’t do,” Donovan said Monday. “Every game is different, and I think you try to get as prepared and as ready as you can. Sometimes during the year some teams are just playing better than others.”
The Gators won their fourth league game with Saturday’s 68-61 triumph at Auburn, and they visit Alabama on Thursday. Florida is 15-2 overall and the SEC’s highest-ranked team at No. 6 in the latest Associated Press poll.
Florida is also the most veteran SEC team with the senior quartet of guard Scottie Wilbekin, forwards Casey Prather and Will Yeguete and center Patric Young. Prather leads the team with 17.3 points per game, while Wilbekin averages 12.7 points and is tops in minutes (33.8) and assists (3.6).