The last time Florida played Missouri, the game got ugly. UF cruised to an 83-52 blowout on Jan. 19.
But as the Gators get ready to take on the Tigers for the second time this season, they will face a slightly different Missouri team.
On Jan. 9, Laurence Bowers, the Tigers’ second-leading scorer with 14.1 points per game, sprained his MCL during an 84-68 loss to Alabama. Bowers missed the next five games because of his injury, including Missouri’s 31-point defeat against Florida in the O’Connell Center.
But on Jan. 30, Bowers returned to the court to face LSU.
The No. 5 Gators (21-3, 11-1 SEC) must now account for Bowers against the Tigers (18-7, 7-5 SEC) tonight at 9 in Columbia, Mo.
“(Bowers is) a guy that has been referenced by their team and coaches as the heart-and-soul guy of their team,” coach Billy Donovan said. “He’s a very good player. He can do a lot of different things. He can rebound, score from the low post, shoot threes, he’s crafty, good defensively and he’s a very smart player.
“I think anytime you take a player like that off the team, your team is going to be a little different. Certainly, he’s an older guy, a veteran and an experienced guy, him being back only makes their team better.”
With junior Will Yeguete still recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, and Bowers returning for Missouri, Florida will need younger players like freshman Michael Frazier II to at times defensively.
Although Frazier has been sound offensively for the Gators with 6.3 points per game while averaging 19 minutes, he has struggled at times defensively.
But Frazier has been focused on improving his defense.
“Just mentally having the mindset to play defense for 35 seconds is the hardest thing for guys coming in, because in high school, you don’t have to really focus on defense that much,” Frazier said.
“I have a long way to go defensively, but I’m getting better every day. My coaches and my teammates are on me, so when you have people like that around you, you can’t help but get better.”
Guard Mike Rosario added: “He’s always asking questions before he starts to do anything, and as a freshman, you always want to ask people who have experience.”
In addition to preparing for a newly added Bowers, Florida also needs to worry about facing Missouri in Mizzou Arena.
The Tigers have a 14-0 record at home this season, and they won those games by an average margin of 20 points per contest.
The Gators, on the other hand, have a 7-3 road record, including their first SEC loss, which came on Feb. 5 in a 80-69 defeat to the Razorbacks in Fayetteville, Ark.
“It’s going to be a tough environment for us tomorrow,” Rosario said. “We’ve been in situations like this throughout the whole year playing on the road, and I feel like this is just another challenge for us.”
With Florida facing a top SEC team in a road environment, it will need to rely on its balanced offense to leave Missouri with a win. The Gators have four players averaging double-digit points.
Junior Scottie Wilbekin is just shy of double figures with 9.4 points per game.
“I’ve always just been a big believer that you need balance, because I do think in certain situations, whether a guy is not shooting the ball well or if the defense has done something to take the guy out of the game,” Donovan said. “They’ve got to be able to adjust to what the defense is giving you.”
Contact Katie Agostin at kagostin@alligator.org.
Freshman guard Michael Frazier II (20) reacts after a play during Florida’s 75-36 win against South Carolina on Jan. 30 in the O’Connell Center.
