Billy Donovan knows Scottie Wilbekin had a great game Tuesday against Tennessee.
He knows his point guard has had a really good senior campaign so far.
But in this what-can-you-do-for-me-now league, Donovan wants to know how Wilbekin can improve even more before No. 3 Florida’s (22-2, 11-0 Southeastern Conference) road matchup with Kentucky (19-5, 9-2 SEC) on Saturday at 9 p.m.
“This game is over,” Donovan said after defeating the Volunteers 67-58.
“How does he respond from this? How does he play going forward?”
Despite a 5-of-17 shooting performance against Tennessee, which included a measly 1-of-6 from behind the three-point arc, Wilbekin finished the night with his best scoring output of his career with 21 points.
Being sent to the line 12 times and knocking down 10 free throws helped the senior tack on some extra points and helped the team ice the game Tuesday.
Not only did Wilbekin showcase his skills as a scorer, but he was also unselfish with the ball, recording a game-high six assists in 35 minutes of play.
Add four steals on the defensive end of the floor and you get one of Wilbekin’s most balanced games of his career.
However, Kentucky has not been as kind to the 6-foot-2 point guard as Tennessee has been in his career.
In eight career games against the Wildcats, Wilbekin and the Gators have won just two matchups, both at home in the O’Connell Center.
Although Wilbekin is 15 of 28 from the floor, including 7 of 13 from beyond the arc, against Kentucky, he has not been able to be the scoring threat that he has turned into this season. His two highest scoring outputs against the Wildcats were 14 and nine points, and both of those performances ended in victory for the Gators.
If Wilbekin, who has scored more than 14 points in eight of his 19 games so far this season, can continue his best offensive season Saturday, Florida has a shot to extend its SEC record to 12-0 for the first time in school history.
Wilbekin said his more balanced offensive attack as well as his ball-sharing ability is attributed to being a more vocal player on the court than he has been in past seasons.
However, Wilbekin will face his biggest test of the season in Rupp Arena, where crowds can reach as high as 23,000.
“I think I’ve done a better job and good job of being more vocal on the court and trying to relay what coach wants as a position on the court,” Wilbekin said. “So (I’m) just talking to my teammates, encouraging them and trying to get them on the right track.”
Donovan, who is looking for only his fourth win ever in Lexington, Ky., and first since 2007, said his team has been challenged on the road this season in both conference and non-conference games. He believes that experience will help Saturday.
In addition to the squad’s experience from its eight road games this season, Donovan said the veteran leadership of his four seniors, including Wilbekin, will provide stability to the younger players.
“Going to Wisconsin was a tough environment, having to go to Connecticut in a tough environment and then obviously, we’ve played four road games in a short period of time to start the league,” Donovan said. “We’ve got some older guys that have been through it.
“They understand it and know what it takes. We’re going against a team that is playing very good basketball and it wasn’t so long ago that we played them.”
Follow Jonathan Czupryn on Twitter @jczupryn
Scottie Wilbekin (right) drives against Tennessee guard Josh Richardson during No. 3 Florida’s 67-58 win against Tennessee on Tuesday night in Knoxville, Tenn. Wilbekin led the Gators with a career-high 21 points.
