No. 2 Gators face an Oklahoma team that needs a big win

Alijah Martin (15) is healthy but will be coming off the bench against Oklahoma (Photo by Chris Spears)

With every move up the college basketball food chain, the target on the Florida Gators back gets bigger. Now that the Gators (22-3, 9-3 SEC) are ranked second in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls, it elevates the motivation for opponents to get the kind of win that can make a huge difference when the NCAA Tournament selections are announced.

Oklahoma (16-9, 3-9 SEC), which faces the Gators at the O-Dome tonight (7 p.m., ESPN2), is in desperate need of a signature win. The Sooners went 13-0 against non-conference opponents, but the sailing has been anything but smooth since the Southeastern Conference portion of the schedule began in January. Despite a 3-9 SEC mark, the bracketologists project the Sooners will make the 64-team NCAA field, but with only six SEC games to go, they are on shaky ground.

The Gators, who have won four games in a row despite missing at least one key player, have to understand that they’re going to get Oklahoma’s best shot. The Gators will be shorthanded again tonight as Alex Condon and Sam Alexis will be out for a second straight game with ankle injuries. Micah Handlogten, who played for the first time this season in last Saturday’s win over South Carolina, helps the big man rotation enormously. Handlogten scored two points, but he passed for five assists, grabbed a couple of rebounds, blocked a couple of shots and had a couple of steals.

Without the 7-1 junior, the Gators would be forced to play with a 2-man rotation of bigs, which could be a problem against a team like Oklahoma that starts a pair of 6-10 inside guys.

“It’s huge that he [Handlogten] came back,” Golden said.  “He gives us a lot of support down there … He’s been doing really good in practice, so we knew he was capable of coming back and making an impact like that [against South Carolina]. So it was good to see him come back and make that kind of impact in the game.”

Handlogten will come off the bench while Tommy Haugh and Rueben Chinyelu will start. In the 4-game winning streak, Haugh has scored 60 points, corralled 33 rebounds and handed out 18 assists. Chinyelu scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in Florida’s two wins last week.

Golden is going to keep Denzel Aberdeen in the starting lineup even though Alijah Martin is healthy enough to start. Aberdeen has scored 66 points in the last four games, hitting 11-24 from the 3-point line. As important as his scoring, Aberdeen has played three turnover-free games during the win streak.

Martin, who came off the bench to score 11 against South Carolina after missing two consecutive games, is okay continuing to come off the bench while Aberdeen starts. Golden said, “When I talked to him about it, he had an incredible attitude and was like ‘Denzel deserves it. I’m ready when you need me.” There aren’t a lot of players who are the second-leading scorer on a highly ranked team that would be that team-oriented.

Anticipated starting lineups

No. 2 FLORIDA (22-3, 9-3 SEC): Tommy Haugh (6-9, 215, SO); Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 255, SO); Will Richard (6-4, 206, SR); Denzel Aberdeen (6-5, 190, JR); Walter Clayton Jr. (6-2, 195, SR)

Oklahoma (16-9, 3-9 SEC): Brycen Goodine (6-10, 240, GR); Sam Goodwin (6-10, 240, SR); Jalon Moore (6-7, 215, SR); Duke Miles (6-2, 188, GR); Jeremiah Fears (6-4, 182, FR)

Associated Press top 25: 1. Auburn 23-2; 2. FLORIDA 22-3; 3. Duke 22-3; 4. Alabama 21-4; 5. Houston 21-4; 6. Tennessee 21-5; 7. Texas A&M 20-5; 8. Iowa State 20-5; 9. Texas Tech 20-5; 10. St. John’s 22-4; 11. Wisconsin 20-5; 12. Michigan 20-5; 13. Purdue 19-7; 14. Michigan State 20-5; 15. Missouri 19-6; 16. Marquette 19-6; 17. Kentucky 17-8; 18. Clemson 21-5; 19. Arizona 17-8; 20. Maryland 20-6; 21. Mississippi State 18-7; 22. Memphis 21-5; 23. Kansas 17-8; 24. Ole Miss 19-7; 25. Louisville 20-6

Coaches top 25: 1. Auburn 23-2; 2. FLORIDA 22-3; 3. Duke 22-3; 4. Alabama 21-4; 5. Houston 21-4; 6. Tennessee 21-5; 7. Texas A&M 20-5; 8. Iowa State 20-5; 9. St. John’s 22-4; 10. Texas Tech 20-5; 11. Wisconsin 20-5; 12. Michigan 20-5; 13. Michigan State 20-5; 14. Purdue 19-7; 15. Marquette 19-6; 16. Missouri 19-6; 17. Clemson 21-5; 18. Arizona 17-8; 19. Memphis; 20. Maryland 20-6; 21. Kentucky 17-8; 22. Louisville 20-6; 23. Mississippi State 18-7; 23. Saint Mary’s 23-4; 25. Kansas 17-8

SEC Basketball

Tonight’s games

Oklahoma (16-9, 3-9 SEC) at No. 3 FLORIDA (22-3, 9-3 SEC)

No. 7 Texas A&M (20-5, 9-3 SEC) at No. 21 Mississippi State (18-7, 6-6 SEC)

South Carolina (10-15, 0-12 SEC) at LSU (13-12, 2-10 SEC)

Wednesday’s games

Vanderbilt (17-8, 5-7 SEC) at No. 21 Kentucky (17-8, 6-6 SEC)

Arkansas (15-10, 4-8 SEC) at No. 1 Auburn (23-2, 11-1 SEC)

No. 4 Alabama (21-4, 10-2 SEC) at No. 15 Missouri (19-6, 8-4 SEC)

UF VOLLEYBALL: RYAN THEIS NAMED AS NEW HEAD COACH

Marquette head coach and former Gator assistant Ryan Theis was named Florida’s volleyball coach Monday. Theis was an assistant to Hall of Fame coach Mary Wise in 2006 and 2007. Since leaving Gainesville he was the head coach at Ohio University for six years before taking the Marquette job. At Ohio, Theis was 144-54 with three MAC championships and four trips to the NCAA. In his 11 seasons at Marquette, Theis was 258-87 with 10 trips to the NCAA that included three times to the NCAA Sweet 16 round.

Theis is married to former Gator great Jenny Manz, twice an All-American and twice Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. They have three sons.

UF BASEBALL: GATORS UP TO NO. 6 AT BASEBALL AMERICA

Florida will send Clemson transfer Billy Barlow to the mound when the No. 6 Gators (3-0) travel to Jacksonville (0-3) in a 6 p.m. matchup at John Sessions Stadium. The Gators will return home Wednesday to face Florida A&M at Condron Family Ballpark (6:30 p.m.).

Baseball America top 25: 1. Texas A&M 3-0; 2. LSU 3-0; 3. Tennessee 3-0; 4. Arkansas 3-0; 5. Florida State 3-0; 6. FLORIDA 3-0; 7. Virginia 2-1; 8. Clemson 2-1; 9. Oregon State 3-0; 10. North Carolina 3-0; 11. Georgia 3-1; 12. Texas 2-1; 13. Vanderbilt 2-1; 14. North Carolina State 3-0; 15. Wake Forest 4-0; 16. Mississippi State 3-0; 17. Oklahoma State 1-2; 18. Duke 1-2; 19. Oregon 3-1; 20. Dallas Baptist 3-0; 21. UC-Irvine 2-1; 22. UC-Santa Barbara 3-0; 23. Kentucky 1-1; 24. TCU 3-0; 25. Michigan 3-0

D1 Baseball top 25: 1. Texas A&M 3-0; 2. Virginia 2-1; 3. LSU 3-0; 4. Tennessee 3-0; 5. Arkansas 3-0; 6. North Carolina 3-0; 7. Oregon State 3-0; 8. Georgia 3-1; 9. Florida State 3-0; 10. FLORIDA 3-0; 11. Oregon 3-1; 12. North Carolina State 3-0; 13. Wake Forest 4-0; 14. Clemson 2-1; 15. Vanderbilt 2-1; 16. Texas 2-1; 17. Duke 1-2; 18. Mississippi State 3-0; 19. Oklahoma State 1-2; 20. Dallas Baptist 3-0; 21. UC-Santa Barbara 3-0; 22. TCU 3-0; 23. Nebraska 2-1; 24. Troy 3-0; 25. Cincinnati 2-1

UF GYMNASTICS: WONG NATIONAL GYMNAST OF THE WEEK

Leanne Wong, whose perfect 10 on balance beam was the highlight of a brilliant 39.750 all-around win in Florida’s SEC victory over No. 12 Auburn, was selected National Gymnast of the Week by Inside Gymnastics. Wong’s 10 led the Gators to a 49.700 score on beam, highest total this year. Only Oregon State’s Jade Carey has a higher all-around score nationally.

Despite Wong, a 39.750 all-around by Selena Harris-Miranda and a perfect 10 floor by Sloane Blakely, the Gators fell from No. 3 to No. 5 in the weekly rankings.

The Gators will travel to Norman Friday for the top meet in the country when the Gators take on No. 1 Oklahoma.

WCGA top 25: 1. Oklahoma; 2. UCLA; 3. LSU; 4. Utah; 5. FLORIDA; 6. California; 7. Michigan State; 8. Missouri; 9. Kentucky; 10. Oregon State; 11. Auburn; 12. Georgia; 13. Minnesota; 14. Michigan; 15. Stanford; 16. Stanford; 17. Alabama; 18. North Carolina State; 19. Arizona; 20. Nebraska; 21. Illinois; 22. Ohio State; 23. Southern Utah; 24. North Carolina; 25. Penn State

UF SOFTBALL: GATORS NO. 3

Florida’s 13-game winning streak came to an end against Duke on Sunday, but the Gators remain in the top three in the Softball America poll, where it’s an All-SEC 1-2-3 at the top with Texas, Oklahoma and UF. Thirteen SEC schools are ranked in the top 25.

The Gators play at North Florida Wednesday night. Friday through Sunday they will be in Tempe, Arizona to play in the Sun Devil Classic against Arizona State, Grand Canyon, California Baptist, New Mexico State and Iowa State.

Softball America top 25: 1. Texas 11-0; 2. Oklahoma 10-0; 3. FLORIDA 13-1; 4. UCLA 9-1; 5. Florida State 8-1; 6. LSU 10-0; 7. Tennessee 10-1; 8. Texas A&M 10-1; 9. Arizona 10-1; 10. Arkansas 10-0; 11. Georgia 9-0; 12. Oklahoma State 5-4; 13. Texas Tech 8-3; 14. Nebraska 8-2; 15. Duke 8-3; 16. Mississippi State 9-1; 17. Auburn 11-0; 18. San Diego State 8-2; 19. Virginia Tech 8-2; 20. Liberty 8-3; 21. Oregon 10-1; 22. South Carolina 10-0; 23. Alabama 5-5; 24. Missouri 6-5; 25. Florida Atlantic 9-2