No. 14 Florida Aims to Continue SEC Dominance Against South Carolina

The Gators look to strengthen their hold on first place in the SEC as they host the struggling Gamecocks.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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14th-ranked Florida, winners of 10 of their past 11 games, will host South Carolina on Tuesday in a Southeastern Conference matchup. The Gators, who are in first place in the SEC standings, are coming off a 92-83 victory over No. 25 Kentucky. Florida guard Urban Klavzar had a strong performance off the bench, scoring 19 points and hitting 5 three-pointers. The Gamecocks, on the other hand, have lost six straight games and nine of their last 10, and are tied for last place in the SEC with LSU.

Why it matters

Florida is establishing itself as the top team in the SEC, and a win over South Carolina would further cement their position atop the conference standings. The Gators are looking to repeat as national champions, and strong conference play is crucial to their title defense. For South Carolina, this game represents an opportunity to end their slide and pick up a much-needed conference win.

The details

Florida's backcourt play has been a question mark in their title defense, but players like Klavzar have emerged as reliable weapons. The Gators' 92-83 win over Kentucky saw them answer every run by the Wildcats, with Klavzar hitting key three-pointers to stem Kentucky's comeback bid. South Carolina, meanwhile, has struggled mightily in SEC play, with their leading scorer Meechie Johnson having an uneven performance in their latest loss to Alabama.

  • Florida and South Carolina previously met on January 28, with the Gators winning 95-48.
  • South Carolina's latest loss came on Saturday, February 11, when they fell 89-75 to Alabama.

The players

Urban Klavzar

A junior guard for Florida who has emerged as a reliable shooter, making 39.1% of his three-pointers this season.

Meechie Johnson

South Carolina's leading scorer, averaging 16.7 points per game, 4.2 assists, and 1.3 steals.

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What they’re saying

“I feel like we started to work together a little more, like shooting-wise, working out together (with all) the guards. I feel like that gives you some more confidence, some more chemistry. That helps.”

— Urban Klavzar, Florida Guard (statenews.net)

“He was just not aggressive in the first half, and was very aggressive in the second half. So whatever was happening with him, that changed in the second half, and he was the guy we've grown to love and expect to play well.”

— Lamont Paris, South Carolina Head Coach (statenews.net)

What’s next

The winner of this game will take a step closer to securing a top seed in the SEC Tournament, which will have significant implications for their NCAA Tournament seeding.

The takeaway

Florida's backcourt play has been a concern, but players like Klavzar are stepping up to complement the Gators' frontcourt. Meanwhile, South Carolina is struggling mightily in SEC play and needs a strong performance against the conference leaders to turn their season around.