Kentucky forward Oscar Tshiebwe puts up a shot as Auburn forward Walker Kessler defends

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- If Kentucky wants to continue its rousing push for a No. 1 seed in the men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament, the Wildcats need to handle Saturday's visit to Florida.

If Indiana wants to quiet the growing anxiety about the Hoosiers’ prospects about making the tournament for the first time since 2016, IU needs to win Saturday at Michigan State.

Louisville, meanwhile, has the weekend off before the Cardinals return to the KFC Yum! Center next week to host Miami (Florida) on Wednesday and Clemson on Saturday.

Here is a preview of the Kentucky and Indiana games:

Florida at Kentucky

Time/Place: Saturday, 4 p.m., Rupp Arena, Lexington.

TV: ESPN — Karl Ravech, play by play; Jimmy Dykes, analyst.

Records: Florida is 16-8, 6-5 in the Southeastern Conference, alone in fifth place: Kentucky is 20-4, 9-2 one-game behind first-place Auburn in the SEC.

The Last Time: The Wildcats defeated the Gators in Gainesville last season by 18 and then lost the rematch in Lexington last Feb. 27 by four.

The Ratings: The Gator have slipped to No. 51 in Ken Pomeroy’s computer power formula. They are No. 32 in Jeff Sagarin Predictor and No. 47 in NCAA Net. Kentucky’s numbers in those three formulas are No. 3, No. 7 and No. 4.

The Quote: From UK coach John Calipari to his players after the Wildcats won at South Carolina:

“What’s going to happen is this is going to end too fast. … We’ve got eight games left. Next time we turn around, we’re going to be in Florida at the (Southeastern Conference) tournament. And the next time we turn around, we’re going to be starting a run for something special. It’s (done) in a blink of an eye. We’ve got to enjoy this.”

The News: Kentucky is playing for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats were parked on the 2-line Friday morning in the latest bracket shared by Joe Lunardi of ESPN.com. The four top seeds are Gonzaga, Auburn, Purdue and Arizona.

Matchup That Matters: Florida center Colin Castleton, who is 6 feet, 11 inches tall, is as critical to the Gators as forward Oscar Tshiebwe is to Kentucky. Tshiebwe averages 15.9 points per game, Castleton 15.4. Tshiebwe leads the SEC in rebounding at 15.1 per game, while Castleton is third at 8.9. Prior to the season, SEC coaches and media voted Castleton to the league’s first team and Tshiebwe to the second team. Many consider Tshiebwe to be the frontrunner for SEC and national player of the year.

Castleton has six double-doubles this season. Tshiebwe has 18.

Strengths: In SEC-only games, the Gators lead the league in two-point field goal percentage at 56.7%. Kentucky is the league’s best three-point shooting team at 37.7%.

Weaknesses: Kentucky should dominate Florida on the offensive glass. The Gators rank 12th in the league in allowing opponents to rebound 35% of their misses. Kentucky’s only flaw on defense is the Wildcats are not great at forcing turnovers and getting steals, ranking in the bottom five in the league.

Tasty Tidbit: There’s been a bit of grumbling around the Florida program, which will certainly become louder if the Gators do not deliver a strong March. This is Mike White’s seventh season since he replaced program icon Billy Donovan and his last three NCAA Tournament appearances have ended in the Round of 32. Donovan won back-to-back NCAA titles and took the Gators to four Final Fours and three other Elite Eights before heading to the NBA.

Prediction: Kentucky 75, Florida 61.

Indiana at Michigan State

Time/Place: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.; Breslin Center, East Lansing, Michigan.

TV: Fox/WDRB — Tim Brando play by play; Stephen Bardo analyst.

Records: Indiana 16-7 overall and 7-6 in the Big Ten, which puts the Hoosiers in eighth place. Michigan State is 17-6 and 8-4, alone in fourth place.

The Last Time: The Spartans swept the Hoosiers last season, winning by seven in Bloomington and six in East Lansing. The programs will meet only once this season.

The Ratings: After losing at Northwestern on Tuesday, the Hoosiers dropped to No. 41 in Ken Pomeroy, their lowest rating this season. IU sits at No. 26 in Sagarin Predictor and No. 37 in NCAA Net. Michigan State is ranked No. 25, No. 23 and No. 26 in those metrics.

The Quote: IU coach Mike Woodson, when asked if guard Trey Galloway would remain in the starting lineup with suspended starters Xavier Johnson and Parker Stewart cleared to play Saturday:

“He's been fantastic. I mean, coming off the bench, he's been great. The other night I thought the first time he got a crack to start, he was phenomenal the whole game.

“I mean, that's a thought. We'll have to make that decision after today's practice and see where we are. But he's definitely played well enough to be in the lineup.”

The News: Not only are the Hoosiers facing their first two-game losing streak this season, they have entered the most difficult stretch on the schedule. Over the next eight days, IU will visit No. 17 Michigan State on Saturday, host No. 14 Wisconsin on Tuesday and visit No. 16 Ohio State on Feb. 19.

Matchup That Matters: Point guard Tyson Walker, a transfer from Northeastern, is ranked the most significant contributor on the Spartans’ roster by Ken Pomeroy. At 6 feet, 3 inches talland 200 pounds, IU point guard Xavier Johnson will have 3 inches and 25 pounds on Walker.

Strengths: Despite some recent slippage, Indiana still ranks first in defensive efficiency in Big Ten games at Pomeroy, allowing only 97.6 points per 100 possessions. Michigan State leads the Big Ten in three-point shooting at 39% with IU limiting opponents to 32%.

Weaknesses: Indiana has delivered back-to-back clunkers on offense, scoring 21 points in the second half in losses to Illinois and Northwestern. IU has dropped to 12th in the Big Ten in offensive efficiency. Michigan State does not take care of the ball. The Spartans have the worst turnover percentage (20.4) in the Big Ten.

Tasty Tidbit: IU assistant coach Dane Fife served Tom Izzo as an assistant coach the last season before returning to his alma mater last April. Woodson, naturally, entrusted the Michigan State scouting report to Fife.

Prediction: Michigan State 65, Indiana 60.

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