Anderson previews No. 2 Florida

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Mike Anderson Press Conference - Feb. 4

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FAYETTEVILLE - The University of Arkansas basketball team has a huge challenge in front of it on Tuesday night when it hosts the No. 2/2 Florida Gators at Bud Walton Arena beginning at 6 p.m. in front of a national TV audience on ESPN.

The first 5,000 fans who enter Bud Walton Arena will receive Razorback trading cards. The game is also the “Rock Your Colors” game, a promotion across the country created by the Collegiate Licensing Company which encourages Arkansas fans to wear their red and white to the game.

"If you look at Florida and how they have been playing this year they are arguably the best team in the country," Anderson said. "We get the ultimate challenge of playing them here at Bud Walton Arena."

Arkansas (13-8, 4-4 SEC) is wrapping up a difficult stretch from a physical standpoint, playing its third game in six days.  The Razorbacks lost the first game of the run on the road at Alabama, but came back with a nice win over Tennessee on Saturday.  Arkansas has been led by the tandem of junior Marshawn Powell and sophomore BJ Young most of the year, but has picked up a nice infusion of energy from freshman Michael Qualls.  Qualls has led the Razorbacks in rebounding in each of the last two games and earned his first start of the year against the Volunteers on Saturday.

Florida (18-2, 8-0 SEC) has dominated teams of late and has not lost a game since before the Christmas holiday.  A perfect record in league play includes a 14-point win over Ole Miss on Saturday and only two teams have been able to score at least 60 points since the Gators’ last loss.  Guard Kenny Boynton leads the club in scoring at 31.4 points, but is one of four Gators to average double figures.  Defensively is where Florida is best, holding teams to just 51.0 points per game and 36 percent from the floor.

Arkansas and Florida have played 25 times since the Razorbacks joined the SEC with Florida taking 15 of those contests including each of the last five.  The Gators came to Bud Walton Arena last season and played a flawless game in a huge victory despite a 31-point effort by BJ Young.  Arkansas is 6-4 against Florida at Bud Walton Arena and 7-4 against the Gators in Fayetteville all time.

The Razorback game against Florida will be broadcast on the radio across the Razorback Sports Network from IMG College with Chuck Barrett and Rick Schaeffer giving the call.  The game will also be carried live on ESPN with Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes and Shannon Spake on air.