GAME NOTES: A key SEC East Division battle takes place in Gainesville this afternoon, as the two-time defending national champion Florida Gators play host to the 14th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores. Billy Donovan's Gators are an extremely young team trying to earn its way. The team has not disappointed in the early stages of conference play, going 4-1 in the SEC thus far, tied with Tennessee atop the East Division standings. Florida has won two straight and six of its last seven games, including a 73-71 victory at South Carolina on Wednesday. The Commodores opened the season with 16 straight wins, but hit a snag in SEC play, losing two straight games on the road at Kentucky (79-73 in 2OT) and at Tennessee (80-60). Vandy rebounded with a strong 92-76 win over LSU last weekend, but is just 2-2 in league play thus far. The Commodores hold a 60-53 edge in the all-time series with Florida, but the Gators have closed the gap with wins in 12 of the last 14 meetings. In addition, Florida has beaten Vanderbilt six straight times in Gainesville.

One of the top offensive teams in the country this season, Vanderbilt is averaging a hardy 84.9 ppg (tops in the SEC), thanks to .481 shooting from the floor and .424 from behind the arc (leads the SEC). Shan Foster is one of the nation's premier shooters, as the senior swingman paces the conference in scoring (20.1 ppg), hitting 51.2 percent from the floor and a sizzling 48.1 percent from long range (76-of-158). Center A.J. Ogilvy is a scoring machine in his own right, ranking fifth in the conference at 18.5 ppg. Alex Gordon (10.6 ppg) gives the team another perimeter threat, delivering on 42.7 percent of his shots from downtown (41-of-96). Foster drilled four of his five shots from three-point range in the win over LSU. He tied Gordon for scoring honors, at 18 points apiece. All five starters finished in double digits. Ross Neltner poured in 16 points, while Ogilvy and Jermaine Beal chipped in 10 points each. Vanderbilt overwhelmed LSU offensively, shooting .492 from the floor, hitting nine three-pointers and converting 19-of-25 free-throw attempts (.842).

Despite having a pair of sophomores and a pair of freshmen in the starting lineup, Florida has been impressive at both ends of the court this year. The team enjoys a +17.1 scoring margin, averaging 80.8 ppg, while allowing just 63.7. Like the Commodores, Florida is shooting the ball extremely well this year, leading the SEC in field-goal percentage at a .503 clip. The team only has two players currently averaging double figures, but three others are netting just over nine points per game. Freshman Nick Calathes has been outstanding in his first season in Gainesville. The 6-6 youngster has shown the ability to be both an explosive scorer (16.0 ppg) and deft distributor (5.9 apg), leading the SEC in assists. Marreese Speights is the team's resident muscle in the paint. The 6-10 sophomore is averaging 14.2 ppg and leads the team in rebounding (7.9 rpg) and blocked shots (29). Junior Walter Hodge and freshman Jai Lucas represent the best of the rest, adding 9.7 ppg apiece. In the two-point win over South Carolina, Speights and Calathes once again did the majority of the damage. Speights was unstoppable down low, recording a double- double with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Calathes was just as impressive with 21 points and four assists.

If Vanderbilt has shown any weakness this season it is on the road in SEC play. The Gators are a young team seeking respect and could very well find it this weekend with a win over the Commodores.