It's no guarantee of victory, but it can't hurt Ole Miss that Florida's leading scorer will be on the bench recovering from a sprained ankle when the Rebels visit Gainesville on Thursday (6 p.m., ESPN).
Gator shooting guard Michael Frazier II injured his ankle in Saturday's loss to top-ranked Kentucky and missed much of the second half.
Frazier, who has started 19 of 23 games, leads the Gators (12-11, 5-5 SEC) in scoring (13.2 PPG), minutes played (701), 3-pointers (55) and free throw shooting (87.7 percent). He ranks second on the team in rebounds (105) and steals (31) and third in assists (36).
Frazier scored 27 points against the Rebels in a 72-71 thriller won by Ole Miss in Oxford on January 24.
His absence will surely boost Ole Miss' chances of extending its 5-game winning streak. The Rebels have already established an ability to play well on the road.
Ole Miss (16-7, 7-3 SEC) is considered a 10-seed in recent mock NCAA Tournament brackets by experts Joe Lunardi and Jerry Palm. The Rebels are currently locked in a tie for 2nd place in the SEC Standings with Texas A&M and Arkansas.
Men's Basketball Standings: pic.twitter.com/F5s0KRTvpw
— SEC Scoreboard (@SECScoreboard) February 9, 2015