Eight-seed Florida Gators men’s basketball (15-16, 8-10 SEC) will take on the nine-seed Alabama Crimson Tide (18-13, 8-10 SEC) in the second round of the 2015 Southeastern Conference Tournament on Thursday, March 12 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The contest, set to tip off at 1 p.m. and air live on the SEC Network, will be the second meeting between the programs this season as the Gators previously defeated the Tide 52-50 on Jan. 27 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Florida head coach Billy Donovan is 22-5 against Alabama with victories in 10-straight meetings and wins in 12 of the last 13 showdowns between the teams. Donovan is also 9-0 all-time against Crimson Tide head coach Anthony Grant, a former Gators assistant.



The winner of Thursday’s game will square off against the tournament’s top seed, No. 1 Kentucky (31-0, 18-0 SEC), in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals on Friday, March 13 at 1 p.m. UK routed UF 67-50 on Saturday in Lexington, Kentucky.

Florida, the defending SEC Tournament champion, is 41-45 all-time in the event with a 26-14 record under Donovan and four total tournament crowns (2005-07, 2014).