By DAVID JONES
Florida Today

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Jim Harrick can't wait. His Georgia Bulldogs have the night off, giving the veteran coach a chance to put his feet up, turn on ESPN and enjoy college basketball's game of the week. New No. 1 Florida vs. No. 6 Kentucky. Tipoff at 9.

"I'm really looking forward to relaxing at home and watching that," Harrick said. "I think it's going to be a terrific game. Any time you have two of maybe the top five teams in the country together - and they've got another one the last game of the season - it's a credit to our conference and our league."

For the first time in school history, the Gators on Monday received the top spot in both major polls.

But Florida coach Billy Donovan said the Gators (18-2 overall, 7-0 in the SEC) have bigger concerns than hanging on to college basketball's top spot. No. 1 in the conference's Eastern Division is also on the line Tuesday night at Rupp Arena.

"Let's be honest now, we moved to No. 1 because people in front of us lost," Donovan said. "Now, we have won games, but for me to sit here and say we are the best team in the country, I don't know if the polls reflect that or mean that, because we're certainly a long way away from being that. . . . To have that label on us right now, I don't feel like we're the best team in the country."

Others don't necessarily agree, including Kentucky coach Tubby Smith.

"With the talent level that they have and the way they're playing, I think they're very deserving of the No. 1 ranking," Smith said. "What Billy Donovan has done there has just been fantastic. He brings in a very talented team and we know in order for us to stay abreast and stay in this race, with the SEC regular season, we've got to take care of business here at home as best we can."

Florida was the only team ranked among the top five in both major polls not to lose a game during the past week. Arizona, Pittsburgh, Texas and Duke all stumbled.

The Gators have tied a school record with 14 straight wins. Kentucky rides a 10-game streak into Tuesday's showdown in Lexington, Ky.

"I know this," Donovan said. "If we go in there like a deer in the headlights, we'll get smashed."

He appears to have his team's attention.

"I don't want us to get caught up in that," sophomore center David Lee said of being No. 1. "We've got a big game. We've got big games left in the SEC season. Our immediate goal right now is not to be No. 1. It's great to be No. 1, I guess, but we want to be No. 1 at the end of the season."

Added freshman guard Anthony Roberson, "A lot of teams have been No. 1 this year, so I think the biggest thing for us right now is to take it one game at a time. We have to focus on Kentucky and be ready for Kentucky."

One thing for certain, Florida is playing a motivated bunch of Wildcats, some of whom were angered by a comment Roberson made last weekend about Rupp being just another arena.

"We're going to be fired up and they're going to be fired up, too," Kentucky guard Cliff Hawkins added. "They're not the No. 1 team for nothing. It's up to us to do what we do best."

"This is probably one of the biggest games in the SEC all season, Kentucky vs. Florida," Wildcats center Marquis Estill said. "Everybody wants to see this game and it's the big game."

Florida is the 49th school to be ranked No. 1 in the history of the AP poll, which started during the 1948-49 season. The Gators are the second team this season to reach the top spot for the first time ever. SEC rival Alabama was also No. 1 for two weeks.

"The Kentucky game overshadows being No. 1," Donovan said. "These are games as a kid, you're watching on TV and you get excited about. Now, our team's got a chance to compete in something like that."

The Gators have won in Lexington just once since 1990 and just six times since the rivalry began in 1927.

"I don't think our team would walk in and say, 'Hey, listen, we're No. 1 right now,' or anything else like that," Donovan said. "If we do embrace it? It will be the shortest No. 1 in the history of college basketball because a week from today, it would all change."

Florida was ranked No. 2 last January, but quickly fell down the polls, losing three straight at one point.

"I look at where we ended the season last year and where we are today and I'm proud of our team and what they've done to this point," Donovan said. "I'm not satisfied or content and I still think there's a lot of room for growth."

If Florida wins Tuesday night's game, Harrick is among those convinced the Gators could keep the top ranking for a long time.

"I don't know if anybody else can beat them or not," Harrick said. "They and Kentucky have stepped up. If they are No. 1, then Kentucky ought to be about three or four."

No. 6 Kentucky vs. No. 1 Florida

Tipoff: 9 p.m. today, Rupp Arena (23,000), Lexington.

Records: UK 16-3 (6-0 SEC), Florida 18-2 (7-0).

TV: ESPN.

Radio: WSAI-AM (1530).

Series: UK leads 78-24.

Line: UK by 5.

FLORIDA

Player	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Matt Walsh	Fr.	6-6	14.2
Matt Bonner	Sr.	6-10	14.3
David Lee	So.	6-9	11.0
Brett Nelson	Sr.	6-4	7.5
Justin Hamilton	Sr.	6-3	8.5

Coach: Billy Donovan (142-67, seventh season; 177-87 overall).

KENTUCKY

Player	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Chuck Hayes	So.	6-6	8.9
Erik Daniels	Jr.	6-8	9.4
Marquis Estill	Sr.	6-9	11.5
Keith Bogans	Sr.	6-5	16.7
Gerald Fitch	Jr.	6-3	12.2

Coach: Tubby Smith (148-46, sixth season; 272-108 overall).