Marshall Henderson's first brush with the Florida Gators humbled him.

This is no small feat when it comes to the outspoken Ole Miss shooting guard.

Henderson never backs off a shot or backs down from an opponent, but he was in awe of the Gators following their 78-64 win Feb. 2 in Gainesville.

"I see them being No. 1 in the country at the end of the season,” Henderson said at the time.

Henderson won the Gators respect that night, hitting seven 3s. He will have Florida's attention Sunday in the SEC Championship.

A big day from 6-foot-2 Henderson is the Rebels' best chance to keep the Gators from their fourth SEC Tournament title. He has 50 points in two tournament games, including 23 in Saturday's 64-52 win against Vanderbilt.

Henderson feels like he and the Rebels (25-8) have done enough for Ole Miss to return to NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012. But why stop there?

"We know we made the NCAA Tournament now,” he said Saturday. “If we didn't, it would be the biggest snub ever in the history of the rest of the NCAA Tournament. We know we made it now. We're in the championship. We might as well win it. Get us a fat ring."

To do so, he and his teammates must solve the SEC's top defense. The Gators' 61-51 win against Alabama moved Florida to 23-0 in games in which opponents have scored fewer than 60 points.

But Florida (27-6) is not quite as formidable as it was back in early February. Two days after the win, the Gators moved to No. 2 in the AP Top 25. Florida is No. 13 right now, but also is trending in the right direction after losing three of its final six regular-season games.

Sunday's matchup should be more competitive than the first meeting, when the Gators never trailed. Ole Miss forwards Reginald Buckner and Murphy Holloway combined for 27 points and 17 rebounds on Saturday.

All eyes, though, will be on Henderson, who taunts fans, talks to himself and often celebrates difficult baskets in bizarre fashion.

Henderson transferred to Ole Miss before the season and has put the basketball program on the map as he led the SEC with 19.9 points a game.

There are times he has given his coach headaches, but Andy Kennedy would have it no other way at this point.

"His passion comes from a good place,” Kennedy said. “It’s a matter of staying focused. He can easily get distracted and turn his energy into things that are not productive for anyone. I’m constantly challenging him to be focused.

"I’m really proud of the way he’s grown throughout the course of the year.”

Email Edgar Thompson at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com. Read the Swamp Things blog at www.orlandosentinel.com/swampthings. Follow our UF coverage on Twitter @osgators.