Jacksonville Sports Foundation Invitational
Florida Game Notes<https://floridagators.com/documents/2024/10/30/2024.11.04_USF_atJacksonville.pdf> | 2024-25 Media Guide<https://floridagators.com/documents/2024/10/21/2024-25_Media_Guide.pdf> | Courtesy Photos & Press Conferences<https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/rb8ojhaf9ygpi6d0k3c9e/ANF6-ow4Wppu1j1zjAsnMXA?rlkey=g1esu5ww8r31yd8dyekcik5iw&st=3b1ht5u5&dl=0>
VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena | Jacksonville, Fla.
Monday, Nov. 4, 2024 | 8:30 p.m.
Tickets
Available via Ticketmaster<https://www.ticketmaster.com/jacksonville-sports-foundation-invitational-uf-v-jacksonville-florida-11-04-2024/event/22006138AE76219D>
TV/Streaming
SEC Network | ESPN App<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/f8e76f55-1e4a-485b-a7e8-726aae12949d>
Play-by-Play: Kevin Fitzgerald | Analyst: Jon Sundvold
Radio
Gators Sports Network from LEARFIELD | FloridaGators.com<https://floridagators.com/showcase?Live=5526> | SiriusXM 392 & SiriusXM App<https://sxm.app.link/SXM982>
Play-by-Play: Sean Kelley | Analyst: Lee Humphrey | Producer/Engineer: Steve Egan
The Tip-Off
* Florida tips off Year 3 under head coach Todd Golden with a neutral-site contest vs. USF. The Gators boast a backcourt trio of 1,000-point scorers in Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and FAU grad transfer Alijah Martin.
* The Gators received a preseason AP Top 25 ranking for the first time in five years, checking in at #21.
* The Gators return to Jacksonville for the first time since Nov. 2016, when UF won a pair of games vs. Florida Gulf Coast and Mercer on opening weekend while the O’Connell Center underwent renovations.
* The showdown marks the first between UF and USF since the Dec. 2021 Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise, a 66-55 Florida win. The teams’ 24-game all-time series, which UF leads 19-5, includes 17 games between 1981-96, when Florida and USF played each other every season (twice in 1982-83).
* Veterans Memorial Arena has hosted two Gators teams that went on to the Final Four. UF played a road game against Jacksonville University in the venue in Nov. 2013 prior to its 2014 Final Four run, while the Gators played their 2006 first- and second-round NCAA Tournament games there. The 1993-94 Final Four team also played a road game at JU in the Jacksonville Coliseum, the arena’s predecessor at the same location.
2024-25 at a Glance
* Florida enters its third season under head coach Todd Golden, looking to build on its 24-win NCAA Tournament season in 2023-24, the team’s most wins since the 2016-17 season.
* The Gators return leading scorer and All-SEC guard Walter Clayton Jr., who posted 17.6 points per game and knocked down 93 3-pointers. Fellow starter Will Richard also returns coming off a 11.4 scoring average with 70 3-point field goals last season.
* With starting center Micah Handlogten slated to take a redshirt year due to a leg injury, sophomores Alex Condon (2023-24 SEC All-Freshman, 2024-25 preseason third-team All-SEC) and Thomas Haugh look to make a jump in their second season in Gainesville.
* Denzel Aberdeen returns to the backcourt, boosted by his career game in the SEC Tournament semifinals where he dropped in 20 points vs. Texas A&M. Kajus Kublickas competed with Lithuania this summer at FIBA U20 EuroBasket, starting at point guard and helping his home nation to a 5-2 record and fifth place finish.
* Florida ranked No. 21 in EvanMiya.com’s overall transfer activity, bringing in Final Four guard Alijah Martin (FAU) and big men Rueben Chinyelu (Washington State) and Sam Alexis (Chattanooga).
* Freshman Isaiah Brown from Orlando adds winning experience and another in-state team member. Florida also brings in a pair of European freshmen, with guard Urban Klavzar coming off a silver medal and all-tournament team effort for Slovenia in the FIBA U20 EuroBasket where he averaged 16.1 points per game. The Gators also add Serbian big man Viktor Mikic, who competed at Chattanooga’s Hamilton Heights as a senior.
* Bennett Andersen and Cooper Josefsberg return to the team in the walk-on role, along with newcomers Olivier Rioux (freshman) and Kevin Pazmino (sophomore).
* Florida’s coaching staff of Carlin Hartman, Korey McCray, Kevin Hovde, John Andrzejek and Taurean Green all return in their roles this season. Jordan Jacobson has been promoted to director of basketball operations and Nolan Crist to video coordinator, while Jon Michelini becomes the head athletic trainer following Duke Werner’s move into administration.
