#18/16 Florida Men’s Basketball (7-0) vs. Wichita State (6-0)
ESPN Events Invitational Championship Game
Florida Game Notes<https://floridagators.com/documents/2024/11/29/2024.11.29_vsWichitaState.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>
State Farm Arena | Kissimmee, Fla.
Thursday, Nov. 29, 2024 | 3:30 p.m.
TV/Streaming
ESPN | ESPN App<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/eventCalendarId/401729798?gameId=401729798>
Play-by-Play: Kevin Fitzgerald | Analyst: Daymeon Fishback
Radio
Gators Sports Network from LEARFIELD | FloridaGators.com<https://floridagators.com/showcase?Live=5538>
Play-by-Play: Sean Kelley | Analyst: Lee Humphrey | Producer/Engineer: Steve Egan
The Tip-Off
* Florida and Wichita State square off for the first time in more than 31 years, as the Gators swept an early 1990s home-and-home series between the teams. The Gators are looking for their first holiday tournament championship since claiming the 2021 Ft. Myers Tip-Off win on Tyree Appleby’s buzzer-beater vs. Ohio State.
* Florida and Wichita State will both put their unbeaten records on the line Friday. The Gators have only twice before played a game when both teams were 6-0 or better: a showdown of 8-0 teams vs. Syracuse in Tampa (12/10/2009) and a meeting of top-10 7-0 teams at Arizona (12/15/2012). Both of those meetings ended up in the loss column for UF.
* Florida has started 7-0 for the sixth time in program history and the first since the 2012-13 season. The Gators have only started 8-0 three times previously, most recently in 2009-10.
* UF returns to the ESPN Events Invitational for the first time since a third-place finish in an eight-team field in Nov. 2016, when UF posted wins vs. Seton Hall and Miami sandwiching a semifinal loss to Gonzaga.
* Florida has picked up its 3-point shooting in recent games, hitting double-digit 3-pointers in three straight games entering the ESPN Events Invitational, then hitting eight treys in the win vs. Wake Forest. The Gators rained in 16 3-pointers — eight by Alijah Martin — in their 25-point win over Southern Illinois.
* Walter Clayton Jr. has hit a 3-pointer in 30 straight games, the fifth-longest such streak in program history. His current run is the longest since Michael Frazier II’s program-record 41-game streak in 2014 and 2015.
* Florida has gone +32 on the glass in its two wins vs. ACC opponents this season, outrebounding Florida State by 18 in a road win and Wake Forest by 14 in Thursday’s victory.
* With 80 steals as a Gator, Will Richard is one shy of matching Florida’s transfer record of 81 career steals, currently held by Dorian Finney-Smith (2013-16).
2024-25 at a Glance
* The Gators hit 16 3-pointers in the win vs. Southern Illinois, led by Alijah Martin’s UF O’Dome record eight. Martin finished with 32 points, nine rebounds and five assists to lead the Gators.
* Florida’s +18 rebounding advantage pushed the Gators past Florida State for the fourth straight win vs. the Seminoles. Walter Clayton Jr. led the attack with 25 points, while Alijah Martin added 17.
* UF used an explosive 59-point second half to secure the season-opening win vs. USF. While the Gators struggled from 3-point range, they shot 28-for-37 from 2-point range (.757) while getting to the line and converting to the tune of 27-for-33 (.818).
* Florida entered 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. Final Four grad guard Alijah Martin (FAU) rounds out UF’s loaded backcourt.
* 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.
* Florida ranked No. 21 in EvanMiya.com’s overall transfer activity, bringing in Alijah Martin (FAU) and big men Rueben Chinyelu (Washington State) and Sam Alexis (Chattanooga).
* Newcomer sophomore guard Urban Klavzar is 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.
