Florida Men’s Basketball vs. Florida State
Florida Game Noteshttps://floridagators.com/documents/2023/11/13/2023.11.14_FAMU.pdf | 2023-24 Media Guidehttps://floridagators.com/documents/2023/10/30/2023-24_Media_Guide_Web.pdf | Media Resourceshttps://www.dropbox.com/sh/iv6cc1nl98a49pv/AAD_LkZm6hKvVz7FpyboOUR1a?dl=0
Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center | Billy Donovan Court
Gainesville, Fla. | Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 | 7 p.m.
Streaming
SEC Network | ESPN Apphttp://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=0ddd3cd1-bbc4-4c6b-8407-2e4fc0eeeebd
Play-by-Play: Mike Morgan | Analyst: Mark Wise
Radio
Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD | The Varsity Network App | SiriusXM 119 or 190 & SXM Apphttps://siriusxm.us/SXM961
Play-by-Play: Kyle Crooks | Analyst: Lee Humphrey
The Tip-Off
- Florida renews its annual rivalry with Florida State, meeting in Gainesville for the first time under Todd Golden. The Gators pulled off a comeback from 19 points down to win last year’s contest in Tallahassee and look to extend their series winning streak to three.
- UF enters Friday’s game off a win vs. Florida A&M where Will Richard posted 20 points and led the team in scoring for a second straight game, while Walter Clayton Jr. scored 18 and Alex Condon added 17.
- Will Richard knocked down four 3-pointers vs. Virginia and posted a team-leading 16 points as all five starters scored in double figures. Micah Handlogten (14 points, 14 rebounds) and Tyrese Samuel (10 points, 11 rebounds) both posted their first double-double as Gators vs. UVA and became the first UF duo in more than three years to record double-doubles in the same game (Kerry Blackshear Jr. and Omar Payne vs. Auburn, 1/18/20).
- The Gators started their season hot, going on a 16-0 run over the first six minutes of the season-opening win vs. Loyola Maryland, led by Riley Kugel’s 23 points and six steals led the way, while Micah Handlogten (16), Tyrese Samuel (15) and Alex Condon (13) all contributed double-figure scoring and Walter Clayton Jr. added nine points, eight rebounds and five assists.
2023-24 Outlook
- Florida moves into its second season under head coach Todd Golden, who led the Gators to a pair of top-25 wins and a postseason berth in his first season leading the program.
- The Gators had a busy spring in the transfer portal, bringing in one of the top transfer classes in the nation, along with its freshman class.
- Florida returns four scholarship players, including a pair of starters in Will Richard and Riley Kugel.
- Richard posted 18 double-figure scoring games, including a season-high 24 at Georgia, while Kugel shone late in the season and earned SEC All-Freshman honors after averaging 17.3 points over the last 10 games of the season.
- Point guard Denzel Aberdeen and forward Aleks Szymczyk also return as sophomores looking to make a jump.
- UF’s transfer class includes guards Walter Clayton Jr., Zyon Pullin and Julian Rishwain along with the frontcourt duo of Micah Handlogten and Tyrese Samuel.
- The Gators welcome several freshmen to the program with 6-foot-9 forward Thomas Haugh from Pennsylvania, 6-foot-11 Australian Alex Condon and Lithuanian point guard Kajus Kublickas joining the squad.
- Walk-ons Alex Klatsky and Jack May both return, while the Gators also added freshman Cooper Josefsberg and former team manager Bennett Andersen to the roster in the walk-on role.
- Golden’s coaching staff enters their second year with the program, including associate head coaches Carlin Hartman and Korey McCray and assistant coach Kevin Hovde. With the NCAA’s expansion of basketball coaching staffs, the Gators also added assistant coaches John Andrzejek and Taurean Green to their on-court staff.
