Florida Men’s Basketball vs. Pitt
Florida Game Notes<https://floridagators.com/documents/2023/11/20/2023.11.22_vsPitt.pdf> | 2023-24 Media Guide<https://floridagators.com/documents/2023/10/30/2023-24_Media_Guide_Web.pdf> | Media Resources<https://www.dropbox.com/sh/iv6cc1nl98a49pv/AAD_LkZm6hKvVz7FpyboOUR1a?dl=0>
NIT Season Tip-Off | Barclays Center | Brooklyn, N.Y.
Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023 | 9:30 p.m.
Streaming
ESPN2 or ESPNU | ESPN App
Play-by-Play: Kevin Brown | Analyst: Fran Fraschilla
Radio
Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD | The Varsity Network App | SiriusXM 139 or 190 & SXM App<https://siriusxm.us/SXM961>
Play-by-Play: Sean Kelley | Analyst: Lee Humphrey
The Tip-Off
* Florida and Pittsburgh square off for the first time since the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament, a 61-45 UF win in Orlando en route to the Gators’ Final Four appearance. The Gators have previously played two games at Barclays Center, a 2019 win vs. Providence and a 2021 loss vs. Maryland.
* The Gators come in on a rebounding tear, grabbing 20 or more offensive rebounds and posting a +15 or better rebounding margin in three straight games. Florida’s 50% offensive rebounding percentage ranks #1 in the nation.
2023-24 Highlights
* Florida blitzed Florida State, leading 27-5 before taking a 52-22 lead into halftime. The Gators shot .643 and held the Seminoles to .258 from the field during the first half. Walter Clayton Jr. led UF with 19 points, while Zyon Pullin and Tyrese Samuel added 15 each and Thomas Haugh grabbed 10 rebounds.
* Will Richard knocked down four 3-pointers in a hard-fought loss 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.
* 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.
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.
