Florida and Texas A&M meet at noon on Thursday in Tampa
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida men’s basketball team finished the regular season tied for fifth and will face Texas A&M to open Southeastern Conference Tournament action Thursday at noon in Tampa. The game will air on SEC Network.
Florida was part of a five-way tie at 9-9 in the SEC standings and will receive the No. 9 seed, with the Aggies holding the No. 8 seed. The winner of that contest will take on top-seeded Auburn in the quarterfinals on Friday at noon. Florida and Texas A&M have met once before in the SEC Tournament, with the Aggies taking a 2016 quarterfinal meeting in Nashville, 72-66.
Head coach Mike White’s 72-52 SEC record at UF places him within the league’s all-time top-20 head coaches for conference winning percentage (.581), and Florida has not had a losing season in SEC play under White’s guidance. At 19-12 overall entering the conference tournament, the Gators are one win away from securing another 20-win season, a milestone the team has reached every full-length season under White.
Colin Castleton leads the Gators’ attack, averaging 16.4 points, including 17.9 in conference play, and 9.1 rebounds to go along with 61 blocked shots. Tyree Appleby averages 11.2 points and leads the team with 114 assists. Phlandrous Fleming Jr. also enters the SEC Tournament averaging double-figure scoring at 10.7 per game and has a team-high 43 steals. Appleby and Myreon Jones tie for the team lead with 60 made 3-pointers each.
Denver Parler
Assistant AD, Communications
University of Florida Athletic Association
O: (352) 692-6195 | C: (352) 318-3493
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