Tag: college men’s basketball

Gators announce first assistant coach hire under Todd Golden

Todd Golden makes his first hire as the head coach of the Florida Gators men’s basketball team.

New Florida men’s basketball head coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] is beginning to fill out his staff at UF and [autotag]Kevin Hovde[/autotag] is the first assistant coach to be named in this new era of Gators basketball.

Hovde recently served as an assistant at Richmond. He coached the Spiders to an Atlantic 10 championship and a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season, but it was hard to say no to Golden after spending seven seasons with him.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join Florida’s elite men’s basketball program and become a part of the University of Florida and Gator Nation,” Hovde said in the official release. “It was going to take a special opportunity for me to leave my alma mater, and this is that opportunity. I am incredibly thankful to be a part of this staff.”

Golden has been a fan of Hovde’s coaching chops since the two started coaching alongside each other at Columbia. After spending plenty of time together at various universities, it’s unsurprising to see Hovde be the first man to join Golden’s staff.

“He has one of the best offensive minds we have in the college game,” Golden said. “We’ve obviously had the opportunity to work alongside each other for several years at multiple stops, and I’m really glad we have the chance to add another chapter to our collaboration here at Florida.”

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Florida looking to end 3-game skid against South Carolina

Florida basketball is trying to pick up its first conference win of the year against South Carolina on Saturday.

Florida dropped its third-straight game to a ranked opponent from the Southeastern Conference on Wednesday, but the schedule lightens up a bit with a road matchup against South Carolina on Saturday.

Colin Castleton has been the star of the team lately, averaging 20 points per game against the SEC and shooting over 60% from the field. That should be enough to propel the Gators to at least one conference win, but the rest of the team is shooting below 40% over the last three games. The numbers get worse from beyond the arc. Florida is shooting 27.6% from deep over this losing streak.

LSU had two players foul out early on Wednesday and another starter on the bench with an injury. Florida should have been able to secure the win at home, but some of the shots heaved up in the final two minutes barely found the backboard. The Gators are struggling right now, but a tough open to conference play is over and college basketball is a streaky sport (see the Gators’ 6-0 start).

During that undefeated month of November, Florida would have crushed South Carolina. The Gamecocks also beat Florida State this season, but only by a point while Florida beat its in-state rival by 16. Both teams have lost to Auburn this month and the Gators aren’t playing as well as they were before, so this could end up being a trap game.

Mike White will need his team to stop senior guard Erik Stevenson. He’s one of two Gamecocks averaging over 10 points per game this season, and he just put up 25 against Auburn. South Carolina doesn’t have anyone averaging more than 5.9 rebounds per game, so Castleton should be able to control this one if he keeps playing the way he has since the new year began.

How to follow Florida basketball vs South Carolina Gamecocks

Gameday betting odds for Florida basketball vs South Carolina

Tip-off is at 1 p.m EST in Columbia, South Carolina.

Projected Starting Lineups:

FLORIDA

Player Pos H/W Class
Anthony Duruji F 6-7 / 220 Senior
Colin Castleton F 6-11 / 231 Senior
Tyree Appleby G 6-1 / 163 Senior
Brandon McKissic G 6-3 / 185 Graduate
Myreon Jones G 6-3 / 175 Senior

SOUTH CAROLINA

Player Pos H/W Class
AJ Wilson F 6-7 / 234 Graduate
Wildens Leveque F 6-10 / 255 Junior
James Reese V G 6-4 / 170 Graduate
Jermaine Cousinard G 6-4 / 211 R-Junior
Erik Stevenson G 6-4 / 209 Senior

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Florida basketball continues conference play at No. 9 Auburn

Does Florida have a shot at beating Auburn after losing to Alabama by double digits?

After opening conference play with a loss to No. 15 Alabama, the Florida Gators are headed to Auburn to take on the ninth-ranked Tigers on Saturday.

The Gators couldn’t get their shots to fall in the second half against the Crimson Tide, and Alabama nearly double Florida’s points off turnovers. Simply put, Florida looked overmatched and sloppy at times after two weeks off. Colin Castleton continues to be the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, and he came out with a spark of intensity that may have been missing in December.

Guards Myreon Jones and Tyree Appleby shot a combined 5-for-20 against Alabama, and Phlandrous Fleming Jr. finished the night with zero points despite playing 16 minutes. If Florida is going to put up a fight against Auburn, those three will need to get back to their scoring ways to aid Castleton.

On Auburn’s side, the Tigers have been just about perfect this season aside from a double-overtime loss to UConn in the Battle for Atlantis. Conference play has gone well for them so far. The Tigers handed LSU its first loss of the year and dispatched South Carolina to start 2022.

Forward Jabari Smith is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 15.7 points per game. Wendell Green Jr. is second on the team in scoring, but he’s only started three of Auburn’s 14 games. Florida’s bench will need to be ready to stop him and keep the game close while starters rest. Castleton should have his hands full most of the game with Smith and the 7-foot-1-inch tall Walker Kessler.

After the Gators finish up in Alabama, they’ll head back home to host LSU on Jan. 12 before traveling to South Carolina next Saturday.

How to follow Florida basketball vs Auburn Tigers

Gameday betting odds for Florida basketball vs Auburn Tigers

Tip-off is at 8 p.m EST at the Auburn Arena.

Projected Starting Lineups:

FLORIDA

Player Pos H/W Class
Anthony Duruji F 6-7 / 220 Senior
Colin Castleton F 6-11 / 231 Senior
Tyree Appleby G 6-1 / 163 Senior
Brandon McKissic G 6-3 / 185 Graduate
Myreon Jones G 6-3 / 175 Senior

AUBURN

Player Pos H/W Class
Jabari Smith F 6-10 / 220 Freshman
Walker Kessler F 7-1 / 245 Sophomore
K.D. Johnson G 6-30 / 204 Sophomore
Zep Jasper G 6-1 / 185 Senior
Devan Cambridge G 6-6 / 215 Junior

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Gators make final preparations for conference play against Stony Brook

With only one week until SEC play, Florida needs to dominate Stony Brook on Tuesday.

Florida still has much to prove after a win over USF, and Stony Brook on Wednesday is the team’s last chance to prepare for conference play.

The SeaWolves have a respectable 7-4 and record, but most of the wins have come against Quadrant 3 and 4 opponents. The Gators have never lost to a team from the America East Conference either, including a 2-0 record against the conference under Mike White.

Tyree Appleby is back in the projected starting lineup after starting the game against USF. White could like the energy Phlandrous Fleming Jr. brings off the bench rather than with the starting unit, but Appleby’s streaky shooting from deep could force another change down the road.

Colin Castleton and Myreon Jones have also found it difficult to score in December, but the big man should be able to get things going against a smaller Seawolves lineup. Jones will have to shoot his way of the funk, which he’s proven more than capable of doing in the past.

Guard Anthony Roberts is the man watch out for on Wednesday for Florida. He’s their best scorer and knows how to get to the foul line. Castleton has been prone to some early foul trouble lately, so he’d be wise to be picky in which shots he contests early. Tykei Greene has been Stony Brook’s best rebounder lately, but he’ll have his work cut out for him against Anthony Duruji and Castleton.

Beating a weaker team isn’t necessarily a given anymore for this Gators team, but Florida is entering its matchup with Stony Brook with some significant advantages.

How to follow Florida basketball vs Stony Brook Seawolves

Game day betting odds for Florida basketball vs Stony Brook Seawolves

Tip-off is at 2 p.m. EST on Tuesday at the O’Connell Center in Gainesville.

Projected Starting Lineups:

FLORIDA

Player Pos H/W Class
Anthony Duruji F 6-7 / 220 Senior
Colin Castleton F 6-11 / 231 Senior
Tyree Appleby G 6-1 / 163 Senior
Brandon McKissic G 6-3 / 185 Graduate
Myreon Jones G 6-3 / 175 Graduate

STONY BROOK

Player Pos H/W Class
Frankie Policelli F 6-7 / 215 R-Junior
Jahlil Jenkins G 6-0 / 160 Graduate
Tykei Greene G 6-4 / 205 R-Junior
Tyler Stephenson-Moore G 6-3 / 186 R-Sophomore
Anthony Roberts G 6-4 / 200 R-Junior

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Can Florida basketball get back on track after losing two in a row?

No one expected a loss to Texas Southern on Monday. Can the Gators get back to playing like a top 25 team against UNF?

Florida isn’t getting much time to recover from a shocking loss to Texas Southern on Monday, but moving on to a second game in three days against North Florida might be the best way to get past that horrible performance.

As bad as Texas Southern was heading into the game against Florida, North Florida might be coming to Gainesville in a worse spot. The Ospreys rank in the 300s in the NCAA men’s basketball NET rankings and have yet to win a Division I game this season, though they have chalked up a pair of wins over a Division II and NAIA opponent. Similar to Texas Southern, UNF has played a pretty heavy schedule to start the year. Losses have come against Texas A&M and Kentucky already this year, so Florida is hoping to keep the trend going of SEC dominance.

Florida moved Tyree Appleby out of the starting lineup after a bad night against Oklahoma, but the results were anything but expected. Phlandrous Fleming Jr. struggled with fouls and the team shot below 40% against what should have been an easy matchup. Appleby struggled again shooting just 1-7 on the evening and 0-6 from beyond the arc.

The Gators have the same projected lineup listed for Wednesday night, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Mike White change things up to get some confidence back to the team. UNF tends to struggle to contain opposing guards. If there was ever a night for Appleby to snap out of his funk it would be this game.

A second-straight Quadrant 4 loss would be devastating to the Gators’ season. There’s plenty of basketball left to be played, but great teams simply don’t lose to bad teams twice in three days.

How to follow Florida basketball vs. North Florida Ospreys

Tip-off is at 7 p.m. EST in the O’Connell Center in Gainesville.

Projected Starting Lineups:

FLORIDA

Player Pos H/W Class
Anthony Duruji F 6-7 / 220 Senior
Colin Castleton F 6-11 / 231 Senior
Phlandrous Fleming Jr. G 6-5 / 185 Senior
Brandon McKissic G 6-3 / 185 Graduate
Myreon Jones G 6-3 / 175 Graduate

NORTH FLORIDA

Player Pos H/W Class
Carter Hendricksen F 6-7 / 217 Junior
Dorian James F 6-7 / 202 R-Sophomore
Jadyn Parker G 6-10 / 180 Freshman
Emmanuel Adedoyin G 6-2 / 161 Sophomore
Jose Placer G 6-1 / 174 R-Sophomore

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Gators hoops takes on Texas Southern after dropping first game of the year

The loss to Oklahoma stung, but Florida should be able to get back on track against 0-7 Texas Southern at home.

Florida basketball is looking to bounce back on Monday against Texas Southern after losing its first game of the season against Oklahoma last week.

Poor shooting, especially from beyond the arc, proved to be the Gators’ downfall against the Sooners, but a winless Tigers team should be the perfect recovery game for Florida. Texas Southern only has two players averaging double figures in points, and it recently lost to No. 12 Brigham Young, 81-64.

Florida is ranked No. 14 as of publishing time but should drop a few spots once the polls are updated for Week 5. Regardless, it’s hard to believe that a close loss to a major program is any indication of an upcoming loss to a struggling team.

Mike White‘s squad has been relentless against lesser teams. They opened the season with a 13-point win over Elon and followed up that performance nine days later with an 81-45 win over Milwaukee. The victory over Cal in Ft. Myers came by 20 points and they outscored Troy by nearly 40 points.

The Gators will take every game seriously, but a projected starting lineup featuring Brandon McKissic may show that they aren’t too worried about Monday’s matchup. Phlandrous Fleming Jr. has been a key component of Florida’s success this year, and the team plays a whole lot better with him on the court (below). Allowing McKissic to up his numbers against a weak team might help restore confidence after the team’s first loss.

If Florida is going to return to the dominant form it displayed in November, the shots need to fall. The defense will keep the Gators in it long enough to find their groove on offense, but Oklahoma showed what happens if there’s no groove to be found.

Tip-off is at 6 p.m. EST on Monday at the O’Connell Center in Gainesville.

How to follow Florida basketball vs. Texas Southern on Monday

Game day betting odds for Florida basketball vs Texas Southern Tigers

Projected Starting Lineup: FLORIDA

Player Pos H/W Class
Anthony Duruji F 6-7 / 220 Senior
Colin Castleton F 6-11 / 231 Senior
Tyree Appleby G 6-1 / 163 Senior
Brandon McKissic G 6-3 / 185 Senior
Myreon Jones G 6-3 / 175 Graduate

Projected Starting Lineup: OKLAHOMA

Player Pos H/W Class
Justin Hopkins F 6-5 / 205 Graduate
John Walker III F 6-9 / 200 Senior
Brison Grisham G 6-9 / 240 Senior
PJ Henry G 5-10 / 175 Junior
Jordan Gilliam G 6-6 / 175 R-Senior

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Florida falls in CBS Sports power rankings after loss to Oklahoma

A loss to Oklahoma has Florida moving down CBS Sports’ power rankings but it’s not panic time just yet for the Gators.

Florida suffered its first loss of the college basketball season on Monday against Oklahoma, sending the Gators down to No. 14 in the latest CBS Sports power rankings.

A week ago, Florida sat at an impressive No. 5 in the power rankings following wins over Ohio State and Cal. A rough night from beyond the arc and foul trouble did Florida in after a perfect November, but the schedule lightens back up before SEC play kicks off at the end of December.

Some Florida fans were quick to react to the first loss of the year after previous Mike White teams have floundered after receiving a bit of hype. CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander had a different take and remains optimistic about this Gators team:

The Gators tumble a bit, but a non-embarrassing loss on the road against a solid Oklahoma team isn’t reason to wildly overreact. If anything, the win over Ohio State eight days ago looks even better. Mike White has five players averaging between 9.7 and 14.7 points. If UF can curb its turnovers a bit, it’ll be a week-over-week-over-week top 25 team.

Arkansas is the highest-rated SEC team in the power rankings at No. 6 and a still-undefeated LSU team checks in at No. 8. The Hey Nineteen Power Rankings rewards teams for “significant winning streaks” making it different from other rankings in college basketball. Florida and LSU were thought to be in the middle of the conference before the season began, but both teams will continue to get love if they play well.

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After starting the season perfect, Florida basketball heads to Oklahoma

Florida basketball has been hot lately, but the Gators need to get it done on the road against Oklahoma to stay perfect.

After finishing the month of November with an unblemished record for the first time since 2012-13, Florida basketball is set to face a transitioning Oklahoma program on Wednesday.

Defense has been the name of the game for the Gators, and key wins over Florida State and Ohio State has Florida ranked No. 14 in the latest AP Poll. The Seminoles lost to No. 2 Purdue by nearly 30 points on Tuesday so the early win over FSU might not age too well outside of Gainesville, but Ohio State managed to upset No. 1 Duke on the same night. The differing outcomes might not paint the clearest picture of where Florida sits in the grand scheme of things, but a top-10 ranking is becoming more reasonable for the Gators by the day.

The matchup against Oklahoma won’t be as easy as Florida’s blowout win over Troy on Sunday. Similar to Florida, Oklahoma made good use of the transfer portal in the offseason by adding 6-foot-10-inch, 235-pound forward Tanner Groves to the team. Groves leads the team with 14.6 points per game and uses his size to pull down 6.3 rebounds per game. That size should come in handy against Florida’s big man Colin Castleton.

If Castleton does have the toughest matchup on the floor, then Florida’s guards should be able to step up offensively for the team. Tyree Appleby was the hero late against Ohio State hitting a buzzer-beating three to seal the tournament victory. Myreon Jones got things going with some early threes against Troy, and the Gators never trailed in that one.

On defense, the switch to an aggressive 2-2-1 zone has seemed to pay off for Florida. The Gators like to play gritty basketball, and every loose ball is worth diving for to them. That energy has helped Florida win the turnover battle in every game so far this year, and the team record speaks for itself. “Defense wins championships” might be overused these days in sports, but it’s repeated because the adage has proven to be true time after time.

Projected Starting Lineup: FLORIDA

Player Pos H/W Class
Anthony Duruji F 6-7 / 220 R-Senior
Colin Castleton F 6-11 / 231 Senior
Tyree Appleby G 6-5 / 205 Senior
Phlandrous Fleming Jr. G 6-5 / 205 Graduate
Myreon Jones G 6-3 / 175 Senior

Projected Starting Lineup: OKLAHOMA

Player Pos H/W Class
Jalen Hill F 6-6 / 218 Junior
Tanner Groves F 6-10 / 235 Senior
Jordan Goldwire G 6-2 / 194 R-Senior
Umoja Gibson G 6-1 / 169 Senior
Elijah Harkless G 5-8 / 160 Senior

Betting odds for Florida basketball vs. Oklahoma Sooners

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Gators hoops up three spots in The Athletic’s rankings this week

The Athletic has Florida ranked higher than either major poll does after a 4-0 start.

Seth Davis at The Athletic is more bullish on Florida basketball than either major poll. He has the Gators at No. 16 this week after a victory over Milwaukee.

Next week’s rankings will account for Florida’s 80-60 victory over Cal in the opening round of the Fort Myers Tip-Off and whatever the outcome of the championship game is against Ohio State. Perhaps intentionally, Davis had the Buckeyes ranked two spots below Florida at No. 18 going into the tournament. OSU beat 13th-ranked Seton Hall to get to the championship, so the Gators stand to gain some ground with a tournament victory.

Troy will visit the O’Connell Center on Nov. 28, and that game should also be considered in next week’s update. The Trojans are 4-2 this year but should be manageable for Florida.

Another point of note is that Davis has Florida as the fifth-best team in the SEC with Auburn at No. 22. Moving ahead of Tennessee is also fairly realistic with the Volunteers only one spot above Florida at No. 15. Kentucky, Arkansas and Alabama take the ninth, tenth and eleventh spots on the list, respectively.

Conference play will be the most challenging stretch of the year for Florida, but the early returns have been good so far from Mike White’s squad.

Seth Davis’ Top 25 for Monday, Nov. 22

RANKING TEAM LAST WEEK
1
Gonzaga
1
2
UCLA
2
3
Purdue
3
4
Kansas
4
5
 Duke
6
6
Villanova
7
7
8
8
Baylor
9
9
Kentucky
10
10
Arkansas
15
11
Alabama
16
12
Illinois
13
13
Seton Hall
NR
14
Memphis
18
15
Tennessee
11
16
 FLORIDA
19
17
Houston
22
18
Ohio State
14
19
BYU
NR
20
Arizona
NR
21
North Carolina
12
22
Auburn
20
23
Florida State
21
24
St. Bonaventure
24
25
25

Dropped out:

Michigan (5), Oregon (17), Maryland (23)

Almost famous: 

Xavier, Marquette, UConn, Indiana, Michigan State, Oregon, Providence, Texas Tech, Iowa, Virginia Tech, Colorado State, Loyola Chicago, LSU, San Diego State, Arizona

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