Florida vs Stony Brook (Monday, 8 pm)

Florida vs. Stony Brook

* When: Monday, 8 p.m.
* Where: Exactech Arena/O’Connell Center, Gainesville, Fla.
* Records: Florida (0-0); Stony Brook (0-0)
* TV: SEC Network+ (Kyle Crooks and Mark Wise)
* Radio: Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD (Sean Kelley and Lee Humphrey)

Potential Starters

The Breakdown

Setup / Series / Last Meeting

The 2022-23 season opener for each groups, with Florida’s Todd Golden making his debut because the nineteenth coach in program historical past. The UF-SBU recreation would be the second of a males’s/girls’s double-header with the Florida girls dealing with Florida A&M at 5:30 p.m. … Stony Brook is taking part in its first recreation as a member of the Colonial Athletic Conference, after transferring from the America East. … It’ll mark simply the second assembly between the 2 groups, but additionally the second within the final 11 months. UF defeat Stony Brook 87-62 on Dec. 22, 2021, in what was the ultimate non-league recreation earlier than the Gators opened Southeastern Conference play. In that one, grad-transfer Phlandrous Fleming Jr. led 4 UF gamers in double figures with 20 factors, whereas backup middle Jason Jitoboh got here off the bench to tally profession highs of 12 factors and 7 rebounds. Just two days earlier, the Seawolves bombed in 14 3s in a win over Hofstra, however the Gators held them to 5-for-19 from the arc and compelled 17 turnovers. … Florida is 12-2 all-time towards present CAA groups, with the final loss coming in 1996 (sure, below Billy Donovan) towards Delaware within the San Juan Shootout. … Golden went 3-0 versus the Colonial at USF, however didn’t face SBU.  

Tale of the Tape

Team Snapshots

The Gators

Depth. Depth. Depth. That would be the most important storyline for this staff till the rotation kinds itself out. That might take the following six weeks or so, which means Golden and his workers will consider the combo of their prime, say, 11 guys throughout non-league play with the purpose of whittling the rotation to 9 (perhaps 10) in time for the Southeastern Conference opener Dec. 28 at Auburn. … The Gators return six gamers from final season’s staff that went 20-14,

together with 9-9 within the SEC, and missed the NCAA Tournament for the primary time in six years. After seven seasons, then-UF coach Mike White left for the vacant Georgia job, paving the best way for Golden to be lured from San Francisco, the place over three seasons he went 57-36 in his first head-coaching put up and final 12 months guided the Dons to their first NCAA Tournament since 1998. … Florida is picked to complete wherever from sixth to ninth in a stacked stacked SEC, in response to the varied preseason publications. …  UF’s lone returning starter is two-time All-SEC ahead Colin Castleton, who has 13 profession double-doubles in his two UF seasons and has shot 56.5 % from the ground and 73.3 from the free throw line. Castleton is also an elite rim protector, with 116 profession blocks as a Gator, which ranks tenth in program historical past. … If the model of 6-6 guard Kowacie Reeves that averaged 16.3 factors, shot 50 % from the ground and 40 % from the 3-point line in UF’s three postseason video games to finish ’21-22 is the one which exhibits up in ’22-23, the Gators will likely be harmful. Reeves’ best problem, although, is consistency. … St. Bonaventure fifth-year switch Kyle Lofton is the primary true level guard the Gators have had since Andrew Nembhard in 2020. Lofton began all 116 video games of his profession with the Bonnies, scored greater than 1,600 factors, and alongside the best way posted profession averages of 38.1 minutes, 13.9 factors, 3.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists (vs. 2.7 turnovers) and 1.6 steals per recreation. … Forward CJ Felder, who transferred to UF final 12 months from Boston College, had a splendid preseason and is transferring worlds higher after offseason groin surgical procedure. … Will Richard, who was named to the Ohio Valley Conference All-Newcomer Team as a freshman final season, has rebounded from a preseason knee sprain and figures to be main influence newcomer within the SEC, additionally. Richard is a three-level scorer, perhaps the very best 3-point shooter on the staff and prolonged on-ball defender. … Fifth-year guard Myreon Jones, who transferred final 12 months from Penn State, is the staff’s energetic chief in profession 3-pointers with 196, together with 62 final 12 months with the Gators (that ranked second on the staff). … The preseason battle for the beginning “4” spot was a decent one, so search for loads of minutes from 6-9 switch Alex Fudge (3.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg at LSU final 12 months), who the coaches imagine is usually a defensive game-changer with 7-6 wing span. He’ll play behind Felder, for now. … Junior switch guard Trey Bonham (13.6 ppg, 3.9 apg at Virginia Military final season) will get turns at each the “1” and “2.” … Junior guard/ahead Niels Lane (3.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg), who broke into the UF rotation almost two-thirds of the best way into the ’21-22 season, will present prompt power off the bench, particularly on the defensive finish. And do not sleep on his sneaky means to indicate up across the basket, particularly for ideas and additional possessions. … Senior 6-11, 300-pound middle Jason Jitoboh (5.3 ppg. 3.3 rpg) made an impressed restoration from eye surgical procedures following an harm sustained January at Tennessee. He will likely be an element as Castleton’s backup, however count on to see the 2 collectively on the ground at instances. … Guard Riley Kugel, an elite athlete with plenty of bounce, figures to be the influence participant from a three-man freshman class that additionally options guard Denzel Aberdeen and middle Aleks Szymczyk. 
 

The Seawolves

In their swan-song America East season, the Seawolves went 17-13 general and 10-8 in league play. The league, although, dominated Stony Brook ineligible to compete

within the convention match due to the varsity’s announcement in February that it was leaving for the CAA, citing an obscure rule prohibiting present groups with agreements in place to exit the league from taking part in for championships. Doesn’t appear truthful, however no matter. … The Seawolves are coming into their fourth season below Geno Ford, who’s 161-163 throughout 10 seasons, with stops at Kent State (68-37, two Mid-American Conference regular-season title), Bradley (46-86) and now SBU (47-40). … The Seawolves return two starters and, like all over the place else, rebuilt their roster through the switch portal. … A pair of returnees, ahead Frankie Policelli and guard Tyler Stephenson-Moore, began 23 and 22 video games final season, respectfully. Both had respectable statistical years. Policelli shot 38.5 % from the ground, together with 36.1 from the 3-point line. Stephenson-Moore was even higher from the backcourt: 47.9 general, 44.8 from deep. Both have been over 80 % from the free-throw line, as nicely. … Aaron Clarke was a 1,200-point scorer at Sacred Heart and a third-team All-Northeast Conference choice. He’ll play level guard. … Shooting guard Dean Noll was second-team All-Ivy League at Cornell. He’s a 30-percent profession 3-point shooter. … Transfer ahead Sabry Philip, by means of each San Diego and Navarro (Texas) College, scored 9.5 factors and grabbed 5.5 rebounds taking part in junior faculty final season. … Keenan Fitzmorris, at 7 ft and 235 kilos, would be the tallest participant on the ground, however he scored simply six factors over 17 video games at Stanford final season. Fitzmorris was a top-100 prospect throughout his prep days in Kansas, however has struggled with accidents throughout his profession.  

Numbers of Note

* .967 — UF’s successful proportion in season opener’s because the SEC expanded from 10 to 12 groups for the 1991-92 season, based mostly on a 30-1 document. 

* 4 — Players on Stony Brook’s roster who go 6-10 or taller. Besides the 7-foot Fitzmorris, freshman Rocco Muratori, by means of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, is 7-3 (and 270 kilos), classmate Leon Nahar (from the Netherlands) is 6-10 and junior Kenan Sarvan (switch from Mineral Area College) is 6-10.

* 35 — Where Florida stands within the first KenPom rankings which can be based mostly strictly on knowledge compiled from earlier seasons. That’s sixth within the SEC behind Kentucky (1), Tennessee (4), Auburn (13), Arkansas (14) and Alabama (18).

* 2018 — The final 12 months the Gators misplaced their season opener, an 81-60 drubbing at No. 17 Florida State. 

* 4,422— Career minutes performed by Lofton, a quantity that (assuming he stays wholesome) might rocket the purpose guard up the all-time chart from his present place tied for 108th in faculty basketball historical past. More than 70 gamers above him on the checklist are not play collegiately. 

 

Bottom Line

New period. Let’s go.