University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
University of Florida
MBB Hosts No. 15 Florida in Early Season Test
11/16/2019 7:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
STORRS, Conn. – The UConn men's basketball team finishes its season-opening three- game homestand by hosting nationally-ranked (#15) Florida at Gampel Pavilion. The game is scheduled for a 3 p.m. tipoff and will be televised by ESPN.
How to Follow
Live Stats: vs. #15 Florida
TV: ESPN
Radio: Tune In
Twitter: @UConnMBB
What to Know
- The Huskies (1-1) are coming off a 96-87 home loss to Saint Joseph's on Nov. 13 at Gampel Pavilion, following an 89-67 season-opening win over Sacred Heart there.
- Through two games, the Huskies have four double-figure scorers, led by senior Christian Vital (21.5). Redshirt junior Alterique Gilbert (14.0), junior Josh Carlton (13.5) and junior Tyler Polley (11.5) are the others. Vital also is the team's leading rebounder (11.5), Gilbert leads in assists (3.5) and freshman Akok Akok tops the Huskies in blocked shots (3.5).
- UConn and Florida have met four times, once each at the other's home court, and twice in the NCAA Tournament. UConn leads the all-time series 3-1. Florida defeated UConn in the 1994 Sweet 16, 69-60, in overtime at Miami Arena, while UConn topped Florida in the 2014 NCAA national semifinals, 63-53, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The last time these teams met was back on Jan. 3, 2015 – a 63-59 UConn victory.
- Florida (2-1) is coming off a 66-60 home victory over Towson on Thursday. Junior Kerry Blackshear tops the Gators in scoring (14.3) and rebounding (12.0), while sophomore Andrew Nembhard leads in assists (5.3).
Leading the Pack
Dan Hurley begins his second season as head coach of the UConn men's basketball team. Hurley became the 19th head coach in the history of UConn men's basketball on March 22, 2018. Prior to his hiring, he spent two seasons at Wagner College and six at the University of Rhode Island, and owns a collegiate coaching record of 167- 122 (.578). Hurley made two consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (2016-17, 2017-18) and was named the 2017-18 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year.
Next Up
UConn will leave Gampel Pavilion for the first time this season, traveling to Charleston, S.C., to compete in the Charleston Classic at TD Arena. The Huskies will meet Buffalo in the Classic's first round, on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 9 p.m. on ESPNU.
