OGT-Florida vs Merrimack College 12/5/2023 7:00 pm SECN+

Dec 5 (Tue) 7 PM Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD
Florida vs Merrimack College
Gainesville, FL Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O'Connell Center

BROADCAST INFO​

SEC+ | ESPN App
Play-by-Play: Kyle Crooks
Analyst: Mark Wise

Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD
Play-by-Play: Sean Kelley
Analyst: Lee Humphrey
Producer/Engineer: Steve Ega

• Listen
• Live Stats
• Tickets

 

HEAD COACHES​

Todd Golden
20-20 | 2nd season at UF
77-56 | 5th season overall

Joe Gallo
107-91 | 8th season at MC/overall

MATCHUP BASICS
All-Time Series: 0-0
Series under Golden: 0-0
All-Time vs. NEC: 2-0
Last Meeting vs. NEC opponent: W vs. LIU, 119-61,
12/20/98, Home

 

THE TIP-OFF​

• Florida and Merrimack College square off for the first time in series history. The Gators have just two previous matchups against Northeast Conference teams, a pair of home wins in the 1990s vs. LIU and St. Francis (PA).

• The game is a quick respite from the road for the Gators, as Florida plays six of seven in neutral or road environments during the current stretch.

• The Gators look to get back on the winning track and stay undefeated at home with a 3-0 start at the O’Dome. Both of Florida’s recent losses have come with the absence of starting center Micah Handlogten, who injured
his ankle in the first minute of the win vs. Pitt.

2023-24 HIGHLIGHTS​

• Florida came up just short against 13th-ranked Baylor in the NIT Season Tip-Off championship game as Riley Kugel exploded for 25 points and nine rebounds, both career highs. All-Tournament Team honorees Tyrese
Samuel (18 points) and Zyon Pullin (17 points) also had big performances vs. Baylor, and Pullin finished the two-game tournament with 13 assists vs. one turnover. Samuel’s tournament performance netted him SEC
Player of the Week honors.

• The Gators topped Pitt in the first game of the NIT Season Tip-Off behind 28 points from Walter Clayton on 6-for-8 shooting from 3-point range, a 20-point, 10-rebound performance from Tyrese Samuel and a 24-to-8
assist-to-turnover showing as a team.

• Florida blitzed Florida State, leading 27-5 before taking a 52-22 advantage 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.

• Micah Handlogten (14 points, 14 rebounds) and Tyrese Samuel (10 points, 11 rebounds) both posted their first double-double as Gators in a hard-fought loss vs. Virginia in Charlotte.

• 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 brought in eight newcomers with five transfers and three freshmen.

• Florida returns four scholarship players, including a pair of starters in Will Richard and Riley Kugel. Richard posted 18 double-figure scoring games last season, 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’ freshmen include 6-foot-9 forward Thomas Haugh from Pennsylvania, 6-foot-11 Australian Alex Condon and Lithuanian point guard Kajus Kublickas.

 

FLORIDA POSSIBLE STARTERS
# Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Min. Pts. Reb. Misc.
4 Tyrese Samuel F 6-10 239 Gr. 27.1 14.1 8.3 .650 fg%
10 Thomas Haugh F 6-9 210 Fr. 18.8 4.0 4.9 1.0 blk
0 Zyon Pullin G 6-4 206 Gr. 30.9 13.5 3.5 5.5 ast
1 Walter Clayton Jr. G 6-2 195 Jr. 30.4 15.6 4.1 4.0 ast
2 Riley Kugel G 6-5 207 So. 31.1 15.1 4.3 2.3 ast

OPPONENT POSSIBLE STARTERS
# Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Min. Pts. Reb. Misc.
2 Samba Diallo F 6-7 195 Gr. 28.8 9.3 4.7 1.8 ast
11 Bryan Etumnu F 6-7 215 So. 21.7 7.4 4.9 2.2 blk
0 Adam “Budd” Clark G 5-10 155 Fr. 31.0 12.2 2.4 3.7 ast
4 Jordan Derkack G 6-5 205 So. 29.1 17.8 6.4 2.6 stl
5 Devon Savage G 6-4 190 Jr. 29.4 11.2 4.1 2.6 3fg

 

NUMBERS OF NOTE
1​

Florida has battled to a 4-3 start that has included five high-major
opponents while playing just one game (FSU) with its full roster.
Zyon Pullin missed the first three games due to an NCAA ruling, and
Micah Handlogten has missed the last three with an ankle injury.

34​

Tuesday marks Florida’s only home game during a 34-day span, as UF
plays five neutral-site and one road game over a seven-game stretch.

24.5​

Riley Kugel is averaging 24.5 points over the past two games, shooting
19-for-34 (.559) from the field and hitting 8 of 12 (.667) from 3-point
range. Florida 4-3/0-0 SEC vs. Merrimack College 4-5/0-0 NEC

 

THE TIP-OFF​

• Florida and Merrimack College square off for the first time in series history. The Gators have just two previous matchups against Northeast Conference teams, a pair of home wins in the 1990s vs. LIU and St. Francis (PA).

• The game is a quick respite from the road for the Gators, as Florida plays six of seven in neutral or road environments during the current stretch.

• The Gators look to get back on the winning track and stay undefeated at home with a 3-0 start at the O’Dome. Both of Florida’s recent losses have come with the absence of starting center Micah Handlogten, who injured
his ankle in the first minute of the win vs. Pitt.

2023-24 HIGHLIGHTS
• Florida came up just short against 13th-ranked Baylor in the NIT Season Tip-Off championship game as Riley Kugel exploded for 25 points and nine rebounds, both career highs. All-Tournament Team honorees Tyrese
Samuel (18 points) and Zyon Pullin (17 points) also had big performances vs. Baylor, and Pullin finished the two-game tournament with 13 assists vs. one turnover. Samuel’s tournament performance netted him SEC
Player of the Week honors.

• The Gators topped Pitt in the first game of the NIT Season Tip-Off behind 28 points from Walter Clayton on 6-for-8 shooting from 3-point range, a 20-point, 10-rebound performance from Tyrese Samuel and a 24-to-8
assist-to-turnover showing as a team.

• Florida blitzed Florida State, leading 27-5 before taking a 52-22 advantage 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.

• Micah Handlogten (14 points, 14 rebounds) and Tyrese Samuel (10 points, 11 rebounds) both posted their first double-double as Gators in a hard-fought loss vs. Virginia in Charlotte.

• 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 brought in eight newcomers with five transfers and three freshmen.

• Florida returns four scholarship players, including a pair of starters in Will Richard and Riley Kugel. Richard posted 18 double-figure scoring games last season, 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’ freshmen include 6-foot-9 forward Thomas Haugh from Pennsylvania, 6-foot-11 Australian Alex Condon and Lithuanian point guard Kajus Kublickas.