What to know: Florida Gators vs. Seton Hall Pirates
Game Information
When: Thursday, November 24, 2016 at 8:30 p.m. (ET)
Where: HP Field House, Orlando, Fla.
Records: Florida (4-0); Seton Hall (3-0)
Coaches: Mike White- 25-15 (2nd season at Florida), 126-55 (6th season overall); Kevin Willard- 110-89 (7th season at Seton Hall), 155-138 (10th season overall)
TV: ESPN2
Streaming: WatchESPN
Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network
Projected Starters
Florida | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Class | Per Game |
Devin Robinson | F | 6-8 | 200 | Junior | 12.8 pts / 6.5 reb |
Justin Leon | F | 6-8 | 206 | Senior | 7.8 pts / 4.0 reb |
John Egbunu | C | 6-11 | 255 | R-Junior | 9.8 pts / 8.5 reb |
Kasey hill | G | 6-1 | 175 | Senior | 6.5 pts / 3.8 asts |
Kevaughn allen | G | 6-2 | 183 | Sophomore | 12.3 pts / 2.3 reb |
Seton hall | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Class | Per Game |
ismael sanogo | F | 6-8 | 215 | Junior | 5.7 pts / 2.7 reb |
desi rodriguez | F | 6-6 | 215 | Junior | 16.3 pts / 8.0 reb |
angel delgado | F | 6-10 | 240 | Junior | 15.0 pts / 13.7 reb |
khadeen carrington | G | 6-4 | 195 | Junior | 21.7 pts / 3.3 reb |
madison jones | G | 6-2 | 160 | Senior | 4.7 pts / 5.7 asts |
Preview
Florida will face off against Seton Hall in the first round of the 2016 AdvoCare Invitational. The tournament features eight teams, including Gonzaga, Miami, and Stanford. Florida is scheduled to play games on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, with times and opponents to be determined.
The Pirates made the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time in 10 years, with a 25-9 record. This year’s team returns four starters from that NCAA Tournament team. Seton Hall is undefeated after its first three games, including a road win over Iowa. The Gators also enter the game with a perfect 4-0 record after a win over Belmont on Monday. Florida has not had a 4-0 record to start the year since the 2012-13, which ended in a Final Four appearance.
Four different Seton Hall players are averaging 15+ points per game so far this season. Florida’s defense made a stand against Belmont and will need to do so again against the Pirates, who are averaging 88 points per game, with two 91 point outings. Carrington is 10-15 (66.7%) from beyond the arc for Seton Hall this season, followed by Rodriguez, who is 9-20 (45.0%).
The Gators come into this game as the much better team from the foul line, shooting 75.2 percent (5th in the SEC) from the line, which is more than 10 percent higher than last season. The Pirates have an abysmal 56.6 free-throw percentage after three games.
Florida has a 1-1 all-time record against Seton Hall. The loss came way back in 1939. The most recent meeting was in the 1987 NIT Championship game. The Gators defeated the 70-68 at Madison Square Garden.
Depending on the outcome of the Seton Hall game, the Gators will either face Quinnipiac or 11th ranked Gonzaga in the second round of the AdvoCare Invitational on Friday night.