The Florida Gators men’s basketball team is set to play in the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando starting on Thursday, November 28th. The multi-team event consists of four teams: Wake Forest, Minnesota, Wichita State, and Florida.
After a relatively easy slate to start the season, Florida is set to face some more challenging competition.
“I think this kind of provides another challenge for us, a really good team, neutral floor, kind of in the MTE (multiple-team event) time of year, where you’re playing for a championship. Obviously, only a four-team deal, and you got to win two games to do it,” Todd Golden said on Tuesday.
Florida will start with Wake Forest, who ranks No.99 in the country, according to KenPom. Todd Golden’s squad lost to the Demon Deacons last season 81-72 in the ACC/SEC challenge series.
“I know our guys are excited for the opportunity to play Wake again,” Golden said. “We felt like we played relatively well for a majority of that game, and then to their credit, held us down the last 12 minutes of the game. (Hunter) Sallis played great down the stretch, hit some big-time shots. They had some timely 3s. I didn’t think we executed well enough down the stretch. We turned the ball over, and it’s kind of an empty feeling leaving Wake last year. So to get them back to get another opportunity to compete against them this year ow, our guys are looking forward to it.”
Wake Forest has underperformed their preseason expectations through the early part of the season, but still hold a 6-1 record with a win over Michigan.
“But a Wake Forest team I think it’s incredibly well coached,” Golden added. “They have a couple really talented veteran players that have had a lot of success. TBD on what’s going on in terms of Efton Reid’s health. He didn’t play last game and only six minutes or so the game before. But he’s another really talented player that they have. So I think this will be a good challenge to see how we perform against a team that’s had success before and again, neutral floor early, not a lot of time to warm up. It’s just kind of one of those tournament-like atmospheres that I think will be unique for us – and since we haven’t really had that yet this year.”
The Gators will look to control Wake Forest guards Hunter Sallis and Cameron Hildreth, who torched UF last season, combining for 42 points and 8 assists in their win.
“First of all, he’s a very, very good player, and (Cameron) Hildreth is a very, very good player. Both those guys have, have played an integral role in Wake Forest’s program now for two years. They have a lot of freedom. They are able to play with the ball in their hands quite a bit. Those two guys make a majority of their decisions, whether it’s in transition or in the pick-and-roll. They’re both big, they’re strong, they get to their spots on the floor, and they play out of the pick-and-roll almost every possession. So there’s a big challenge because they have two guys that can get you playing with the ball in their hands, and they have put shooting around them with (Davin) Cosby and (Parker) Friedrichsen and some of these other guys. So, a good team. Similar to, I think, Florida State and what they’ve been able to do so far. They’re proven to be a really good club, undefeated, except the game we played them. And I think Wake is in that bucket as well.”
“But they play with the ball screen a ton. They’re trying to get Sallis and Hildreth downhill,” Golden added. “Both those guys continue to draw fouls at a really good rate. And, you know, I think, you know, if we do a good job on those two, it’ll give us the best chance to win.”
Whether Florida wins or loses vs Wake Forest, the Gators will take on either Minnesota or Wichita State, which gives Golden’s squad an early feel for postseason play by having to play back-to-back days.
“This 48 hours down in Orlando will give us a good experience to see what we’re made of in a different setting, right, playing two games back to back, whether that’s SEC tournament preparation, or a little like the NCAA Tournament where you’re going to be playing a team on short rest that didn’t have a lot of time to prepare for you either on the second day. So the second day is going to be pretty equal in terms of the preparation, both us and Wake Forest are going to be really excited to try to get that win on the first day to be able to play for the championship. But again, a different environment, different experience. But I know our guys are really excited to get down there,” Golden said.
Florida vs Wake Forest will tipoff at 2:30 p.m. EST on Thanksgiving Day.
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