Arizona freshman forward Koa Peat (10) shoots over the outstretched defense of UF 7-1 center Micah Handlogten on his way to 30 points and a 93-87 upset win for the Wildcats Monday night. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
Florida vs. North Florida
- When: Thursday, 8 p.m. (ET)
- Where: Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center, Gainesville, Fla.
- Records: Florida (0-1) / North Florida (0-0)
- Series/Last Meeting: UF holds an 11-0 advantage in the series. The Gators last faced the Ospreys on Dec. 21, 2024, earning a 99-45 victory behind Will Richard’s career-best 26 points, which included 6-for-8 shooting from beyond the arc.
Backup forward Sam Alexis came off the bench to record a double-double, finishing with 14 points and 12 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass. The 54-point margin of victory marked the ninth-largest win in program history for Florida.
- TV: SEC Network+ (Ryan Urquhart and Mark Wise)
- Radio: Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD / Stations list (with Sean Kelley, Brian Hogan and Steve Egan)
- Ticket info
Projected Starters
UF sophomore point guard Boogie Fland
| Florida | Position | Height / Weight | Class | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Condon | F | 6-11 / 230 | Junior | 11.0 pts / 8.0 reb |
| Rueben Chinyelu | C | 6-10 / 255 | Junior | 4.0 pts / 1.0 reb |
| Thomas Haugh | F/G | 6-9 / 215 | Junior | 27.0 pts / 4.0 reb |
| Xaivian Lee | G | 6-4 / 185 | Senior | 14.0 pts / 6.0 reb / 5.0 ast |
| Boogie Fland | G | 6-3 / 185 | Sophomore | 9.0 pts / 4.0 reb / 3.0 ast |
| North Florida | Position | Height / Weight | Class | 2024-25 Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BJ Plummer | F | 6-6 / 189 | Freshman | N/A |
| Mason Lee | F | 6-7 / 200 | R-Sophomore | 1.4 pts / 0.8 reb |
| Dalton Gayman | G | 6-7 / 223 | Graduate | 9.3 pts / 6.8 reb (Division II Purdue Northwest) |
| Kent Jackson | G | 6-2 / 169 | Sophomore | 2.7 pts / 0.6 reb |
| Kamrin Oriol | G | 6-3 / 187 | Senior | 7.3 pts / 2.3 reb / 1.4 ast |
The Setup
UF junior wing Thomas Haugh (10)
Just three nights after beginning the season on the opposite coast, Florida returns for its first home game — and first appearance in the O'Dome — as the reigning NCAA champions. The No. 3 Gators quickly learned how their championship status will draw out the best from opponents, as 13th-ranked Arizona delivered a physical and inspired effort Monday, defeating the champs 93-87 before a supportive crowd in Las Vegas.
Despite a strong opening stretch, UF surrendered a decisive run that allowed UA to seize the halftime lead, leaving the Gators playing from behind and on their heels for much of the second half. Thursday’s contest, the first with the 2025 championship banner raised to the rafters, will be about reclaiming their toughness and front court presence after being outmatched in the paint.
Tale of the Tape
| Florida | Statistic | North Florida |
|---|---|---|
| 87 | Scoring | 82.8 |
| 0.429 | Field-goal percentage | 0.444 |
| 0.259 | 3-point percentage | 0.357 |
| 93 | Scoring defense | 84.8 |
| 0.492 | Field-goal percentage defense | 0.481 |
| 0.4 | 3-point percentage defense | 0.345 |
| 4th | KenPom.com overall ranking | *266th |
| 3rd | KenPom.com offensive efficiency | *123rd |
| 9th | KenPom.com defensive efficiency | *353rd |
| 15th | KenPom.com adjusted tempo | *10th |
| N/A | NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) ranking | N/A |
| N/A | Overall strength of schedule ranking | N/A |
- Indicates 2024-25 statistics
The Breakdown
Gators reserve guard Urban Klavzar (7)
The Gators: Forward Thomas Haugh admitted he wasn’t flawless in the opener, but he still delivered a career-high 27 points, logged more than 38 minutes, and stayed on the floor for the entire second half. That level of effort is exactly what UF will need from forward Alex Condon and center Rueben Chinyelu, both of whom struggled against the physical, big-bodied Wildcats — particularly 30-point freshman Koa Peat — before fouling out. Chinyelu managed just one rebound, tying his UF career low set in seven minutes against Texas A&M last season. … Backup 7-1 center Micah Handlogten had his best all-around outing since his sophomore year, going 5-for-5 from the field for 11 points and pulling down a game-high 12 rebounds. … Point guard Boogie Fland and shooting guard Xaivian Lee were disappointed with their play on both ends, combining to shoot just 8-for-26 overall and 3-for-13 from deep. Defensively, they struggled to fight through ball screens, allowing Peat and point guard Jaden Bradley (27 points) to attack downhill and finish or draw fouls. … Backup guard Urban Klavzar contributed eight points, hitting two of six 3-point attempts, but also committed two turnovers in 18 minutes off the bench. … Freshman reserve guard CJ Ingram knocked down an early 3-pointer but looked a bit overwhelmed later in the contest — understandable given the stage. … Florida has now won 34 straight home openers dating back to 1991. The last time the Gators dropped one was Nov. 27, 1991, when visiting Texas edged UF 76-74 in the first home game under new coach Lon Kruger.
The Ospreys: This season marks the first since 2008-09 without Matt Driscoll on the sidelines. Driscoll, who compiled a 248-264 record with one NCAA Tournament appearance over 16 years, departed after last season to become associate head coach at Kansas State. The program promoted longtime assistant Bobby Kennen to his first collegiate head coaching role, following his earlier stint leading Williston (Fla.) High in the late 1990s. … Expect Kennen’s teams to continue a version of the “Birds of Trey” 3-point-heavy system that defined UNF under Driscoll. Over the past six seasons, the Ospreys ranked among the nation’s leaders in 3-point attempts, with 54% of their shots coming from beyond the arc in 2024-25. … UNF returns no starters from last year’s squad, which finished 15-17 despite early-season wins over South Carolina and Georgia Tech. … Point guard Kamrin Oriol, who averaged 21 minutes off the bench, is the team’s most experienced returnee. … Starting forward Dalton Gayman enters his sixth collegiate season and fifth different school, with none of his prior stops at the Division I level. His career includes stints at Purdue Southwest, Drury, Arkansas-Fort Smith (all Division II), plus one season at State Fair Community College in Missouri. … UNF’s average margin of defeat in the series against Florida stands at 33.9 points, with the lone single-digit contest a 77-69 loss at the O'Dome on Nov. 14, 2013 — the season opener of a campaign that ended with the Gators reaching the 2014 Final Four.
Numbers of Note
Arizona freshman forward Koa Peat (right) goes up and over Florida counterpart Alex Condon on his way to 30-point breakout performance in Monday night's season opener between two ranked teams.
- minus-4 — The Gators finished with a minus-4 margin in points scored in the paint against the Wildcats, far below what UF’s coaches expected — and needed — from a front court promoted as one of the nation’s best.
- .259 — Florida’s 3-point shooting percentage versus Arizona, going just 7-for-27 from beyond the arc. That figure must improve.
- 2006 — The year UF and UNF first met, with the reigning national-champion Gators posting an 86-40 victory in only their second season competing at the NCAA Division I level.
Bottom Line
Following Monday’s high-level season-opening loss, the level of competition drops significantly. The Gators’ intensity and focus, however, must remain sharp.
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu. Find his story archives here.
