Florida has added another in-state opponent to its 2015-16 basketball schedule.
The Gators
will host Florida Gulf Coast University on Nov. 27 at the O’Connell Center. It will be the first meeting between the two schools since the 2013 Sweet 16, which Florida won 62-50 in Arlington, Texas.
Much has changed for FGCU (a.k.a. Dunk City) since its surprise Sweet 16 run as a 15-seed in 2013. Then FGCU coach Andy Enfield left for USC shortly after the tournament ended. Former Kansas assistant Joe Dooley took over for Enfield as head coach and is 44-24 in two seasons with no NCAA Tournament berths. Two years ago, FGCU played in the NIT and last year the Eagles played in the CBI.
The Florida-FGCU game will be held the night before hosts Florida hosts FSU in football (Nov. 28). That means the basketball-football doubleheader between Florida and FSU will be bypassed for another season. FSU coach Leonard Hamilton isn’t a fan of scheduling the basketball game the night before the football game.
Here’s an updated look at UF’s non-conference schedule:
– Nov 13, at Navy (Veterans Classic)
– Nov. 16, North Carolina A&T
– Nov. 21, St. Joseph’s (Hall of Fame tipoff classic, Uncasville, Conn.)
– Nov. 22, Purdue or Old Dominion (Hall of Fame tipoff classic, Uncasville, Conn.)
– Nov. 25, Vermont
– Nov. 27, Florida Gulf Coast University
– Dec. 8, at Miami
– Jan. 30, West Virginia
