Gators Will Play Host to UCF in First Round of NIT

The fourth-seeded Florida Gators will play host to the UCF Knights in the first round of the NIT on Wednesday.

A postseason battle of Sunshine State opponents is on the horizon as Florida earns a big into the NIT as a No. 4 seed. The Gators are set to host UCF in round one of the NIT on Wednesday at 7 p.m EST.

The 2022-23 season didn’t go as planned in year one of the Todd Golden regime in Gainesville.

After setting tournament-level expectations that provided Gator faithful hope for a quick turnaround for their stagnant hoops squad, Golden faced significant adversity in his first year at the helm. Florida finished the regular season just one game above .500, earned the eight-seed in the SEC Tournament and went one-and-done in said tournament with a loss to Mississippi State.

However, the year isn’t over for the Gators. On Sunday night, despite officially missing out on March Madness, UF was invited to the National Invitation Tournament for the second year in a row.

Florida accepted, just as Golden said they would following the second round exit from the conference tournament on Thursday.

“Any time you get an opportunity to compete, you better step up and grab it,” he said when asked about the team’s interest in the NIT. “As long as I'm the head coach at Florida, we'll compete.“

The tournament includes 32 teams seeded 1-8 with first and second round matchups taking place on the higher seeds campus. The semifinals and championship contests will be held in Las Vegas.

Oregon, Wisconsin, Liberty and Villanova are notable squads occupying spots in Florida’s portion of the bracket.

The Gators sat on the bubble prior to Colin Castleton’s season ending injury against Ole Miss on Feb. 15, albeit still facing an uphill battle to return to the Big Dance after similarly missing out on the war for a national title in 2021-22.

His exit from the lineup commenced a three-game losing streak to shatter their year-long postseason dreams. However, the unit picked up the pieces to rally with a two-game win streak to end the season and eventually contend with Chris Jans’ squad — who slid into the field with a first four matchup with Pitt.

Equipped a young core that includes the likes of freshman sensation Riley Kugel — who Florida hopes to get back for his sophomore year after his late season emergence — and elevating three-and-D contributor Will Richard, the Gators will look to kickstart the 2023-24 calendar with extra reps in the NIT.

Kugel’s 19.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in the final six games (without Castelton) elevated Florida’s offensive prowess down the stretch of the season. He’ll vie to continue aiding the unit in the upcoming slate.

A strong run in the NIT can pay dividends for a unit one year in the future. Take a look at Xavier and Texas A&M this year compared to last.

That endeavor serves foremost in Florida’s efforts to improve for the future.

Its’ transfer portal activity — which has already begun and will remain consistent by contacting prospective talent — will sit closely on the back burner.

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