Florida Gators Scheduled for NIT Rematch with Xavier in Phil Knight Legacy
Photo: Todd Golden; Credit: Zach Goodall
The stage is set for Florida’s appearance in the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament in late November.
The bracket, released on Monday, slates the Gators to get an opportunity to avenge their loss in the final contest of the 2021-22 season in the first round, taking on Xavier in Portland.
In last season’s NIT matchup, the Gators traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio, looking to extend their season one more game against the Musketeers. The first half produced a draw as both teams entered the break with 33 points.
Florida’s inefficiency shooting the ball from the floor opened the gates for Xavier to reign victorious convincingly, 72-56.
Xavier went on to win the NIT in impressive fashion, taking down three SEC teams (UF, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M) en route to hoisting the invitational trophy.
However, while some things remain the same, a lot has changed as well.
Both squads enter the season with new head coaches with Todd Golden heading to Gainesville for the first time and Sean Miller returning to Xavier to reassume the command of the program that helped him earn his stripes on the college basketball coaching stage.
The Musketeers are expected to take a step forward this upcoming season from last year’s status with the experience they bring back.
Leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker Jack Nunge will return for his senior season, while Colby Jones and Zach Freemantle will remain by his side as complementary pieces.
Meanwhile, the Gators have endured well-documented turnover, but the top two pieces in Colin Castelton and Kowacie Reeves stay intact in the lineup.
The rematch will present a gauge for both squads early season progression status. It also offers an evident incentive to showcase improvement for the Florida players who endured the 16-point loss in the second round of the NIT last season.
The full bracket schedule can be found here.
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