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Gators men’s basketball release non-conference schedule for Golden’s first season

By Benjamin Henderson

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 17: Head coach Todd Golden of the San Francisco Dons looks on in the second half against the Murray State Racers during the first round of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 17, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 17: Head coach Todd Golden of the San Francisco Dons looks on in the second half against the Murray State Racers during the first round of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 17, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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Todd Golden and the Florida Gators men’s basketball team announced their non-conference schedule for the 2022-2023 season on Tuesday.

The Gators will participate two neutral site tournaments, host six homes games,  play two true road games, and play one game in Tampa.

Todd Golden era beings

Golden was hired from the University of San Francisco in the off-season after former head coach Mike White opted to become the head coach at Georgia.

Golden will begin his reign in Gainesville with three home games against Stony Brook, Kennesaw State, and Florida Atlantic.

Stony Brook and Florida Atlantic had winning records last season, though none of those three made the NCAA tournament.

The Gators will play one of their two true road games on November 18 when they make the trek to Tallahassee to take on Florida State.

Florida won last year’s matchup 71-55.

Phil Knight Legacy

In the modern era, most college squads seek out in-season tournaments to bolster their strength of schedule.

That will be the case for Florida when the Gators travel to Portland, Oregon to take part in the Phil Knight Legacy Invitational.

Florida will be joined by Duke, Gonzaga, Oregon State, Portland State, Purdue, West Virginia and Xavier.

Florida will play three games as part of the tournament.

Jumpman Invitational

Florida makes another in-season tournament appearance when it competes in the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, NC.

The Gators will be joined by fellow Nike Jumpman sponsored schools North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Michigan.

North Carolina lost in the NCAA tournament finals last season. Michigan made it to the Sweet 16, while Oklahoma was a participant in the NIT.

Other non-conference game

Florida will have a home game against UConn on December 7. The Huskies were 23-10 last season and made the NCAA tournament, where they were upset by New Mexico State.

The Gators will play a game in Tampa on December 14 against an opponent to be determined.

As part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, Florida will travel to Manhattan, Kansas to take on Kansas State on January 28.

Thoughts on schedule

On paper, Florida’s schedule should be challenging enough that strength of schedule shouldn’t be a massive concern if they are in contention for a tournament bid.

The opening game of the Phil Knight Legacy might be the most important on the non-conference slate. While the opponent is unknown, a win would slot Florida into the winner’s bracket and could set up matchups against Duke or Gonzaga.

Florida only has one true road game prior to the start of conference play. One could argue Florida would benefit from another road test, but the Gators have very rarely traveled during the non-conference portion of the season in the past.

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