Florida basketball releases 2017-18 non-conference schedule
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After reaching the Elite Eight in Mike White’s second year with the program last season, the Florida men’s basketball team will look to try to repeat that level of success once the 2017-18 slate begins.
On Thursday, we got a look at what the Gators’ non-conference schedule will look like. Bits and pieces of the slate have been announced over the past few months, but today we finally got a glance at the full, organized schedule.
Florida won’t have a true road game during the non-conference slate, although it’ll play out of state in Portland, Oregon, and Newark, New Jersey, for two events.
The Gators open the year with a Nov. 5 exhibition game against Tampa in Exactech Arena at the O’Connell Center and then eight days later will officially open the season at home against Gardner-Webb.
After a Nov. 16 contest against North Florida and a Nov. 19 meeting with New Hampshire, Florida will participate in the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, where it’ll meet Stanford on Thanksgiving night. The next day, it’ll face Ohio State or Gonzaga – and on that Sunday, either Butler, Duke, Portland State or Texas.
The Gators get FSU at home this year on Dec. 4, followed by a matchup with Loyola Chicago two days later. After facing Cincinnati in the Never Forget Tribute Classic on Dec. 9, Florida gets a week-long break before squaring off against Clemson in the Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise, Florida.
Before SEC play gets underway, Florida will host James Madison (Dec. 20) and Incarnate Word (Dec. 20). As has been previously announced, the Gators will square off against Baylor in the O’Dome on Jan. 27 as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
Seven of those 13 opponents come from major conferences, and five of those teams ended last season in the top 25.
The full 2017-18 non-conference schedule:
- Nov. 5 - Tampa (Exhibition)
- Nov. 13 - Garnder-Webb
- Nov. 16 - North Florida
- Nov. 19 - New Hampshire
- Nov. 23 - Stanford (Portland, Oregon)
- Nov. 24 - Ohio State or Gonzaga (Portland, Oregon)
- Nov. 26 - Duke/Portland State/Butler/Texas (Portland, Oregon)
- Dec. 4 - Florida State
- Dec. 6 - Loyola Chicago
- Dec. 9 - Cincinnati (Newark, New Jersey)
- Dec. 16 - Clemson (Sunrise, Florida)
- Dec. 20 - James Madison
- Dec. 22 - Incarnate Word
- Jan. 27 - Baylor (Big 12/SEC Challenge)
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