Florida Gators basketball releases complete 2011-12 non-conference schedule
Florida Gators basketball announced the team’s 2011-12 non-conference schedule on Wednesday. Florida will face six opponents who took part in the 2011 NCAA Tournament while also participating in four events scattered throughout the country – the Global Sports Shootout, Florida Citrus Sports Shootout, BIG EAST/SEC Challenge and Orange Bowl Basketball Classic.
“We’ve made it a practice to play a difficult non-conference schedule, and this is perhaps the toughest one yet,” head coach Billy Donovan said in an official school release. “That’s something that really helps prepare us for the NCAA Tournament. We’re also looking forward to playing games in front of our great fans from several different areas of Florida, and we host some exciting matchups on our home court, as well.”
Below is the official 2011-12 non-conference schedule:
| Date/Time | Gator Bait | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 11/3 at 7:00 pm (GV) | vs. Catholic (Exh.) | W 114-57 |
| 11/11 at 7:00 pm (FSF) | vs. Jackson State | W 99-59 |
| 11/15 at 8 pm (ESPN2) | at Ohio State | L 74-81 |
| 11/17 at 8:00 pm (FSF) | vs. North Florida | W 91-55 |
| 11/21 at 7:00 pm (FSF) | vs. Wright St. (Tampa) | W 78-65 |
| 11/25 at 7:00 pm (SUN) | vs. Jacksonville | W 107-62 |
| 11/28 at 7:00 pm (SUN) | vs. Stetson (Orl.) | W 96-70 |
| 12/2 at 7:00 pm (ESPN) | at Syracuse | L 68-72 |
| 12/7 at 7:00 pm (ESPN) | vs. Arizona | W 78-72 (OT) |
| 12/9 at 7:00 pm (CSS) | vs. Rider (Jax) | W 90-69 |
| 12/17 at 4:30 pm (FSN) | vs. Texas A&M (Sun.) | W 84-64 |
| 12/19 at 7:00 pm (FSF) | vs. Miss. Valley St. | W 82-54 |
| 12/22 at 7 pm (ESPNU) | vs. Florida State | W 82-64 |
| 12/29 at 7 pm (ESPN2) | at Rutgers | L 83-85 (2OT) |
| 12/31 at 7 pm (ESPNU) | vs. Yale | W 90-70 |
| 1/3 at 7:00 pm (FSN) | vs. UAB | W 79-61 |
| 1/7 at 11:00 am (ESPN2) | at Tennessee | L 56-67 |
| 1/10 at 7:00 pm (ESPN) | vs. Georgia | W 70-48 |
| 1/14 at 7:00 pm (CSS) | at South Carolina | W 79-65 |
| 1/21 at 6:00 pm (FSN) | vs. LSU | W 76-64 |
| 1/26 at 7:00 pm (ESPN2) | at Ole Miss | W 64-60 |
| 1/28 at 1:30 pm (SECN) | vs. Miss. State | W 69-57 |
| 2/2 at 9:00 pm (ESPN2) | vs. South Carolina | W 74-66 |
| 2/4 at 1:00 pm (CBS) | vs. Vanderbilt | W 73-65 |
| 2/7 at 7:00 pm (ESPN) | at Kentucky | L 58-78 |
| 2/11 at 4:00 pm (SECN) | vs. Tennessee | L 70-75 |
| 2/14 at 7:00 pm (ESPN) | at Alabama | W 61-52 |
| 2/18 at 6:00 pm (ESPN/2) | at Arkansas | W 98-68 |
| 2/21 at 7:00 pm (ESPNU) | vs. Auburn | W 63-47 |
| 2/25 at 4:00 pm (SECN) | at Georgia | L 62-76 |
| 2/28 at 9:00 pm (ESPN) | at Vanderbilt | L 67-77 |
| 3/4 at 12:00 pm (CBS) | vs. Kentucky | L 59-74 |
| 3/9 at 3:30 pm (SECN) | vs. Alabama SEC Tournament | W 66-63 |
| 3/10 at 12:00 pm (ABC) | vs. Kentucky SEC Tournament | L 71-74 |
| 3/16 at 2:10 pm (TNT) | vs. Virginia NCAA Tournament | W 71-45 |
| 3/18 at 6:10 pm (TNT) | vs. Norfolk State NCAA Tournament | W 80-54 |
| 3/22 at 10:17 pm (TBS) | vs. Marquette NCAA Tournament | W 68-58 |
| 3/24 at 4:30 pm (CBS) | vs. Louisville NCAA Tournament | L 68-72 |
SCHEDULE NOTES
» Donovan’s son, Billy Donovan, Jr., is a guard for Catholic University.
» Ohio State won the Big Ten Championship in 2010-11.
» Florida will play four games in the state of Florida but not in Gainesville.
» As OGGOA first reported on April 28, the Gators’ participation in the GSS is part of a five-team “tournament” featuring a collection of games played at different arenas.
» Florida will play in the FCSS for the second-straight season; UF lost to Central Florida in the series’ inaugural game at the Amway Arena last season.
» Twelve teams each from the Big East and SEC will each compete in the BIG EAST/SEC Challenge from Dec. 1-3.
» Transfer guard Mike Rosario will square-off against the team he left, Rutgers.
» It is the fourth-straight year the Gators will play a non-conference opponent on Jan. 3 (3-0) and second-straight year they will play one on New Years Eve day.
Ohio State won the Big East Championship last year?
Well, if you say so then…
I can’t make a typo?
Never! You are suppose to write at least 5 articles daily and all of them be perfect with no mistakes at all!
Then I have failed you this fine Wednesday.
This is the hardest non-con schedule we have had in years. Hope all the young guys are up to it.
I know football season is closing in, but I’m pretty excited about hoops this year as well. The hard competition in OOC games will hopefully prep the guys for a good run through the SEC again.
Most of the rest was pretty much expected, but I don’t reemmber hearing anything about Arizona anywhere, when I saw that, my jaw dropped….hopefully 4 guards + patric can rock the world!
Agreed, best schedule we’ve had in a very long time. All the road games against big teams like OSU and Cuse will greatly boost our RPI.
I just don’t like that there are only 5 games at home before fall semester ends, and the FSU GAME IS RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. I’m gonna have to do all that I can to make sure most of the Rowdy Reptiles are back in town for that game, but we won’t be 100% that day. It’s FSU’s fault because they have some stupid tournament they are in during Thanksgiving. FSU always looking for an advantage. We’ll beat them anyways.