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Gators will travel to Kansas State for SEC/Big 12 Challenge

On3 imageby: Zach Abolverdi06/16/22ZachAbolverdi
On3 image
Florida coach Todd Golden. (Gabriella Whisler/UAA Photo)

The Gators men’s basketball team will travel to Kansas State in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 28, 2023, the leagues announced on Thursday.

Florida holds a 1-1 mark all-time against the Wildcats, and this will be their first trip to Manhattan, Kansas. The teams split the only two previous meetings, with UF winning in Sunrise, Fla., on Dec. 18, 2010, following by Kansas State taking a meeting in Kansas City on Dec. 12, 2012.

Florida is 6-3 all-time in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge and is 2-2 in road contests. The Gators look to build on two consecutive wins in the event, topping Oklahoma State at home last season and defeating 11th-ranked West Virginia on the road two seasons ago.

Like Florida under Todd Golden, Kansas State will also be led by a first-year head coach in Jerome Tang, who was hired after a 19-year stint at Baylor. The Wildcats are expected to return All-Big 12 honorable mention selection Markquis Nowell (12.4 ppg., 5.0 apg.) and junior Ish Massoud (6.8 ppg., 2.8 rpg.) in 2022-23.

Golden landed four transfers this offseason in forward Alex Fudge (LSU) and guards Trey Bonham (VMI), Kyle Lofton (St. Bonaventure) and Will Richard (Belmont), along with convincing forward Colin Castleton to come back for a fifth year. He returns along with forward CJ Felder, center Jason Jitoboh and guards Myreon Jones, Kowacie Reeves and Niels Lane.

The Gators are currently going through summer workouts with strength and conditioning coordinator Victor Lopez and Golden, who participates in team lifts and on-court conditioning with the players.

SEC/Big 12 Challenge Matchups

Alabama at Oklahoma
Arkansas at Baylor
Auburn at West Virginia
Florida at Kansas State
Kansas at Kentucky
Texas Tech at LSU
Ole Miss at Oklahoma State
TCU at Mississippi State
Iowa State at Missouri
Texas at Tennessee

All games will be aired on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.

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