The University of
Florida Gators mens' basketball team is ranked No. 10 nationally in the first
official poll of 2011-12. The team is set to visit Orlando in just over a month
for the 2011 Florida
Citrus Sports Shootout, the college basketball game held at Orlando’s Amway
Center on November 28. This year’s “Shootout” will feature the Gators versus the Stetson University Hatters. Tickets are on sale now.
UF's ranking in the Top Ten is their highest preseason mark since topping the charts in 2006-07,
the year after the school’s first men’s basketball national championship.
“This is the only opportunity to see college basketball played in the Amway
Center this year and Florida’s Top 10 ranking has definitely created some ticket
interest in the marketplace,” said FCSports CEO Steve Hogan.
The Gators will arguably have one of the toughest Decembers in college
basketball. After taking on the Hatters at Amway Center, UF will take on four
preseason Top 25 teams in December (#3 Ohio State, #5 Syracuse, #16 Arizona and
#19 Texas A&M).
Last season, Florida fell just short of its fifth Final Four appearance. The
Gators lost a thrilling overtime game to eventual national runner-up Butler,
ending the team’s SEC championship season at 29-8 (13-3 SEC). This year’s team
will feature one of the top backcourts in the country as it returns starters
Erving Walker (14.6 ppg, 3.4 apg) and Kenny Boynton (14.2 ppg) while adding
Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario (16.7 ppg in 2009-10) and McDonalds All-American
Bradley Beal.
UF and Stetson have met 65 times in their history with Florida maintaining a
51-14 advantage. The series began in 1920 with the schools last meeting in
November of 2009 (74-46 Florida).
Similar to UCF in last year’s Shootout, Stetson opens this year’s
campaign with a new head coach in former Belmont assistant Casey Alexander.
Alexander spent 16 years at Belmont, helping the Bruins to four conference
championships and NCAA berths, while earning accolades as one of the nation’s
top mid-major assistants.
Ticket prices for the 2011 FCSports Shootout range from $17-102 with lower bowl
tickets as affordable as $17. For ticket information or to purchase
tickets, call 407.423.2476 or go to
www.Ticketmaster.com Priority seating is available for members of Florida Citrus Sports
and past Shootout ticket purchasers.