2015–16 Florida Gators men's basketball team

The 2015–16 Florida Gators men's basketball team represented the University of Florida in the sport of basketball during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. This was the Gators' first season since 1995-96 without long-time head coach Billy Donovan, as he left the Gators to become the new head coach of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder. The Gators, led by first year head coach Mike White, competed in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and played their home games in the O'Connell Center on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. They finished the season 21–15, 9–9 in SEC play to finish in a tie for eighth place. They lost to Texas A&M in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament. They received an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament, where they defeated North Florida and Ohio State to advance to the quarterfinals where they lost to George Washington.

2015–16 Florida Gators men's basketball
NIT, Quarterfinals
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Record21–15 (9–9 SEC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaO'Connell Center
Seasons
2015–16 SEC men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 15 Texas A&M 13 5   .722 28 9   .757
No. 10 Kentucky 13 5   .722 27 9   .750
South Carolina 11 7   .611 25 9   .735
Vanderbilt 11 7   .611 19 14   .576
LSU 11 7   .611 19 14   .576
Ole Miss 10 8   .556 20 12   .625
Georgia 10 8   .556 20 14   .588
Florida 9 9   .500 21 15   .583
Arkansas 9 9   .500 16 16   .500
Alabama 8 10   .444 18 15   .545
Mississippi State 7 11   .389 14 17   .452
Tennessee 6 12   .333 15 19   .441
Auburn 5 13   .278 11 20   .355
Missouri* 3 15   .167 10 21   .323
2016 SEC tournament winner
*Ineligible for postseason play due to self-imposed postseason ban.
Rankings from AP poll

Previous season

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The Gators finished the 2014–15 season 16–17, 8–10 in SEC play to finish in a tie for eighth place. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament where they lost to Kentucky. They did not participate in a postseason tournament for the first time in 17 years.

Departures

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Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes
Eli Carter 1 G 6'2" 200 RS Junior Paterson, NJ Graduate transferred to Boston College
Michael Frazier II 20 G 6'4" 194 Junior Tampa, FL Declared for 2015 NBA draft
Jon Horford 21 F 6'10" 240 RS Senior Grand Ledge, MI Graduated
Chris Walker 23 F 6'10" 220 Sophomore Bonifay, FL Declared for 2015 NBA draft
Billy Donovan, Jr. 42 G 6'2" 192 Senior Gainesville, FL Walk on; graduated

Recruiting class of 2015

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US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
KeVaughn Allen
SG
North Little Rock High School North Little Rock, AR 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Apr 30, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 4
Kevarrius Hayes
PF
Suwannee High School Live Oak, FL 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Jun 17, 2013 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 4
Keith Stone
PF
Zion Lutheran Christian School Deerfield Beach, FL 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 240 lb (110 kg) Oct 20, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 4
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 11   Rivals: 11  ESPN: 13
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2015 Florida Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  • "2015 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 26, 2015.

Recruiting class of 2016

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US college sports recruiting information for 2016 recruits
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
John Mooney
PF
Lake Brantley High School Altamonte Springs, FL 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Sep 28, 2013 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 80
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

Roster

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2015–16 Florida Gators men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Hometown
G 0 Kasey Hill 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jr Umatilla, Florida
G/F 1 DeVon Walker 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 203 lb (92 kg) RS Jr Winter Haven, Florida
G 2 Brandone Francis 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) RS Fr La Romana, Dominican Republic
F 3 Devin Robinson 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 195 lb (88 kg) So Chesterfield, Virginia
G 4 KeVaughn Allen 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 183 lb (83 kg) Fr Little Rock, Arkansas
F 5 Alex Murphy 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) RS Sr Wakefield, Rhode Island
F 10 Dorian Finney-Smith 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) RS Sr Portsmouth, Virginia
G 11 Chris Chiozza 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) So Memphis, Tennessee
G 12 Zach Hodskins (W) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 203 lb (92 kg) So Alpharetta, Georgia
F 13 Kevarrius Hayes 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Fr Live Oak, Florida
G 14 Lexx Edwards (W) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 220 lb (100 kg) RS Sr Orlando, Florida
C 15 John Egbunu 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 255 lb (116 kg) RS So Bauchi, Nigeria
G 20 Jhonny Victor (W) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 178 lb (81 kg) RS Fr Orlando, Florida
F 23 Keith Stone 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 233 lb (106 kg) Fr Deerfield Beach, Florida
F 24 Justin Leon 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 196 lb (89 kg) Jr Conway, Arkansas
F/C 32 Schuyler Rimmer 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Jr Orlando, Florida
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: November 17, 2015

Schedule

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Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
November 5*
7:00 pm
Palm Beach Atlantic W 89–42 
 12  Tied   10  Robinson   7  Chiozza  O'Connell Center (8,123)
Gainesville, FL
Regular season
November 13*
9:30 pm, CBSSN
at Navy
Veterans Classic
W 59–41  1–0
 13  Robinson   12  Finney-Smith   5  Hill  Alumni Hall (5,710)
Annapolis, MD
November 16*
8:00 pm
North Carolina A&T
Hall of Fame Tip Off
W 104–54  2–0
 15  Tied   10  Finney-Smith   8  Hill  O'Connell Center (8,605)
Gainesville, FL
November 21*
2:30 pm, ESPN3
vs. Saint Joseph's
Hall of Fame Tip Off
W 74–63  3–0
 13  Tied   10  Robinson   4  Chiozza  Mohegan Sun Arena (4,507)
Uncasville, CT
November 22*
5:30 pm, ESPN2
vs. No. 21 Purdue
Hall of Fame Tip Off
L 70–85  3–1
 19  Egbunu   8  Finney-Smith   4  Finney-Smith  Mohegan Sun Arena (3,813)
Uncasville, CT
November 25*
3:00 pm, SECN
Vermont
Hall of Fame Tip Off
W 86–62  4–1
 20  Finney-Smith   8  Robinson   6  Finney-Smith  O'Connell Center (8,003)
Gainesville, FL
November 27*
6:30 pm, SECN
Florida Gulf Coast W 70–50  5–1
 23  Finney-Smith   11  Egbunu   3  Tied  O'Connell Center (10,323)
Gainesville, FL
December 1*
7:00 pm, SECN
Richmond W 76–56  6–1
 17  Egbunu   14  Egbunu   7  Finney-Smith  O'Connell Center (8,231)
Gainesville, FL
December 8*
7:00 pm, ESPN2
at No. 17 Miami (FL) L 55–66  6–2
 14  Egbunu   6  Tied   3  Chiozza  BankUnited Center (7,972)
Coral Gables, FL
December 12*
6:00 pm, ESPN2
at No. 1 Michigan State L 52–58  6–3
 13  Tied   9  Robinson   3  Tied  Breslin Center (14,797)
East Lansing, MI
December 19*
8:00 pm, FS1
vs. Oklahoma State
Orange Bowl Classic
W 72–70  7–3
 16  Finney-Smith   9  Finney-Smith   8  Hill  BB&T Center (9,483)
Sunrise, FL
December 22*
7:00 pm
Jacksonville W 89–65  8–3
 15  Allen   7  Hayes   7  Chiozza  O'Connell Center (9,083)
Gainesville, FL
December 29*
7:00 pm, ESPN2
Florida State
Rivalry
L 71–73  8–4
 32  Allen   7  Tied   5  Chiozza  O'Connell Center (10,121)
Gainesville, FL
January 2
8:00 pm, ESPNU
Georgia W 77–63  9–4
(1–0)
 18  Allen   12  Egbunu   6  Chiozza  O'Connell Center (9,053)
Gainesville, FL
January 6
7:00 pm, ESPN2
at Tennessee L 69–83  9–5
(1–1)
 18  Allen   11  Finney-Smith   5  Hill  Thompson–Boling Arena (14,387)
Knoxville, TN
January 9
1:30 pm, CBS
LSU W 68–62  10–5
(2–1)
 14  Tied   9  Leon   8  Chiozza  O'Connell Center (11,350)
Gainesville, FL
January 12
7:00 pm, SECN
at No. 15 Texas A&M L 68–71  10–6
(2–2)
 17  Finney-Smith   12  Finney-Smith   8  Chiozza  Reed Arena (9,766)
College Station, TX
January 16
8:00 pm, ESPN2
at Ole Miss W 80–71  11–6
(3–2)
 27  Allen   10  Finney-Smith   9  Chiozza  The Pavilion at Ole Miss (9,333)
Oxford, MS
January 19
7:00 pm, ESPNU
Mississippi State W 81–78  12–6
(4–2)
 20  Finney-Smith   13  Finney-Smith   5  Chiozza  O'Connell Center (8,250)
Gainesville, FL
January 23
8:00 pm, SECN
Auburn W 95–63  13–6
(5–2)
 24  Finney-Smith   9  Egbunu   8  Chiozza  O'Connell Center (11,230)
Gainesville, FL
January 26
9:00 pm, ESPNU
at Vanderbilt L 59–60  13–7
(5–3)
 16  Allen   14  Finney-Smith   3  Chiozza  Memorial Gymnasium (11,351)
Nashville, TN
January 30*
12:00 pm, ESPN
No. 9 West Virginia
Big 12/SEC Challenge
W 88–71  14–7
 24  Finney-Smith   6  Rimmer   6  Chiozza  O'Connell Center (11,611)
Gainesville, FL
February 3
7:00 pm, SECN
Arkansas W 87–83  15–7
(6–3)
 22  Finney-Smith   9  Finney-Smith   8  Chiozza  O'Connell Center (9,013)
Gainesville, FL
February 6
4:00 pm, CBS
at No. 20 Kentucky
Rivalry
L 61–80  15–8
(6–4)
 24  Finney-Smith   8  Finney-Smith   4  Chiozza  Rupp Arena (24,406)
Lexington, KY
February 9
9:00 pm, ESPNU
Ole Miss W 77–72  16–8
(7–4)
 16  Finney-Smith   10  Egbunu   6  Hill  O'Connell Center (8,345)
Gainesville, FL
February 13
5:30 pm, SECN
Alabama L 55–61  16–9
(7–5)
 12  Tied   12  Robinson   2  Tied  O'Connell Center (12,045)
Gainesville, FL
February 16
9:00 pm, ESPN
at Georgia W 57–53  17–9
(8–5)
 19  Allen   8  Leon   5  Hill  Stegeman Coliseum (8,021)
Athens, GA
February 20
12:00 pm, SECN
at South Carolina L 69–73 OT 17–10
(8–6)
 18  Finney-Smith   13  Finney-Smith   7  Hill  Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Columbia, SC
February 23
7:00 pm, SECN
Vanderbilt L 74–87  17–11
(8–7)
 15  Leon   11  Finney-Smith   5  Hill  O'Connell Center (9,035)
Gainesville, FL
February 27
8:30 pm, ESPN
at LSU L 91–96  17–12
(8–8)
 22  Egbunu   7  Finney-Smith   7  Chiozza  Maravich Center (13,468)
Baton Rouge, LA
March 1
7:00 pm, ESPN
No. 22 Kentucky
Rivalry
L 79–88  17–13
(8–9)
 27  Egbunu   5  Tied   5  Finney-Smith  O'Connell Center (10,684)
Gainesville, FL
March 5
7:30 pm, SECN
at Missouri W 82–72  18–13
(9–9)
 20  Finney-Smith   7  Tied   8  Chiozza  Mizzou Arena (7,013)
Columbia, MO
SEC Tournament
March 10
1:00 pm, SECN
(8) vs. (9) Arkansas
Second Round
W 68–61  19–13
 18  Hill   9  Tied   5  Hill  Bridgestone Arena (12,270)
Nashville, TN
March 11
1:00 pm, SECN
(8) vs. (1) No. 17 Texas A&M
Quarterfinals
L 66–72  19–14
 18  Hill   9  Finney-Smith   2  Hill  Bridgestone Arena (15,222)
Nashville, TN
National Invitation Tournament
March 15*
9:00 pm, ESPNU
(2) at (7) North Florida
First Round – Monmouth Bracket
W 97–68  20–14
 15  Finney-Smith   10  Egbunu   7  Chiozza  UNF Arena (6,011)
Jacksonville, FL
March 20*
Noon, ESPN
(2) at (3) Ohio State
Second Round – Monmouth Bracket
W 74–66  21–14
 16  Finney-Smith   12  Finney-Smith   5  Hill  Value City Arena (8,185)
Columbus, OH
March 23*
7:00 pm, ESPN2
(2) at (4) George Washington
Quarterfinals – Monmouth Bracket
L 77–82  21–15
 22  Allen   8  Finney-Smith   7  Hill  Charles E. Smith Center (3,399)
Washington, D.C.
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern Time.

See also

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References

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