Only three games remain in Florida’s 2023-24 non-conference slate, and Tuesday night’s matchup against the Michigan Wolverines will likely be the last chance for the Gators to secure a Quadrant 2 win outside of SEC play.
On paper, Florida is the better team, but Todd Golden’s group has been shaky over the past few weeks. Beating Richmond 10 days ago was a good sign, but poor performances against Merrimack College in the first half and East Carolina on Thursday have still brought Gator Nation’s confidence level down a notch.
Michigan battled its way back above the .500 mark with a win over Eastern Michigan on Saturday. An opening-round loss in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament and a three-game losing streak have put the Maize and Blue in a tough spot, but now head coach Juwan Howard has returned to lead the program with Florida being the first major test.
This game is part of the Jumpman Invitational series, which both teams played in last season. The Gators lost 62-53 against Oklahoma and North Carolina beat Michigan, 80-76.
It won’t be easy for Florida to walk out of Charlotte, North Carolina with a win Tuesday night, but it’s the kind of test needed in Year 2 of a rebuild.
Here’s everything you need to know about Florida’s matchup with Michigan at the Jumpman Invitational.
| Player | Pos | H/W | Class | Min. | Pts. | Reb. |
| Walter Clayton Jr. | G | 6-2/195 | Junior | 30.5 | 16.5 | 3.8 |
| Riley Kugel | G | 6-5 /207 | Sophomore | 29.1 | 12.4 | 4.3 |
| Will Richard | G | 6-4 /206 | Junior | 30.6 | 9.7 | 4.3 |
| Tyrese Samuel | F | 6-10/239 | Graduate | 27.5 | 13.9 | 8.4 |
| Micah Handlogten | C | 7-1/235 | Sophomore | 16.9 | 6.8 | 6.9 |
| Player | Pos | H/W | Class | Min. | Pts. | Reb. |
| Dug McDaniel | G | 5-11/175 | Sophomore | 35.4 | 17.9 | 3.5 |
| Nimari Burnett | G | 6-4/200 | Graduate | 31.1 | 10.2 | 4.2 |
| Olivier Nkamhoua | F | 6-9/235 | Graduate | 32.1 | 16.5 | 7.3 |
| Terrance Williams II | F | 6-7/225 | Senior | 32.6 | 11.2 | 4.4 |
| Will Tschetter | F | 6-10/265 | Sophomore | 17.8 | 8.8 | 2.8 |
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Big games like this are when Riley Kugel needs to shine the brightest.
Kugel has improved in several areas this season, but 12.4 points per game is a bit low for someone who was projected as a first-round a few months ago. True, his defense has improved and both assists and rebounds per game are up, but the NBA pays for buckets. This is the kind of game where Kugel needs to be the star.
A 20-point night wouldn’t be surprising, and Florida might need every one of those points…
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