Gators travel to MSG to take on Memphis in the Jimmy V Classic

The Gators return from an extended break to take on the Memphis Tigers at Madison Square Garden. The game is part of the Jimmy V Classic, named in honor of the famed North Carolina State coach, Jim Valvano, who succumbed to cancer. The Gators received good news on Saturday when 2013 recruit and McDonald's All-American, Chris Walker, became eligible to join the team following his completion of course work.  Walker had to wait until the end of the fall semester in order to seek enrollment. At 6'10", he would give the Gator front line much-needed depth. He will not, however, be eligible to play tonight due to his status with the NCAA. The governing body needs to clear him before he can be eligible for games. While the announcement of Walker is positive, there continues to be negative news surrounding Damontre Harris, who has been suspended from all team activities since the off season. Coach Billy Donovan said Monday that he cannot see Harris ever playing for Florida. The transfer from South Carolina sat out last season per NCAA regulations and did not have any incidents. The former All-SEC Defensive Team selection was supposed to provide a big presence in the paint, with his shot-blocking ability.

Meanwhile, the Gators finish their gauntlet of challenging games, complete with wins over Florida State and Kansas, and a buzzer-beating loss at UCONN. To go 3-1 over that stretch would be more than commedable; 2-2 would be slightly disappointing. The team is getting healthier, with Kasey Hill (ankle) and DeVon Walker(foot) being the biggest concerns in recent weeks. Both suited up for the Kansas game, but Walker did not play and Hill played a limited amount of minutes. It will be interesting to see how much playing time Jacob Kurtz receives tonight, as Donovan said in his post-game remarks that he felt that he should have played the walk-on more against Kansas. Tonight's game will be a special one for Casey Leather, who is from Jackson , Tennessee, and played against many of the Tigers in high school. This game also holds special significance for Donovan, who is from Long Island and played for the New York Knicks, and assistant coach, Rashon Burno, who hails from Jersey City, New Jersey, just across the river from the Big Apple.

The tip is at 9:30 (tentatively) and will be broadcast on ESPN.

What you need to know: University of North Florida

Game 1: University of North Florida Ospreys (0-0, 0-0 Atlantic Sun) at #10 University of Florida Gators (0-0, 0-0 SEC)
Stephen C. O'Connell Center (capacity: 11,548), Gainesville, Florida 3:00 p.m.

Another college basketball season is upon us.  The Gators played one exhibition game, last Friday against Florida Southern (won 110-88).  Ranked 10th in the AP Poll, Florida opens with the University of North Florida.  The Gators have been highly overranked to begin the season, in my opinion.  There is so much uncertainty surrounding this team that, as fans, we might need to be patient over the first month or so as the the roster gets back to 100%.  Senior point guard Scottie Wilbekin, who was suspended indefinitely in the offseason for a violation of team rules (was suspended for same violation last season), did not play in the exhibition game and there is no timetable for his return.  Two transfers are also suspended indefinitely: redshirt junior center Damontre Harris and redshirt sophomore guard/forward Dorian Finney Smith.  In addition, senior forward Will Yeguete (offseason knee surgery) and junior transfer Eli Carter (broken leg last season at Rutgers) are still not at full strength, but have been practicing.  Freshman point guard Kasey Hill has been dealing with back issues this week, but will play today.  To make matters worse, sophomore guard Michael Frazier has been dealing with mono and he hasn't practiced except for non-contact drills in recent practices.  Fortunately, he will be available to play today but I'm not sure how much action he'll see considering his limited practice time and recovery from the illness.  Assuming Frazier dresses, the Gators will have 10 active players (three suspended players) for this afternoon's contest.

In the news conference yesterday, senior center (and likely team captain) Patric Young said that he's continuing to work on his free throws (55% shooter over his career).  He made seven out of ten in the exhibition game and his form looked more natural and free-flowing.  Young has also slimmed down ten pounds which will hopefully help with his stamina.  Bringing a consistent energy and intensity level has always been a struggle for him, and we've all seen the differences when he's playing at a high level and so-so level.  He can be a complete game-changer depending on which Patric Young shows up.

Sophomore guard/forward DeVon Walker has improved his shooting dramatically during the offseason.  Head coach Billy Donovan sees him contributing as a member of the perimeter rotation.  Donovan actually gave him the option of redshirting, but Walker trusted Donovan that there would be minutes available if he kept playing well.  Due to the injuries/suspensions, Walker will find himself in the starting lineup today.  He only made one out of five 3-pointers in the exhibition game, but don't expect that to be the norm after all the reports from Walker and his teammates regarding his improved shooting.

Projected Florida starting lineup for this afternoon's game:

#0 Kasey Hill (6'1", 181 lbs. FR)
#25 DeVon Walker (6'6", 195 lbs. SO)
#24 Casey Prather (6'6", 212 lbs. SR)
#15 Will Yeguete (6'8", 230 lbs. SR)
#4 Patric Young (6'9", 240 lbs. SR)

Broadcast Information

TV: Sun Sports; Larry Vettel (play-by-play) and Mark Wise (analyst)
Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network; Mick Hubert (play-by-play) and Bill Koss (analyst)
Streaming: ESPN3.com