# 2016–17 Florida Gators men's basketball team

The 2016–17 Florida Gators men's basketball team represented the University of Florida in the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Gators, led by second year head coach Mike White, competed in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and played their home games at the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. They finished the season 27–9, 14–4 in SEC play to finish in second place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament to Vanderbilt. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated East Tennessee State, Virginia, and Wisconsin before losing to fellow SEC member South Carolina in the Elite Eight.

## Previous season

The Gators finished the 2015–16 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.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| DeVon Walker | 1 | G/F | 6'6" | 203 | RS Junior | Winter Haven, FL | Graduate transferred to Troy |
| Brandone Francis | 2 | G | 6'5" | 205 | RS Freshman | La Romana, Dominican Republic | Transferred to Texas Tech |
| Alex Murphy | 5 | F | 6'8" | 225 | RS Senior | Wakefield, RI | Graduate transferred to Northeastern |
| Dorian Finney-Smith | 10 | F | 6'8" | 220 | RS Senior | Portsmouth, VA | Graduated |
| Zach Hodskins | 12 | G | 6'4" | 203 | Sophomore | Alpharetta, GA | Walk-on; didn't return |
| Lexx Edwards | 14 | G | 6'2" | 220 | RS Senior | Orlando, FL | Walk-on; graduated |
| Jhonny Victor | 20 | G | 6'4" | 178 | RS Freshman | Orlando, FL | Walk-on; didn't return |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Jalen Hudson | 3 | G | 6'5" | 195 | Junior | Akron, OH | Transferred from Virginia Tech. Under NCAA transfer rules, Hudson did not play for the 2016–17 season. Will have two years of remaining eligibility. |
| Canyon Barry | 24 | G | 6'6" | 205 | RS Senior | Colorado Springs, CO | Transferred from College of Charleston. Was eligible to play one season as a graduate transfer. |

### 2016 recruiting class

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Gorjok Gak No. 20 C | Bradenton, FL | Victory Rock Prep | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Apr 24, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 ||||||
| Eric Hester No. 33 PG | Oldsmar, FL | Oldsmar Christian High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Aug 14, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 79 ||||||
| Dontay Bassett No. 63 PF | Oldsmar, FL | Oldsmar Christian High School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Oct 12, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 72 ||||||
| 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: "2016 Florida Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved July 15, 2016. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved July 15, 2016. "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 15, 2016. ||||||

### 2017 recruiting class

College recruiting information (2017) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| DeAundre Ballard SF | Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy | Atlanta, GA | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Apr 18, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 85 |||||||
| Chase Johnson PF | Ripley, WV | Huntington Prep | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Oct 3, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Isaiah Stokes C | Memphis, TN | IMG Academy | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 285 lb (129 kg) | Nov 30, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 85 |||||||
| Mike Okauru PG | Raleigh, NC | Brewster Academy | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Dec 22, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| 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: "2017 Florida Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved July 15, 2016. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved July 15, 2016. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 15, 2016. |||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| October 26, 2016* 7:00 pm | | vs. Eckerd | W 91–63 | – | 18 – Egbunu | 13 – Egbunu | 4 – Chiozza | Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena (1,122) Jacksonville, FL |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 11, 2016* 7:30 pm | | vs. Florida Gulf Coast | W 80–59 | 1–0 | 14 – Robinson | 8 – Egbunu | 4 – Tied | Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena (5,212) Jacksonville, FL |
| November 13, 2016* 8:00 pm, ESPNU | | vs. Mercer | W 76–54 | 2–0 | 17 – Leon | 9 – Robinson | 5 – Allen | Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena (3,716) Jacksonville, FL |
| November 17, 2016* 7:00 pm | | vs. St. Bonaventure Lakeland Showcase | W 73–66 | 3–0 | 16 – Tied | 10 – Egbunu | 4 – Hill | Lakeland Center (4,133) Lakeland, FL |
| November 21, 2016* 7:00 pm, SECN | | vs. Belmont AdvoCare Invitational opening round | W 78–61 | 4–0 | 17 – Barry | 8 – Egbunu | 5 – Hill | Amalie Arena (6,650) Tampa, FL |
| November 24, 2016* 8:30 pm, ESPN2 | | vs. Seton Hall AdvoCare Invitational quarterfinals | W 81–76 | 5–0 | 21 – Allen | 10 – Egbunu | 2 – Tied | HP Field House (1,949) Lake Buena Vista, FL |
| November 25, 2016* 9:30 pm, ESPNU | | vs. No. 11 Gonzaga AdvoCare Invitational semifinals | L 72–77 | 5–1 | 18 – Robinson | 7 – Egbunu | 7 – Hill | HP Field House (2,941) Lake Buena Vista, FL |
| November 27, 2016* 4:30 pm, ESPN2 | | vs. Miami (FL) AdvoCare Invitational 3rd place game | W 65–56 | 6–1 | 16 – Hill | 8 – Stone | 5 – Chiozza | HP Field House (2,305) Lake Buena Vista, FL |
| December 1, 2016* 7:00 pm, ESPN3 | No. 24 | at North Florida | W 91–60 | 7–1 | 16 – Chiozza | 6 – Robinson | 9 – Chiozza | UNF Arena (4,113) Jacksonville, FL |
| December 6, 2016* 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 21 | vs. No. 5 Duke Jimmy V Classic | L 74–84 | 7–2 | 21 – Allen | 12 – Egbunu | 6 – Hill | Madison Square Garden (15,294) New York City, NY |
| December 11, 2016* 4:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 21 | at Florida State Rivalry | L 78–83 | 7–3 | 21 – Hill | 7 – Hayes | 4 – Chiozza | Donald L. Tucker Center (10,029) Tallahassee, FL |
| December 17, 2016* 4:00 pm, FS2 | | vs. Charlotte Orange Bowl Classic | W 87–46 | 8–3 | 16 – Barry | 9 – Robinson | 5 – Hill | BB&T Center Sunrise, FL |
| December 21, 2016* 7:00 pm, SECN | | Little Rock | W 94–71 | 9–3 | 21 – Robinson | 8 – Hayes | 11 – Hill | O'Connell Center (10,655) Gainesville, FL |
| December 29, 2016 7:00 pm, SECN | No. 25 | at Arkansas | W 81–72 | 10–3 (1–0) | 21 – Allen | 11 – Egbunu | 6 – Hill | Bud Walton Arena (16,035) Fayetteville, AR |
| January 3, 2017 7:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 24 | Ole Miss | W 70–63 | 11–3 (2–0) | 20 – Barry | 5 – 4 tied | 5 – Hill | O'Connell Center (10,423) Gainesville, FL |
| January 7, 2017 5:15 pm, ESPN2 | No. 24 | Tennessee | W 83–70 | 12–3 (3–0) | 23 – Allen | 6 – Leon | 7 – Hill | O'Connell Center (10,843) Gainesville, FL |
| January 10, 2017 9:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 23 | at Alabama | W 80–67 | 13–3 (4–0) | 14 – Stone | 6 – Robinson | 4 – Hill | Coleman Coliseum (12,923) Tuscaloosa, AL |
| January 14, 2017 2:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 23 | Georgia | W 80–76 $^{OT}$ | 14–3 (5–0) | 27 – Barry | 11 – Egbunu | 4 – Tied | O'Connell Center (10,376) Gainesville, FL |
| January 18, 2017 6:30 pm, SECN | No. 19 | at No. 24 South Carolina | L 53–57 | 14–4 (5–1) | 13 – Barry | 10 – Robinson | 4 – Chiozza | Colonial Life Arena (15,638) Columbia, SC |
| January 21, 2017 12:00 pm, CBS | No. 19 | Vanderbilt | L 66–68 | 14–5 (5–2) | 29 – Allen | 6 – Tied | 7 – Hill | O'Connell Center (10,523) Gainesville, FL |
| January 25, 2017 9:00 pm, SECN | No. 25 | at LSU | W 106–71 | 15–5 (6–2) | 24 – Robinson | 8 – Robinson | 10 – Chiozza | Maravich Center (7,009) Baton Rouge, LA |
| January 28, 2017* 2:00 pm, ESPN | No. 25 | at Oklahoma Big 12/SEC Challenge | W 84–52 | 16–5 (6–2) | 20 – Hayes | 9 – Hayes | 8 – Hill | Lloyd Noble Center (7,970) Norman, OK |
| February 2, 2017 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 24 | Missouri | W 93–54 | 17–5 (7–2) | 17 – Barry | 12 – Chiozza | 10 – Chiozza | O'Connell Center (10,153) Gainesville, FL |
| February 4, 2017 8:15 pm, ESPN | No. 24 | No. 8 Kentucky Rivalry, College GameDay | W 88–66 | 18–5 (8–2) | 21 – Hill | 9 – Tied | 9 – Chiozza | O'Connell Center (11,171) Gainesville, FL |
| February 7, 2017 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 17 | at Georgia | W 72–60 | 19–5 (9–2) | 15 – Chiozza | 7 – Leon | 5 – Hill | Stegeman Coliseum (7,605) Atlanta, GA |
| February 11, 2017 12:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 17 | Texas A&M | W 71–62 | 20–5 (10–2) | 18 – Leon | 10 – Egbunu | 5 – Tied | O'Connell Center (10,732) Gainesville, FL |
| February 14, 2017 7:00 pm, SECN | No. 15 | at Auburn | W 114–95 | 21–5 (11–2) | 30 – Barry | 8 – Leon | 12 – Hill | Auburn Arena (7,572) Auburn, AL |
| February 18, 2017 2:00 pm, ESPN | No. 15 | at Mississippi State | W 57–52 | 22–5 (12–2) | 14 – Chiozza | 10 – Tied | 2 – Tied | Humphrey Coliseum (7,980) Starkville, MS |
| February 21, 2017 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 13 | South Carolina | W 81–66 | 23–5 (13–2) | 26 – Allen | 7 – Allen | 4 – Chiozza | O'Connell Center (11,051) Gainesville, FL |
| February 25, 2017 2:00 pm, CBS | No. 13 | at No. 11 Kentucky Rivalry | L 66–76 | 23–6 (13–3) | 24 – Allen | 11 – Robinson | 5 – Chiozza | Rupp Arena (24,431) Lexington, KY |
| March 1, 2017 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 12 | Arkansas | W 78–65 | 24–6 (14–3) | 14 – Barry | 8 – Hayes | 4 – Hill | O'Connell Center (10,978) Gainesville, FL |
| March 4, 2017 2:00 pm, ESPN | No. 12 | at Vanderbilt | L 71–73 | 24–7 (14–4) | 15 – Barry | 6 – Robinson | 4 – Chiozza | Memorial Gymnasium (10,431) Nashville, TN |
| SEC Tournament |||||||||
| March 10, 2017 7:00 pm, SECN | (2) No. 17 | vs. (7) Vanderbilt Quarterfinals | L 62–72 $^{OT}$ | 24–8 | 16 – Allen | 10 – Robinson | 2 – Hill | Bridgestone Arena (14,227) Nashville, TN |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 16, 2017 3:10 pm, truTV | (4 E) No. 20 | vs. (13 E) East Tennessee State First Round | W 80–65 | 25–8 | 24 – Robinson | 7 – Tied | 5 – Hill | Amway Center (15,037) Orlando, FL |
| March 18, 2017 8:40 pm, TNT | (4 E) No. 20 | vs. (5 E) No. 24 Virginia Second Round | W 65–39 | 26–8 | 14 – Robinson | 11 – Robinson | 5 – Chiozza | Amway Center (17,308) Orlando, FL |
| March 24, 2017 9:59 pm, TBS | (4 E) No. 20 | vs. (8 E) No. 25 Wisconsin Sweet Sixteen | W 84–83 $^{OT}$ | 27–8 | 35 – Allen | 8 – Leon | 5 – Chiozza | Madison Square Garden (20,047) New York City, NY |
| March 26, 2017 2:20 pm, CBS | (4 E) No. 20 | vs. (7 E) South Carolina Elite Eight | L 70–77 | 27–9 | 18 – Leon | 7 – Leon | 5 – Hill | Madison Square Garden (20,047) New York City, NY |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. E=East Region. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final |
| AP | RV | RV | RV | 24 | 21 | RV | RV | 25 | 24 | 23 | 19 | 25 | 24 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 20 | Not released |
| Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | 21 | RV | RV | RV | 24 | 23 | 19 | 25 | 23 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 10 |
*AP does not release post-NCAA tournament rankings