This is the 15th time Florida has earned a bid to compete in the NCAA Championship.
The Gators are Dancing!
Monday, March 14, 2016 | Women's Basketball
Florida earned the No. 5 Seed in NCAA Tournament.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gator Room filled with nearly 150 invited fans and family members erupted when it was announced on ESPN that the University of Florida women's basketball team received an at-large berth into the 2016 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament, where the Gators earned the No. 5 seed in the Sioux Falls Region and will face 12-seeded Albany (NY) on Friday, March 18, at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.
Tip-off between the Gators (22-8) and Great Danes (27-4) is set for 12 Noon ET and will be televised live on ESPN2.
The winner of that first round contest advances to the NCAA second round to play the winner of the game between host and No. 4 seed Syracuse (25-7) and 13-seeded Army (29-2), which will tip off at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2 following the Gators vs. Great Danes match-up. That second round contest will be held on Sunday, March 20.
This is the 15th time Florida has earned a bid to compete in the NCAA Championship, with the most recent selection coming in 2014 when the Gators were the No. 11 seed, defeated 6-seed Dayton, before falling to 3-seed and host Penn State in the second round.
Monday's announcement placed Florida in a postseason tournament for the 21st time in the last 24 years, including eight of nine seasons under head coach Amanda Butler, who became the first-ever Gator coach to guide the program to a postseason appearance in each of their first seven years.
It will be the first ever meeting between Florida and UAlbany, which won its fifth consecutive America East Tournament championship.
Florida in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at a Glance
NCAA Interactive Bracket:
http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/basketball-women/d1
NCAA Bracket (PDF):
http://i.turner.ncaa.com/sites/default/files/external/gametool/brackets/women_2016_final_w_records.pdf
Quotes from the Court – UF Head Coach Amanda Butler
On learning the Gators' fate in the NCAA Tournament…
"We are excited. We are excited to have earned the opportunity to be in this tournament. We are extremely grateful for another chance to play in this new season. Our team has worked really hard in the time off and we have a great opponent in Albany and we are totally focused on them now."
On being back in the NCAA Tournament…
"I think that is where your gratitude level goes up that much more. You are able to appreciate it that much more when something gets taken away from you and you can be grateful and appreciate it that much. It is a feeling and a great reward for our players. It is the start of something special hopefully."
On being the No. 5 seed in the region…
"We really didn't spend a lot of time talking about that. We take pride in our program in focusing on the things that we are in control of and we have now control over our seed, location or opponent. We just wanted to be focused on us and be ready. Albany doesn't care what number is in front of their name or what number is in front of our name. They are just going to be ready to play and so are we."
On the nine SEC schools making the tournament…
"Well, I said this earlier today in media that our league this was amazing. There was no question that we deserved nine teams in the tournament. It is great to see our league get rewarded with the amount of competitiveness that went on this year. I think it also gives you a greater idea as to the special year that South Carolina had to get a No. 1 seed and go undefeated this year. There's no question that nine teams deserve to be in and I am just happy for the strength of our league to show up like that."
On whether Florida has looked at Albany at all this year…
"You know what I know their coach really well. She does a great job. She has done the best job in their league the past couple of years. They have a fantastic senior on their team in Richards. They played Tennessee early on this year, really close. That is all that I know about that at this point. By the end of the evening, I will know a lot more, but they will be ready and playing in their home state. They won't have to travel as far as us and I am sure they will be excited about that."
On the state of Florida sending five schools to the NCAA Tournament:
"It's kind of neat. It's a great credit to our local coaches and the job that they are doing for all the players who are staying here in the state and playing for their home universities. We've got some great coaches in our state. I'm really happy for my friend down in Miami, Katie Meier. We know what Florida State is like. We scrimmaged South Florida in the preseason and they are a really good team. I think this shines a really bright light on our state and the level of basketball we're playing down here."
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Coach Amanda Butler on Twitter
Tip-off between the Gators (22-8) and Great Danes (27-4) is set for 12 Noon ET and will be televised live on ESPN2.
- WATCH the excitement of when the Gators officially learned they had earned an NCAA Tournament berth!
The winner of that first round contest advances to the NCAA second round to play the winner of the game between host and No. 4 seed Syracuse (25-7) and 13-seeded Army (29-2), which will tip off at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2 following the Gators vs. Great Danes match-up. That second round contest will be held on Sunday, March 20.
This is the 15th time Florida has earned a bid to compete in the NCAA Championship, with the most recent selection coming in 2014 when the Gators were the No. 11 seed, defeated 6-seed Dayton, before falling to 3-seed and host Penn State in the second round.
Monday's announcement placed Florida in a postseason tournament for the 21st time in the last 24 years, including eight of nine seasons under head coach Amanda Butler, who became the first-ever Gator coach to guide the program to a postseason appearance in each of their first seven years.
It will be the first ever meeting between Florida and UAlbany, which won its fifth consecutive America East Tournament championship.
Florida in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at a Glance
- The 2016 NCAA berth is Florida's 22nd postseason berth in program history (15 NCAA, 7 WNIT & NWIT).
- Florida sports a 12-14 all-time record in NCAA play, with the best showing a Regional Final appearance in 1997.
- The No. 5 seed is UF's highest since earning the No. 5 seed in 2004
- Florida played 13 games against 10 different teams that earned an NCAA Tournament berth in 2016, posting a 6-7 record against those teams.
- Florida is one of nine teams from the Southeastern Conference that earned a bid to the 2016 NCAA Championship. This is a league record and ties the NCAA record of teams from one conference (Big East in 2011).
- Florida is one of five schools from the Sunshine State to make the field of 64, joining Florida State, Jacksonville, Miami and South Florida.
NCAA Interactive Bracket:
http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/basketball-women/d1
NCAA Bracket (PDF):
http://i.turner.ncaa.com/sites/default/files/external/gametool/brackets/women_2016_final_w_records.pdf
Quotes from the Court – UF Head Coach Amanda Butler
On learning the Gators' fate in the NCAA Tournament…
"We are excited. We are excited to have earned the opportunity to be in this tournament. We are extremely grateful for another chance to play in this new season. Our team has worked really hard in the time off and we have a great opponent in Albany and we are totally focused on them now."
On being back in the NCAA Tournament…
"I think that is where your gratitude level goes up that much more. You are able to appreciate it that much more when something gets taken away from you and you can be grateful and appreciate it that much. It is a feeling and a great reward for our players. It is the start of something special hopefully."
On being the No. 5 seed in the region…
"We really didn't spend a lot of time talking about that. We take pride in our program in focusing on the things that we are in control of and we have now control over our seed, location or opponent. We just wanted to be focused on us and be ready. Albany doesn't care what number is in front of their name or what number is in front of our name. They are just going to be ready to play and so are we."
On the nine SEC schools making the tournament…
"Well, I said this earlier today in media that our league this was amazing. There was no question that we deserved nine teams in the tournament. It is great to see our league get rewarded with the amount of competitiveness that went on this year. I think it also gives you a greater idea as to the special year that South Carolina had to get a No. 1 seed and go undefeated this year. There's no question that nine teams deserve to be in and I am just happy for the strength of our league to show up like that."
On whether Florida has looked at Albany at all this year…
"You know what I know their coach really well. She does a great job. She has done the best job in their league the past couple of years. They have a fantastic senior on their team in Richards. They played Tennessee early on this year, really close. That is all that I know about that at this point. By the end of the evening, I will know a lot more, but they will be ready and playing in their home state. They won't have to travel as far as us and I am sure they will be excited about that."
On the state of Florida sending five schools to the NCAA Tournament:
"It's kind of neat. It's a great credit to our local coaches and the job that they are doing for all the players who are staying here in the state and playing for their home universities. We've got some great coaches in our state. I'm really happy for my friend down in Miami, Katie Meier. We know what Florida State is like. We scrimmaged South Florida in the preseason and they are a really good team. I think this shines a really bright light on our state and the level of basketball we're playing down here."
FOLLOW THE GATORS:
FloridaGators.com
Coach Amanda Butler on Twitter
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