Oklahoma State makes for marquee matchup in Orange Bowl Classic
Tuesday, June 23, 2015 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- For Gators in South Florida, the basketball team's trip to the Metro PCS Orange Bowl Classic each Christmas season usually marks the best chance for the fans in the Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach areas to see the team. UF's foes have always been in the sexy so-called “name opponent” category, but visits down there are rare.
But the announcement Tuesday morning that Florida will face Oklahoma State in the 2015 OBC event at BB&T Center on Dec. 19 represents one of the most attractive match-ups in UF's 17 visits to Sunrise. The Cowboys are coming off an 18-14 season that ended with a first-round loss to Oregon in the NCAA Tournament.
OSU, coached by Travis Ford, beat five ranked opponents last season before going into a late funk -- seven losses in its last eight games -- but still managed to receive an at-large bid from the NCAA selection committee.
Interestingly enough, the game will mark one of two December trips to South Florida for the Gators, who will also play a rare game against Miami at Coral Gables on Dec. 8.
Here's a look back at the 16 previous Orange Bowl Classics. Florida is 14-2 all-time in the event.
Dec. 27, 1997: UAB 80, Florida 73
One of just two losses for the Gators in the OBC came in Coach Billy Donovan's second season.
Dec. 27, 1998: Florida 79, Michigan 63
This was the four-freshmen class, led by Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem, which rolled through the Wolverines, who were armed with Louis Bullock. That UM team went just 12-19 then had to forfeit all their wins due to NCAA violations. Freshman guard Teddy Dupay went 4-for-6 from 3-point range.
Dec. 16, 2000: Florida 85, Gonzaga 71
Would rather have had a win over the Bulldogs two seasons earlier in Phoenix, right?
Dec. 15, 2001: Florida 73, UNC-Charlotte 52
Haslem, who starred at Miami Senior High, had 22 points and 13 rebounds in homecoming here.
Dec. 21, 2002: Florida 94, Miami 93 (2OT)
Matt Walsh poured in a career-high 33 points, but it took a free throw from Justin Hamilton with six seconds left in the second overtime to push the Gators past the Hurricanes. Walsh's points were the most by a UF freshman since Vernon Delancey went for 38 against Alabama in 1981. The game was the first in 12 years against the two in-state programs. UM got 32 points from Darius Rice and 26 from James Jones (the one who just for Cleveland in the 2015 NBA Finals).
Dec. 20, 2003: Florida 70, West Virginia 57
This was Coach John Beilein's second season at WVU. The game was a fraction of forward Christian Drejer's career at Florida. He had 15 points and eight rebounds in 34 minutes. Center David Lee was good for 15 and five.
Nov. 27, 2004: Florida 84, Providence 66
Donovan went 3-0 against his alma mater during his time with the Gators, also sweeping the Friars in a home-and-home series in '05 and '06. This neutral site meeting also was a rare Thanksgiving version of the event.
Dec. 30, 2006: Florida 75, UAB 70
After skipping '05, the Gators were back at Sunrise as defending national champions. They didn't necessarily look the part in this game, but 19 points and five rebounds from Corey Brewer, plus 13 and 13 from Joakim Noah were enough to erase a first-half deficit and beat the Blazers.
Dec. 29, 2007: Florida 86, Temple 69
Marreese Speights scored 20 points and Nick Calathes went for 14 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
Dec. 28, 2008: Florida 74, Winthrop 45
Gators led 53-11 at halftime.
Dec. 19, 2009: Richmond 56, Florida 53
The core of this Spiders team reached the Sweet 16 a season later, but it was David Gonzalvez (16 points, 4-for-10 from 3) and horrendous offense that did in the Gators, who scored just 21 points on 7-for-27 shooting in the second half.
Dec. 18, 2010: Florida 57, Kansas State 54
UF smothered a Wildcats backcourt, led by All-Big 12er Jacob Pullen and Rodney McGruder, into just 8-for-28 from the floor and 2-for-13 from the arc. Florida sophomore Kenny Boynton had 15 points up the road from his hometown of Pompano Beach. Note: Two days later, the Gators lost at home to Jacksonville; two months later, they won the SEC. Go figure.
Dec. 17, 2011: Florida 84, Texas A&M 64
The Aggies had Elston Turner, who a year later went to Kentucky and scored 40, and Khris Middleton, now a 12-per-game scorer in the NBA, but UF put four guys in double-figures (including Boyton with 22 and freshman Bradley Beal with 16) and led by 25 at halftime.
Dec. 29, 2012: Florida 78, Air Force 61
UF was up by just two at the break, but shot nearly 70 percent in the second half.
Dec. 21, 2013: Florida 66, Fresno State 69
Win No. 3 of a 30-game winning streak. Patric Young had 15 points, 6 rebounds.
Dec. 20, 2014: Florida 63, Wake Forest 50
Dorian Finney-Smith had 16 points and six rebounds, while Michael Frazier II took a nasty (and bloody) blow to the head, but returned to score 12 points. Duke transfer Alex Murphy, in his first game since becoming eligible, went for nine points and four rebounds against Coach Danny Manning's Demon Deacons.
