Florida looks to make an enormous improvement in the 2019-20 season. The team is coming off the 2018-19 with an 8-23 overall record and a second-round finish in the 2019 Southeastern Conference Tournament.
Florida lost four of its players following last season including Funda Nakkasoglu and Delicia Washington. The Gators are expected to have seven returners and five newcomers on the roster to start 2019-20. Four of the new players on the team are freshmen. All of them earned four-star ratings on ESPN’s class of 2019 list.
With college basketball right around the corner, Florida looks forward to having a tremendous 2019-20 season.
Returners
Kiara Smith, G, 5-10, R-Jr., District Heights, Md.
Last Season: 7.1 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game, 3.4 assists per game, 1.5 steals per game, 0.1 blocks per game
 |
| Photo Credit: Sam Stolte |
Kiara Smith will play a pivotal role for the Gators this season. The 2018-19 season was her first season at UF and she became a spark for the team. During that time, Smith scored double digits in 11 games throughout the season. Smith was also outstanding from behind the arc hitting 25 out of 104 three-pointers. Not only is she a terrific shooter, she is also dominant in the assists and steals category. Smith led the Gators in both of those categories last season. She recorded one or more assists in all of Florida’s 31 games and finished with a total of 105 by the end of the season. Smith also tallied two or more steals in 16 games including a season-high four steals against Ole Miss. Her best game in a Florida jersey came against Arkansas when she notched her first double-double of her playing career. During that game, Smith had 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Danielle Rainey, G, 5-10, R-Jr., Washington D.C.
Last Season: 8.2 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game, 1.2 assists per game, 0.5 steals per game, 0.1 blocks per game
 |
| Photo Credit: Sam Stolte |
Shots are going to be raining in the O’Connell Center in the 2019-20 season. Many of those shots will come from none other than Danielle Rainey. The redshirt junior guard from DC returns after an impressive first season with Florida. Rainey scored in double-figures in seven out of the 22 games she played in. She recorded her first season high of her career after scoring 20 points against Kentucky. Rainey garnered her first double-double in her playing career with a 17 point and 11 rebound performance against Arkansas. What makes her standout from the team is that she is an outstanding three-point shooter. Rainey finished the 2018-19 season with 28 made triples which was ranked third on the team. She has contributed one or more made treys in 13 games. Rainey had a game-high five three pointers in the Gators’ upset over Missouri.
Emanuely de Oliveira, G, 5-10,
So., Criciuma, Brazil
Last Season: 3.8 points per game, 2.5 rebounds per game, 0.5 assists per game, 0.4 steals per game
 |
| Photo Credit: Sam Stolte |
Emanuely de Oliveira looks to improve her numbers during the 2019-20 season. The guard from Brazil played in all 31 games making 40 out of 132 field goals with 21 out of 74 of them from behind the arc. De Oliveira racked up 117 points to close out her freshman campaign. Her best two games came at Texas Tech and Georgia when she registered 10 and 11 points, respectively. De Oliveira also provides tremendous versatility on the defensive end and shows the ability to guard multiple positions. One of her best games on the defensive end came against Florida A&M when she notched a season-high four steals.
Zada Williams, F, 6-2, R-Sr., Babson Park, Fla.
Last Season: 8.0 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game, 0.6 assists per game, 0.8 steals per game, 0.3 blocks per game
 |
| Photo Credit: Sam Stolte |
With her final season at the collegiate level approaching, Zada Williams looks to shine on the court for the Gators. The redshirt senior from Babson Park, Florida played in her first season with the team in 2018-19 after transferring from Miami. Williams put on a show on both the offensive and defensive end. She tallied 247 points ranking her as the third-best scorer on the team. Williams racked up double-digits in the scoring column in 11 of the games. She is also dominant in rebounding and finished last season with a total of 150. Williams grabbed one or more rebounds in all 31 games. She set her best record against Gardner-Webb and Texas Tech after recording 10 and 12 respectively. With the departure of the team’s top two players from last season, Williams is expected to take on an increased role for Florida in 2019-20.
Kristina Moore, F, 6-1, So., Sydney, Australia
Last Season: 4.9 points per game, 2.3 rebounds per game, 0.6 assists per game, 0.3 steals per game, 0.3 blocks per game
 |
| Photo Credit: Sam Stolte |
With the departure of Funda Nakkasoglu, Florida will have to look to another Australian to fill in the gaps. Kristina Moore saw action in 20 games in her first season with the Gators. The Aussie native drained two or more field goals in 10 games. She registered 10-plus points in three of them and registered her highest scoring game against Utah (12). Moore continued to show her presence on the court as a freshman until she suffered an injury to the arm. With freshman year behind, she will be looking forward to making a comeback on the court this season.
Ariel Johnson, G, 5-9, So., Tracy, Calif.
Last Season: 5.3 points per game, 2.7 rebounds per game, 1.6 assists per game, 0.5 steals per game, 0.1 blocks per game
 |
| Photo Credit: Sam Stolte |
Ariel Johnson returns to the team for the 2019-20 season after an impressive first season. What makes California native standout from the others is her ability to shoot the three. She was ranked second behind Funda Nakkasoglu in that category last season after draining 38 of her 118 shots from behind the arc. Johnson also scored three to four triples in three consecutive non-conference games (Texas Tech, Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M) and an SEC matchup against Alabama. Now that Nakkasoglu has graduated, Johnson could be one of the best three-point shooters in 2019-20.
Paige Robinson, F, 6-4, Sr., London, England
Last Season: 2.2 points per game, 3.2 rebounds per game, 0.3 assists per game, 0.3 steals per game, 0.3 blocks per game
 |
| Photo Credit: Sam Stolte |
The team’s block leader is coming back for her final season with the Gators. She recorded a block in nine games that included a season-high two blocks against Vanderbilt. Robinson also played an enormous role in the team’s rebounding. She was ranked No. 4 on the team with a total of 97 boards. Robinson grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds against Northeastern. In addition to her rebounds and blocks, Robinson also had her best scoring performance tallying four to eight points in six games. The forward from England will look to improve her numbers in the 2019-20 season.
New Gators
Emer Nichols, C, 6-5, R-So.,
Pearland, Texas
 |
| Photo Credit: Sam Stolte |
Florida will be adding some size into the lineup this season. Emer Nichols will make her debut with the Gators in the 2019-20 season. The redshirt-sophomore center transferred to the Swamp after her freshman season at Texas A&M. While playing for the Aggies, Nichols contributed four points each in two of the 12 games she appeared in. Florida has not had any centers on the team since Tyshara Fleming (2015-17). Now with the addition of Nichols, the Gators will add post play depth to their backcourt this season.
Brylee Bartram, G, Fr., Tampa, Fla.
 |
| Photo Credit: Sam Stolte |
Florida will have a talented freshmen class in the 2019-20 season. The Gators signed four players to their roster. The team’s first commit came from Tampa native and three-point specialist Brylee Bartram. She comes to Gainesville after concluding a successful high school career at Seffner Christian Academy. While playing for the school, Bartram broke the record for most made triples in high school boys and girls basketball history. She had drained 533 three-pointers upon the conclusion of her playing career at Seffner Christian. Bartram’s versatility from behind the arc earned her the recipient of the Florida 4A Player of the Year Award in 2018. She also was recognized as one of the top-80 (No. 79) players on Prospects Nation’s class of 2019 rankings. Bartram may be a freshman, but she will be shooting lights out in the 2019-20 season.
Lavender Briggs, G, Fr., Provo, Utah
 |
| Photo Credit: Sam Stolte |
Lavender Briggs is another player Florida looks forward to having this season. The standout from Provo High School brings an outstanding basketball resume to the Swamp. Briggs averaged double figures in both points and rebounds during her junior and senior season. It was during her final year that she led Provo to the 2019 Class 5A State Tournament. Briggs collected numerous honors including 2018 All-Valley Defensive Player of the Year and 2018-19 All-USA Utah First Team. The highlight of her senior year was setting the record for most points in a game with 53 points. ESPN ranked Briggs as the 14th best guard and 48th best overall player in the Class of 2019. Outside of high school ball, she participated in the 2019 Jordan Brand Classic and 2018 U17 U.S. National Team trials. Briggs will be a player to watch as she begins her first season with the Gators.
Nina Rickards, G, Fr., Queens, N.Y.
 |
| Photo Credit: Sam Stolte |
Of all the freshmen on the roster this season, Florida will have another standout in Nina Rickards. She comes to Gainesville after a tremendous career at Christ the King Regional High School. The five-foot-nine guard was also a part of two straight Catholic School state titles and the 2019 New York AA Federation title. Her excellence on the court earned her a top 20 spot (No. 22) on ESPN’s Class of 2019 guard list. Rickards versatility on the court will play a pivotal role in the Gators’ success this season.
Faith Dut, G, Fr., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
 |
| Photo Credit: Cam Kinzer |
Making the leap to the Swamp from Canada, freshman Faith Dut will be another freshman to watch in the 2019-20 season. The Vancouver native brings years of high school and Canadian National team experience to the Gators. Dut was a star for the Semiamhoo Secondary School where she helped the team win the 2019 AAA Senior Girls Basketball Provincial Championship. She was also a part of the U17 and U19 teams for Canada and gained experience in multiple tournaments. Dut’s most recent event with the squad was at the 2019 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup. Canada finished in sixth place during the tournament. Dut will be the third player overall from the Maple Leaf and the first since Trish Patterson (2001-03) to play for Florida.
Coaching Staff
Cam Newbauer, Third Season
 |
| Photo Credit: Piper Hansen |
Cam Newbauer is entering his third year as head coach for the Gators. He was hired to take over the Gators in 2017.
Before coming to the Swamp, Newbauer began his head coaching tenure at Belmont in Nashville, Tenn. During his four years with the team, he guided the Bruins to a 79-50 record which included two Ohio Valley Conference titles (2016, 2017), two NCAA tournament appearances (2016, 2017) and one WNIT tournament appearance (2014). Several of the Belmont players went on to receive OVC honors.
Newbauer spent time on the bench as an assistant coach for both the women’s and men’s basketball at three different schools.
He was hired by the coaching staff at Louisville in 2012. During the 2012-13 season, the Cardinals were the Cinderella team in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Louisville made history by beating top-seeded Baylor in the Sweet 16 and making it to the National Championship game.
Newbauer was on staff with Georgia from 2007 to 2012. He played a role in the recruiting process in 2008 and 2009, when the Bulldogs landed top 10 classes. It was during those years that both recruiting classes were rank out of the 10 best in women’s basketball.
Before switching to women’s basketball, Newbauer spent time on the men’s side as an assistant coach at Siena durin the 2004-05 season.
Newbauer spent his early years of his career serving as director of operations at both Siena and Georgia.
Newbauer began his collegiate career at Madonna College in 1997. He later returned home to play at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. While studying for his masters at Georgia, he served as a grad assistant for the men’s team.
Newbauer lives in Gainesville with his wife Sarah and three daughters.
Kelly Rae Finley, Third Season
 |
| Photo Credit: Piper Hansen |
Kelly Rae Finley begins her third season on the Florida coaching staff and her first season in a new role. On May 29, 2019, she was named associate head coach for the 2019-20 season.
Since joining the Gators, Finley played a key role in the team’s recruitment. Florida’s most recent recruiting class was ranked in the top 30 (No. 26).
Before Florida, Finley spent time as an assistant coach at Arizona (2016-17), Colorado (2012-16) and Harvard (2009-12). It was during those years that she was a part of the team’s success in recruiting. Arizona was ranked in the top 40 (No. 34) in 2016 while Colorado was a part of the 2015 top 25 list.
While on the coaching staff at Harvard and Colorado, Finley was a part of five post season tournament appearances. The Crimson participated in the WNIT in three consecutive seasons (2010-12). The Buffs also participated in the WNIT in 2012 and finished the season in the quarterfinals. Colorado earned a bid to the NCAA tournament in 2013.
Finley graduated from Harvard with a master’s in organizational leadership and Non-Profit Management. During that time, she served as a volunteer coach for the Crimson during the 2008-09 season.
Finley was a standout player at Colorado State (2006-08). She graduated with a bachelor’s in Human Development & Family Studies in 2008.
Finley is a native of Edina, Minnesota and currently resides in Gainesville.
John McCray, Third Season
 |
| Photo Credit: Piper Hansen |
John McCray enters his third year with Florida in the 2019-20 season. He was hired by Newbauer to join the coaching staff in 2017.
McCray has been a help recruitment since joining the staff. He was also a part of signing four-star players from the class of 2019.
Before arriving in the Swamp, McCray spent four years as an assistant coach with Jim Foster at Chattanooga. While he was there, the Mocs won the Southern Conference tournament and made the NCAA Tournament four years in a row (2014-17).
McCray earned his master’s degree in Organization, Development, and Leadership at Saint Joseph’s in 2016. He also joined the women’s basketball staff as a graduate assistant. McCray also had the opportunity to serve as interim assistant coach for a short period of time. During the 2012-13 season, Saint Joseph’s won the Atlantic 10 Tournament.
McCray graduated in 2011 from Ohio State with his bachelor’s in Sports and Leisure Studies. While attending the university, he served one year as the women’s basketball team’s video assistant. It was during the 2010-11 season that the Buckeyes won the Big Ten Tournament.
Outside of college basketball, McCray spent time as Athletics Director at Veritas Academy in Columbus Ohio for two years (2009-11). He also spent a year each on the boys (2008-09) and girls (2009-10) basketball coaching staff.
McCray hails from Cleveland and is currently living in Gainesville.
Erika Lang-Montgomery, First Season
 |
| Photo Credit: Sam Stolte |
Former Gator standout Erika Lang-Montgomery enters her first season with the team. She replaces Laura Harper who is now the Head Coach at Montverde Academy.
Lang-Montgomery spent 10 seasons as the head coach at Division II Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida. She was named Coach of the Year by the Peach Belt Conference in 2019 and coached several players to conference honors. The highlight of Lang-Montgomery’s tenure was being a part of Flagler’s move to NCAA Division II.
Lang-Montgomery has been a part of numerous coaching staffs at the Division I level. Stops included North Texas (2008-09), Wichita State (2003-08), Wisconsin (2000-03), Southern California (1997-00) Florida State (1996-97) and Purdue (1995-96). While with the Trojans, Lang-Montgomery helped land top ranked recruiting classes for two straight seasons. During her stint at Purdue, the Boilmakers made a trip to the 1996 NCAA Tournament where they finished in the second round.
Lang-Montgomery played college ball at Florida from 1988 to 1992. By the time her career ended, she had 962 points and 647 rebounds. Lang-Montgomery had a phenomenal freshman year as she led the team in blocks and was named to the 1989 SEC All-Freshman team. She remained on the team as a student assistant for the 1992-93 season following the conclusion of her playing career. Lang-Montgomery holds a bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science with Specialization in Sport Administration.
Lang-Montgomery is a native of Jacksonville, Florida. She is married to her husband Larry and they reside in Gainesville with their two sons.
Non-Conference
Florida will be playing a tough non-conference schedule this season. The positive is that eight of those games will be played at the O’Connell Center.
The Gators will begin the season at Grambling State on Nov. 5. The Tigers finished the 2018-19 season with an overall record of 16-16. The team also lost their top two leading scorers Shakyla Hill (18.9 points per game) and Jazmin Boyd (12.8 per game) to graduation. This will be the first time the two teams will play against each other.
Florida will open at the O’Connell Center on Nov. 10 against Longwood. Lancers Head Coach Rebecca Tillett enters her second year as head coach. Last season, Longwood finished the season with a 3-27 record. The team’s leading scorer Dayna Rouse returns for her final season with the Lancers. She averaged 14.4 points per game while recording a total of 41 blocks. Florida last played Longwood in Gainesville in 2014 and came out with a 91-46 victory.
There will be some familiar faces when the Gators host Samford especially for the head coaches. First year head coach Carley Kuhns served on Newbauer’s staff at Belmont. This will be the first time they will be coaching on opposite sides. Kuhns was hired to lead the program after Mike Morris announced his retirement. In the 2018-19 season, Samford finished with a 10-20 overall record. The Bulldogs return 11 players from last year including leading scorer and rebounder Natalie Armstrong (10.3 points per game, 6.0 rebounds per game). This will be the second meeting between the two teams. Florida last hosted Samford on their home court in 2011. The Gators would go on to beat the Bulldogs 81-56.
Presbyterian will be the second team from the Big South on Florida’s 2019-20 schedule. The Blue Hose concluded last season with a 7-24 record. The team’s leading scorer Kacie Hall returns for her final year of college basketball. Last season, the five-foot-seven guard averaged 12.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. This game will be the first meeting for the two teams.
Indiana will be another tough opponent for the Gators this season. It will also be a familiar foe for Newbauer since he grew up in the Hoosiers State. His sister Andrea Newbauer was a part of that squad from 2010 to 2014. The Hoosiers made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2019. Leading scorer Ali Patburg (15.8 per game) and leading rebounder Brenna Wise (6.8 per game) are set to return to the team this season. Florida and Indiana have faced each other in four meetings. The Hoosiers have won three games in the series including the last matchup in 2018, Indiana claimed an 83-64 victory in Gainesville.
It will be the battle of Florida on Nov. 26 when Florida State comes to the Swamp. The Gators lead the series 42-33 but have not won a game against the Seminoles since 2015. Florida State is coming off a second-round finish in the 2019 NCAA Tournament. The Seminoles’ all-around player Kiah Gillespie is back after an impressive first season with the team. Florida State hosted Florida last season in Tallahassee and won the game 63-56.
Florida will meet Florida A&M for the 15th time in the series. The Gators currently lead the Rattlers 9-5 and won last season’s meeting 62-38. Florida A&M ended the 2018-19 season with a 4-25 overall record.
After playing at home for six games, Florida will head out to Texas to take on Prairie View A&M. The Panthers ended last season in the first round of the 2019 WNIT Tournament and a record of 17-14. Both teams last played each other in Gainesville back in 2007. The Gators prevailed over the Panthers by a narrow margin score of 69-63. This year will mark the second meeting between the two teams.
Florida will play the Big 12/SEC matchup at Kansas on Dec. 8. The Jayhawks ended the season with a 13-18 record. Kansas also lost four of its top scorers from last season. Kansas and Florida first met in 1994 at a tournament in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Gators won that matchup by two points, 58-56.
This is the second year in a row that Florida will face Mercer. The Gators lost to the Bears in Macon, Georgia 92-82 in 2017. This season, Florida will have the home advantage as it welcomes the two-time SoCon Championships to the O’Connell Center. Mercer lost two of their top three scorers from last season. Shannon Titus who averaged 12.0 points and 5.0 rebounds will take on the leadership role for the team in 2019-20.
Before the Christmas break, Florida will head to West Palm Beach, Florida to participate in the West Palm Invitational. The Gators are set to play Xavier and Wake Forest in the tournament. The Musketeers are in their first year under head coach Melanie Moore. Xavier closed out the 2018-19 season with an 11-19 record. Top scorers A’riana Gray (13.9) and Na’teshia Owens (11.5) are set to be on the roster for 2019-20. Gray also led the Musketeers in rebounds (11.5 per game) and steals (1.9 per game) last season. Florida has met Xavier in two meetings with the last one being in 2007. The Gators hosted the Musketeers at that time and won 82-71.
Wake Forest will be the second team Florida will face in the West Palm Invitational. The Demon Deacons ended the 2018-19 season with a 10-20 record. Alex Sharp is one of the top scorers who will be making her return this season. The senior guard finished last season with an average of 12.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. The Demon Deacons will also have Gina Conti and Ona Udoh. Conti led the team in assists (4.9) and steals (1.5) while Udoh was the leader in blocks (1.5). Florida last played Wake Forest in 1983 and won the matchup 68-61. This will be the first time in 36 years the two teams will face each other.
Florida will conclude its non-conference schedule with a home game against Davidson. The Wildcats concluded last season with a 17-15 record that included a trip to the 2019 Women’s Basketball Invitational. Katie Turner who was the third leading scorer (12.2) and assist leader (4.3) will look to be the eyes and ears for the team in 2019-20. This will be the first time Florida and Davidson will square off.
SEC Play
Florida was tied for 12th place with Ole Miss in the SEC at the end of the 2018-19 season. The Gators won three out of the 16 games in conference play.
The majority of the players from all the SEC teams have graduated after the conclusion of last season. Te’a Cooper, Sophie Cunningham, Teaira McCowan and Evina Westbrook departed the league after outstanding careers at their institutions.
Mississippi State won the SEC Tournament in 2019 earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. South Carolina, Kentucky, Missouri, Texas A&M and Tennessee also went to the big dance. Arkansas earned a trip to the 2019 WNIT Tournament after a Cinderella run in the SEC tournament. Florida has not been back to the NCAA or WNIT tournament since 2016.
Florida was ranked No. 3 on the SEC’s list of teams with the most three-pointers. The Gators connected on 235 with most of them made Funda Nakkasoglu (84). With the guard no longer with the team, Florida will have to look to Ariel Johnson, Danielle Rainey, Kiara Smith and Emanuely de Oliveira to fill in the gaps.
A few of the statistical categories were led by Mississippi State. The Bulldogs were the top team in points (86.2 per game), field goals (.493) and assists (16.4 per game). They were also ranked in the top three for rebounds (38.4 per game), free throws (.733) and blocks (5.5 per game). Arkansas (three-pointers), Auburn (steals), Kentucky (free throws), South Carolina (blocks) and Tennessee (rebounds) also led in a category.
Six of the teams in the SEC are ranked in the top 20 for the Class of 2019 recruiting list. South Carolina is in the lead with four five-star recruits. Mississippi State is No. 6 in the country with a total of four and tied with Arkansas and Florida in SEC recruiting. Tennessee, Missouri and Georgia each have three incoming players and rank No. 9, No. 12 and No. 14 in the top 20. Each team has two players who are five-star recruits. LSU is the remaining team on the list and is tied with Alabama, Kentucky and Ole Miss in the SEC recruitment rankings. Vanderbilt currently leads the league with seven commits, but it did not make the top 20. Texas A&M has only one commitment from a four star recruit in the class of 2019.
No comments:
Post a Comment