Men's Basketball | 11/4/2019 1:11:00 PM

SEASON OPENER
Game 1: at #6 Florida	Tuesday, Nov. 5 | 7 p.m. | Gainesville, Fla. | Exactech Arena at O'Connell Center
	TV/Video: Live Stats | Watch (SEC Network) | TuneIn
Series History	UF leads 8-0 | @UNF: 0-2, @UF: 0-6 | Streak: Lost 8
Last Meeting	UF 98, UNF 66 | Nov. 27, 2018 in Gainesville | Recap - Boxscore
Social Media	@OspreysMBB | #SWOOPLife | Facebook | @UNFOspreys

GAINESVILLE, Fla - North Florida men's basketball tips off its 28th season against No. 6-ranked Florida on Tuesday in Exactech Arena at 7 p.m.

1. SEASON TIPOFFS
North Florida is 8-19 all-time in season debuts and look to snap a three-game skid in openers | Ospreys are 2-8 under Head Coach Matthew Driscoll | UNF's last victory on opening night was a 93-81 upset at Illinois on Nov. 13, 2015

2. FAMILIAR FACES
The Ospreys welcome back 10 players from last season featuring four starters | The list of returners includes five seniors | UNF also welcomes a trio of newcomers along with debut of redshirt freshman Dorian James

3. PRESEASON HONORS
UNF is a consensus pick to challenge for the ASUN Championship this season | The league's coach's poll and media poll both tabbed the Ospreys to finish 2nd in the conference as did most national basketball publications | North Florida led the ASUN in preseason honorees with Ivan Gandia-Rosa, Wajid Aminu and Garrett Sams all garnering All-ASUN honors | Aminu was also named the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year

4. SUMMER TOUR
North Florida participated in a preseason exhibition tour to Puerto Rico in early August, posting an undefeated 3-0 mark against collegiate teams | The Ospreys connected on 42 treys (14 3PM/g) from the new arc to continue their "Birds of Trey" moniker | 

5. RANKED FOES
The Ospreys are seeking the program's first win against a nationally ranked opponent | North Florida is 0-23 all-time versus AP Top 25 squads

SCOUTING FLORIDA
- The Gators finished 20-16 last season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament
- Florida reached the semifinals of the SEC Tournament before falling to Auburn
- UF returns three starters from a season ago, paced by sophomore Keyontae Johnson's 8.1 PPG and 6.4 RPG
- Graduate transfer Kerry Blackshears, Jr., from Virginia Tech bolstered the Florida lineup, bringing his 14.9 PPG/7.5 RPG average
- Florida posted an 89-71 exhibition game victory over Lynn University on Oct. 29
- North Florida is the only ASUN squad UF plays this season

UP NEXT
Following the opener on the road, North Florida tips off a four-game home stand Thursday against Florida National at 7 p.m.


FOLLOW THE ACTION: Stay connected with the Ospreys all season long by following @OspreysMBB and @UNFOspreys on Twitter for all of the latest UNF men's basketball updates. Be sure to use the hashtag #SWOOPLife and #BirdsofTrey