Florida-G’town won’t be made up
It appears the on again, off again hopes of restarting the Florida-Georgetown game are now off for good.
ESPN’s Andy Katz reported Wednesday that the Florida-Georgetown game won’t be made up because both schools couldn’t agree on a re-start date.
Florida coach Billy Donovan said both sides were trying to work out a date in late December or early January to try to reschedule the game that was called off at halftime on the deck of the USS Bataan. Florida led 27-23 at the half before condensation issues made the court too slick to play on.
“We’re surprised and disappointed to learn from the ESPN report about Georgetown’s decision,” Florida associate athletic director Mike Hill said. “The City of Jacksonville was gracious to host us on the USS Bataan, and we appreciate them inviting us back to complete the game. We are focusing now on our upcoming game against Marquette.”
Georgetown is off to a 4-1 start. including a win over UCLA. The Hoyas’ lone loss this season was an 82-78 overtime thriller against No. 1 Indiana in the Legends Classic in Brooklyn, N.Y.
“I’d like to finish that game at some point,” Florida junior center Patric Young said on Tuesday. “I actually wouldn’t mind if we started the whole game over (instead of) picking it up from halftime. But if we can make that happen, yeah, I’d love to get another shot at those guys, seeing who is the better team.”
Young, unfortunately, won’t get his wish. Florida will now have 12 non-conference games before its Southeastern Conference opener Jan. 9 against Georgia.
Kevin Brockway gave up on his dream of becoming a lefty starting pitcher for the New York Mets when he walked four straight batters, then hit one in a middle school game in Suffern, N.Y. Since graduating college in 1993, he’s worked as a sports writer at daily newspapers throughout the state of Florida, beginning with the Key West Citizen. He then moved on to the Northwest Florida Daily News and Naples Daily News before becoming the men’s basketball writer for The Gainesville Sun in 2003. Brockway has won multiple state and national writing awards during his 16-year career. Favorite pastimes include karaoke and watching baseball. Favorite college hoops team growing up was St. John’s.
My prediction is that UF and Georgetown will wind up in the same bracket in the NCAA tourney with a trendous chance to meet as the games get played. It is a shame, however, that they couldn’t have gone to nearby Univ. N. Fla. or the closest high school gym to finish the game. Take a camera or two for a 1970s broadcast feel. I guess they didn’t want to . . . ABANDON SHIP!
by Brr-bon Phil