Wednesday December 12, 2012Gators vs Pac-12, 10, 8, whatever
Updated: 9:13pm, December 12
When fifth-ranked Florida (7-0) takes on eighth-ranked Arizona (7-0) Saturday night at the McKale Center, the game will mark the 19th time the Gators have faced an opponent from the Pac-12 Conference.
Or Pac-10 -- or Pac-8 -- depending on what era we’re talking about.
UF is 10-8 all-time against Pac-12 foes and is riding an eight-game winning streak, dating to a Nov. 28, 2003 defeat of Andre Iguodala and the Wildcats in the Tip-Off Classic at Springfield, Mass.
Before that, the Gators lost four straight versus Pac teams dating into the late-1980s.
Here’s a look at UF’s history against foes from that left coast league, which began with a weirdo double-header -- on back-to-back days -- 47 years ago in Seattle. Back then, if you were going to fly 3,000 miles for a game, might as well play two (even against the same team).
Some familiar Pac players -- and eventual NBA stars -- the Gators faced along the way: Kevin Johnson (Cal); Adam Keefe (Stanford); Channing Frye and Luke Walton (Arizona); Jordan Farmar, Arron Afflalo, Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook (UCLA); James Harden (Arizona State).
Date Opponent Outcome
Dec. 21, 1965 at Washington W 66-60
Dec. 22, 1965 at Washington L 78-69
Dec. 23, 1974 at Stanford L 80-70
Dec. 29, 1984 vs Arizona State W 87-73 (Hoosier Classic)
Dec. 27, 1986 vs California L 83-80 (Rainbow Classic)
Nov. 25, 1988 vs California L 73-58 (Great Alaska Shootout)
Feb. 4, 1989 vs Stanford L 84-69 (at Orlando)
Dec. 21, 1990 at Stanford L 86-74
Nov. 9, 2001 vs Arizona L 75-71 (Coaches vs Cancer-New York)
Nov. 27, 2002 vs Stanford L 69-65 (Preseason NIT-New York)
Nov. 28, 2003 vs Arizona W 78-77 (Tip-Off Classic-Springfield, Mass)
April 3, 2006 vs UCLA W 73-57 (NCAA Final-Indianapolis)
March 25, 2007 vs Oregon W 85-77 (Midwest Region Final-St. Louis)
March 31, 2007 vs UCLA W 76-66 (Final Four-Atlanta)
March 25, 2008 at Arizona State W 70-57 (NIT)
Nov. 25, 2008 vs Washington W 86-84 (Guardians Classic-Kansas City)
March 19, 2011 UCLA W 73-65 (NCAA 2nd round-Tampa)
Dec. 7, 2011 Arizona W 78-72 (OT)
Note: The Gators twice have faced current Pac-12 member Utah (winning 77-68 in the ’88 Great Alaska Shootout and losing in the ’92 NIT consolation game at Madison Square Garden), but the Utes were members of the Western Athletic Conference at the time.
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