GAINESVILLE, Fla. – With their 2019-20 regular season opener just 20 days away, University of Florida women's basketball head coach Cameron Newbauer and student-athletes Kiki Smith and
Zada Williams will travel to Birmingham, Ala. to meet with the media at the annual SEC Tipoff event at Grand Bohemian Hotel.
The Gators will participate in the morning session beginning at 10:40 a.m. ET.
SEC Network will provide extensive coverage on both days with analysis and insight into each team, as well as interviews with the coaches and players.
One of seven returners this season, point guard Kiki Smith enters her second year with UF
The Florida contingent is slated to join Alyssa Lang, Andy Landers and Steffi Sorensen live on the SEC Network set at Noon ET.
ESPN personalities Rebecca Lobo, Carolyn Peck, Tamika Catchings, Christy Thomaskutty and Andraya Carter will also be on site providing coverage of the event.
The redshirt-junior Smith put together an impressive debut season with the Gators a season ago, starting 30 games and leading the team in assists and steals. The junior college transfer seemed to get better and better as the season progressed as she increased her scoring average by 30 percent from non-conference to conference play and improved her three-point shooting by over 30 percent as well. After a successful summer training with the team, Smith is poised for another strong year in 2019-20.
Williams, who represented the team at last season's SEC Tipoff, led the team with a .476 field goal percentage a year ago and will look to anchor the UF front court again this season. She averaged 8.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, pacing all returning players. The redshirt-senior, who earned her bachelor's degree this summer, was one of just four players to appear in all 31 contests a season and started the final nine.
ESPN personalities, Sorensen and Peck, have significant ties back to the Florida women's basketball program. Sorensen played just two seasons with the Gators (2008-10) after transferring in from Sante Fe College, but quickly developed into one of the program's best shooters. Peck coached five seasons (2002-07) for UF, guiding UF to a pair of NCAA berths.
The Gators kick off their 2019-20 campaign Wednesday, Oct. 30 when they host Valdosta State for an exhibition matchup at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. ET and admission is free.
Zada Williams, one of two seniors on the roster this season, is the Gators' primary low post scoring threat
Make sure to Florida's trip to Birmingham on the team's social media channels @GatorsWBK on Twitter and Instagram.
Season tickets are on sale now with packages starting as low as just $45 and single game tickets are also available.
Click here for ticket information.
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