Xavier to begin series with Florida

In the latest step to increase the level of opponents in their non-conference schedule, the Xavier men's basketball team has added the University of Florida to their 2009-10 schedule according to multiple sources inside of the men's basketball program.
Already with a loaded non-conference schedule that includes trips to Kansas State, Wake Forest and Butler, home games against Louisiana State, Cincinnati and Miami (OH.), and involvement in the Old Spice Classic that includes Baylor, Florida State, Michigan, Alabama, Marquette, Iona and Creighton, Xavier's addition of the matchup with the Gators offers the ability to boost the team's strength of schedule to an elite level.
The trip to Gainesville will be the beginning of a two year home-and-home series between Xavier and Florida, an arrangement that the Xavier program has utilized in the past to secure matchups with Virginia, LSU, Auburn and Butler.
The matchup with the Gators--a team that has won two national titles in the past four years--takes such scheduling advances to a new height.
Florida potentially returns 88.4 percent of their scoring, 95.3 percent of their rebounding and 86.4 percent of their assists from a team that went 25-11 and lost in the quarterfinals of the NIT.
The only sure departure from the squad is senior guard Walter Hodge, who averaged 8.9 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in 2008-09.
Hodge, who played predominantly off the ball while 6'5 sophomore Nick Calathes handles most of the point guard duties, figures to be replaced quickly as Florida head coach Billy Donovan is bringing in 6'3" McDonald's All-American Kenny Boyton--the only McDonald's All-American to commit to an SEC school (something that figures to change with John Calipari's move to Kenticky).
Boyton is predicted to start from Day 1 in the backcourt alongside All-SEC performer Calathes, despite Calathes' recent foray into the NBA Draft. Calathes, who has not signed with an agent and can still return to school, is slated by most scouts as a second round pick if he were to remain in the draft.
When combined with the firepower that Xavier is expected to offer in 2009-10--returning 66 percent of their scoring, 76 percent of their rebounding and 70 percent of their assists from a Sweet Sixteen team that will add the backcourt duo of Jordan Crawford and Mark Lyons--the matchup in Gainesville figures to be a game between two top-10 schools.