There are 3 players who are actually taller than the 6'10" Joakim Noah.
We look really deep at the guard position. Should be able to keep guys fresh and go at a fast pace all game.More reasons for 2023-24 Hope.....
Florida basketball enjoyed a successful trip to Miami for its first closed preseason scrimmage before the start of the 2023-24 season.
The Florida Gators topped the #13 Ranked Miami Hurricanes 91-89 in a back-and-forth affair at UM's home gym.
Sophomore guard Riley Kugel led the Gators with 20 points, while Seton Hall big man transfer Tyrese Samuel added 19 points. Iona transfer guard Walter Clayton Jr. dished 10 assists for UF.
I haven't seen this much optimism from you in a long time, my man. Would be great if the hope turns to reality.More reasons for 2023-24 Hope.....
Florida basketball enjoyed a successful trip to Miami for its first closed preseason scrimmage before the start of the 2023-24 season.
The Florida Gators topped the #13 Ranked Miami Hurricanes 91-89 in a back-and-forth affair at UM's home gym.
Sophomore guard Riley Kugel led the Gators with 20 points, while Seton Hall big man transfer Tyrese Samuel added 19 points. Iona transfer guard Walter Clayton Jr. dished 10 assists for UF.
My optimism lasts at least until the first 2-3 games are played.I haven't seen this much optimism from you in a long time, my man. Would be great if the hope turns to reality.
More of the iG"s reasons for hope in 2023-24:
Loaded with shooters, any can put 20+ Pt's on you in a given game:
Several can play either guard positions, or at the wing.
SG/SF Riley Kugel 6-5 207 So
SF/SG Will Richard 6-4 206 Jr
CG/SF Denzel Aberdeen 6-5 190 So
PG Zyon Pullin 6-4 206 Grad-Sr
PG Walter Clayton Jr 6-2 195 Jr
SF/SG Julian Rishwain 6-5 200 Grad-Sr
PG Kajus Kublickas 6-2 171 Fr -- Lithuania
Along with being deep with the Bigs that can run the floor:
C Micah Handlogtern 7-1 235 So
PF/C Tyrese Samuel 6-10 239 Grad-Sr -- Canada
PF/C Aleks Szymczyk 6-10 250 So -- Germany
PF/C Alex Condon 6-11 230 Fr -- Australia
PF/SF Thomas Haugh 6-9 210 Fr
A Big Positive Note IMO: Haugh led the team in Rb's vs Final-4 Miami in the recent scrimmage in just 22 Min's of playing time, while Handlogten & Condon guarded the bucket, and Samuel was the 2nd leading scorer behind Kugel.
Plus extras for practice, deep depth, and/or development:
SG Alex Klatsky 6-4 206 rsSr -- W-O
PG Bennett Anderson 6-2 190 Sr-- WO
PG Jack May 6-4 195 rsJr -- W-O
CG/SF Cooper Josefsberg 6-4 195 Fr -- W-O -- FL 3A State Champ
==========
Eligibility ending after this season:
PG Zyon Pullin 6-4 206 Grad-Sr
SG/SF Julian Rishwain 6-5 200 Grad-Sr
PF/C Tyrese Samuel 6-10 239 Grad-Sr -- Canada
SG Alex Klatsky 6-4 206 rsSr -- W-O
PG Bennett Anderson 6-2 190 Sr-- WO
Golden said he's been pleased with the progress of senior wing Julian Rishwain, who suffered a serious knee in January, and sophomore forward Aleks Szymczyk, who broke his foot before preseason camp began and underwent surgery.
Both could be back in action before conference play begins as Rishwain has already been cleared for contact and Szymczyk has shed his walking boot.
The freshmen Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon have been pushing for big minutes to start their college careers and if they’re able to rebound alongside the other skills they bring they could very well do that. Haugh is 6’9” and 210 pounds and has decent strength, and that length at the power forward spot is solid. Condon is up to 6’11” and 230 pounds and he plays with incredible physicality that goes back to his days playing Australian Rules Football (a heavy collision sport similar to rugby) at an elite level. He loves mixing it up on the glass and if he sees rebounding as a pathway to more minutes, he’s going to do it like his life depends on it. (In 22 Min. of playing time, Haugh was the Gator's leading rebounder vs Miami)I wonder if Condon can be real productive in year 1. Same with Haugh. We definitely have potential on this team though.
Nice recapI'm just pumping the preseason build-up bellows a little more here..... 😉
A major key for the coming season will be improved scoring.
The primary (shoot/assist) 'trigger-pullers' are ----
PG Zyon Pullin 6-4 206 Grad-Sr
18.3 PPG in 2022-23 - 1,321 Career Pts - Jr season: 48.6% FG's and 39.4% 3's
A 3-X All-Big West - 1st-team 2022-23, 2nd team in 2021-22, HM 2020-21.
PG Walter Clayton Jr 6-2 195 Jr -
771 Pt's, 207 Rb's, 154 Ast's, 83 Stl's, and 30 Blk's - 64 games & 35 starts in 2 Yrs at Iona.
2023 MAAC PoY & 1st Team All-MAAC (unanimous)
2023 NCAA Stat Champion – .953 Free Throw Percentage
SG/SF Julian Rishwain 6-5 200 Grad-Sr
Off the bench @ USF for Golden, 43% on 3's, 652 career Pts, plus a solid rebounder.
CG/SF Will Richard 6-4 206
Named to the Ohio Valley Conference’s 2021-22 All-Newcomer team.
Career 732 Pts, 11.3 PPG in 2 seasons (Belmont/UF)
SG/SF Riley Kugel 6-5 207 So - SEC All Fr Team
9.9 PPG, 2.8 Rb's, FG's 45.6%, 37.6% from 3's.
12.6 PPG in SEC play, most by a Gator Fr since Bradley Beal's 14.4 PPG in 2011-12.
CG/SF Denzel Aberdeen 6-5 190 So
Saw little time in 12 games as a Fr behind a pair of 5th-year ball-handlers.
Most improved and hardest worker is now pushing harder for more playing time.
Prep - 2x FABC All State - 14.4 Pts, 3.6 Rb's, 3.1 Asts Sr season
He scored 29 Pts while leading his team to the FL 7A State Championship.
PG Kajus Kublickas 6-2 171 Fr
Competed with Lithuania at the FIBA U20 European Championships in 2023, averaging 6.3 points and a team-leading 3.1 assists. Also competed with the national team at the 2022 U18 European Champions in 2022 and posted 8.3 points and a team-high 4.4 assists.
CG Cooper Josefsberg 6-4 195 Fr
PG that comes to UF as a walk-on from Miami, bringing winning experience, helping Riviera Prep to a FL 3A State Championship, the first in school history.
With this much talent in the 1-2-3 positions, and with the very solid 4-5 Bigs, I'm accepting NO EXCUSES in the coming season from Todd. It's now on his system, coaching, and game planning & execution..
The women open at 5:30 Monday hosting UNF. Both men's and women's games are on SEC+On Thursday, SG/SF Riley Kugel graced the Coaches' Preseason All-SEC First Team list as voted on by the league's coaches prior to the 2023-24 campaign. He is one of eight first-team members for the conference this preseason.
As a true freshman, Kugel broke out in the second half of the 2022-23 year for the Gators, averaging 17 points per game on nearly 50% shooting in the final ten contests. His prowess as a shot creator and three-level scorer presented the unit with a viable top option offensively and a presumed building block for the team heading into the ensuing year.
Senior wing Julian Rishwain, a transfer from San Francisco, will be available off Florida's bench in its season opener against Loyola-Maryland on Monday in Gainesville, Florida head coach Todd Golden shared Thursday night. In Rishwain's last season under Golden's instruction at San Francisco (2021-22), he converted 43 percent of his 3-point tries.
Golden and the Gators will tip off the 2023-24 regular season on Monday as they play host to Loyola Maryland inside Exactech Arena at 8 p.m. ET.
GooooooooooooooGATORS!
The iG's high points of their season opening game vs Loyola.
The Florida Gators (1-0) started fast and jumped out to a 19-2 lead in the first 6:29 in their season-opening contest with the Loyola Maryland Greyhounds (0-1) on Monday night and never looked back.
SG/SF Riley Kugel - 23 Pt's, 6 Stl's, 4 Ast's. (apparently no Soph slump)
Four Gators scored double-digit points.
(shared scoring)
All ten players who saw the floor scored on the day.
(a TEAM that's sharing the ball and some of the playing time)
Grad-xfer PF Tyrese Samuel spearheaded the Gators' scoring and rebounding efforts, leading the unit into the locker room break with 11 Pt's and 6 Rb's. He finished with 15 Pt's and was tied with PG Walter Clayton Jr. for the team lead with 8 Rb's. Clayton also had 9 Pt's & 5 Ast's.
True Fr PF Alex Condon complemented the attack with 13 Pt's and 3 Rb's in 17 Min's.
While tFr PF PF Thomas Haugh added 6 Pts with 3 Rb's in 16 Min's.
C Micah Handlogten — 16 points and 6 rebounds.
(Castleton like scoring, but he's a better rebounder imo)
UF finished the night shooting 58% from the floor and 38% from beyond the arc while accounting for 22 fast break points
Like the guy that jumped from the 6th floor of a building said as he passed the 3rd floor,,,,
'So far, so good!' 😉
This should help ease the loss of Jon Bol.![]()
Florida basketball lands commitment from world's tallest teenager
Florida has landed a commitment from the world's tallest teenager.www.saturdaydownsouth.com
Seems we still have a Mike White lover here.