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Gator Basketball Off Season Portal Adventures

instaGATOR

instaGATOR

Bull Gator
May 29, 2001
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I guess we should begin with those projected leaving or returning for the 2024-25 season:

Eligibility Expired:

PG Zyon Pullin - Grad-Sr
PF Tyrese Samuel - Grad-Sr
SG Alex Klatsky - rsSr- WO
---
SG Julian Rishwain - Grad-Sr (injured, so a possible returner?)
PG Bennett Anderson - Sr?
==========

Likely Returners by class:

CG Will Richard Sr
CG Walter Clayton Sr (he might be draft-able, IF he wants to go???)
PG Bennett Anderson - rsSr?
PG Jack May rsSr - WO

SG Julian Rishwain - Grad-Sr (injured, so a possible returner?)
SG Riley Kugel Jr - (Stay or Go Protal? I'm left wondering after this season?)
C Micah handlogten Jr - when/if recovered from fractured lower leg
PG Denzel Aberdeen Jr
-----
PF Aleks 'Shimmy' Szymczyk (injured, so rsSo or Jr?)
-----
SF/PF Thomas Haugh So
PF/C Alex Condon So
PG Kajus Kublickas (rsFr or So?)
==========

Committed HS Recurits:

SG Isaiah Brown 6-5 185 - (signed LOI)
C Olivier Rioux 7-6 300 - (unsigned, hard commit)
==========

Projected 2024-25 Roster By Positions:

CG Walter Clayton Jr - Sr
CG Will Richard - Sr
CG Denzel Aberdeen - Jr

PG Bennett Anderson - rsSr?
PG Kajus Kublickas - rsFr/So
PG Jack May - rsSr WO

SG Riley Kugel - Jr
SG Isaiah Brown 6-5 185- Fr

SF/PF Thomas Haugh - So

PF Aleks 'Shimmy' Szymczyk - rsSo/Jr?
PF-C Alex Condon - So

C Micah Handlogten - Jr
C Olivier Rioux 7-6 300 - Fr (hard commit, but not yet signed)
==========

So it looks like there's room for 2 ships out of the portal.
What do you want, or what position players does the team need going forward?
Any guesses on those that might stay or leave?
 
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We'll see how many hit the portal after the season is over. And maybe Coach Golden can hit the jackpot again with a couple of experienced incomers.
 
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Always some surprise comings and goings with this new age of the portal. Tons of kids have already entered. We need a true PG and a true PF.
 
NorthJerseyGator said:
Great work Watson.
Click to expand...
No Shock,,, SHER-LOCK! --- 😁
Now on your second attempt, how about posting something that follows the thread, and is maybe useful to the subject.... 😉
"So it looks like there's room for 2 ships out of the portal.
What do you want, or what position players does the team need going forward?
Any guesses on those that might stay or leave?"
 
ocalaman said:
We'll see how many hit the portal after the season is over. And maybe Coach Golden can hit the jackpot again with a couple of experienced incomers.
Click to expand...
Yep. And coach has options for the additions.

He can go 2 portal in addition to his 2 current HS (commit/signed) recruits.
Or he can go for 2 more HS recruits,
Or he can combine for a 1 & 1.

Positions?
HS or Portal?
 
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Countygator1 said:
Always some surprise comings and goings with this new age of the portal. Tons of kids have already entered. We need a true PG and a true PF.
Click to expand...
If Clayton chooses to leave early for the Pro's, then I might take an excellent and experienced Jr or Sr true PG out of the portal. Otherwise, they are looking pretty good at all of the guard positions.

CG Will Richard Sr
CG Walter Clayton Sr (he might be draft-able, IF he wants to go???)
PG Denzel Aberdeen Jr
PG Kajus Kublickas (rsFr or So?)
PG Bennett Anderson - rsSr?
PG Jack May rsSr - WO
=====

SG Julian Rishwain - Grad-Sr (injured, so a possible returner?)
SG Riley Kugel Jr - (Stay or Go Protal? I'm left wondering after this season?)
SG Isaiah Brown 6-5 185 Fr - (signed LOI)

I think if I was adding a guard, it would either be a SG, or a big CG, but that's just me.

It's not that often that you can get a Pullin quality pure PG in the Portal....
And of course it depends on who stays and/or who goes....

As to needing a PF, consider this:

SF/PF Thomas Haugh So
PF/C Alex Condon So
PF Aleks 'Shimmy' Szymczyk 6-10 250 (injured, so rsSo or Jr?)
(note ------------- PF Samuel is 6-10 239)

Next season, Condon can concentrate on being a PF with 7-6 300 C Rioux coming in, but any of those big forwards could play center in a pinch.

Me, I'm still unable to make up my own mind on where the positions additions would be the best fit for next years team??? -- Thinking my ideal addition might be a combination SG/SF in the 6-7 190 range size wise....
 
instaGATOR said:
No Shock,,, SHER-LOCK! --- 😁
Now on your second attempt, how about posting something that follows the thread, and is maybe useful to the subject.... 😉
"So it looks like there's room for 2 ships out of the portal.
What do you want, or what position players does the team need going forward?
Any guesses on those that might stay or leave?"
Click to expand...
I'm a closer my dear Watson, I'll swoop in when the time's right. As you were ole boy.
 
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NorthJerseyGator said:
I'm a closer my dear Watson, I'll swoop in when the time's right. As you were ole boy.
Click to expand...
In most cases, I'd call that a poor 'developmental' strategy, but in your case, it's prolly a good plan.
Let others do the thinking for you, and then you can swoop in and attempt to take credit for it... 😉
 
instaGATOR said:
If Clayton chooses to leave early for the Pro's, then I might take an excellent and experienced Jr or Sr true PG out of the portal. Otherwise, they are looking pretty good at all of the guard positions.

CG Will Richard Sr
CG Walter Clayton Sr (he might be draft-able, IF he wants to go???)
PG Denzel Aberdeen Jr
PG Kajus Kublickas (rsFr or So?)
PG Bennett Anderson - rsSr?
PG Jack May rsSr - WO
=====

SG Julian Rishwain - Grad-Sr (injured, so a possible returner?)
SG Riley Kugel Jr - (Stay or Go Protal? I'm left wondering after this season?)
SG Isaiah Brown 6-5 185 Fr - (signed LOI)

I think if I was adding a guard, it would either be a SG, or a big CG, but that's just me.

It's not that often that you can get a Pullin quality pure PG in the Portal....
And of course it depends on who stays and/or who goes....

As to needing a PF, consider this:

SF/PF Thomas Haugh So
PF/C Alex Condon So
PF Aleks 'Shimmy' Szymczyk 6-10 250 (injured, so rsSo or Jr?)
(note ------------- PF Samuel is 6-10 239)

Next season, Condon can concentrate on being a PF with 7-6 300 C Rioux coming in, but any of those big forwards could play center in a pinch.

Me, I'm still unable to make up my own mind on where the positions additions would be the best fit for next years team??? -- Thinking my ideal addition might be a combination SG/SF in the 6-7 190 range size wise....
Click to expand...
I'm concerned Aberdeen will hit the portal...but if he doesn't then I agree. He can start at PG, clayton and richard at the other gurad spots, Samuel and then Condon. Haugh has developed nicely and it will be hard to keep him off the floor next season.
 
Countygator1 said:
I'm concerned Aberdeen will hit the portal...but if he doesn't then I agree. He can start at PG, clayton and richard at the other gurad spots, Samuel and then Condon. Haugh has developed nicely and it will be hard to keep him off the floor next season.
Click to expand...

I think that it's neither, but if a guard was going portal, I'd think Kugel before Aberdeen....

PF Samuel's eligibility has been exhausted, so he's gonzo for sure.

PF/C Condon is here to stay and a starter for sure next season.
SF/PF Haugh is a near perfect small forward, and even better as his outside shooting improves.

Nothing but the iG's own WAG, but here's my 'early' possible starting 5 for next season.

PG Aberbeen
CG Clayton
SF Richard and Haugh
PF Condon and Shimmy
C Handlogten

While I expect that 10 or 11 will get regular playing time in the rotation, and the more playing the better imo.
=====

SG Julian Rishwain 6-5 200 Grad-Sr
He payed in 8 games for a total of 62 minutes, so he's likely gonzo....

PG Bennett Andersen 6-2 190 Sr
He was awarded the extra open ship in 2023-24 as a reward for his service imo.
He is likely also gonzo, or a non-factor as a practice player.

SG Alex Klatsky 6-4 206 rsSr WO >>> Gonzo

PG Jack May 6-4 195 rsJr WO,
Goes or stays as a practice player WO
==========

PG Kajus Kublickas 6-2 171 Fr - Kaunas, Lithuania
He competed with Lithuania at the FIBA U20 European Championships in 2023.
He averaged 6.3 points and a team-leading 3.1 assists.

SG Cooper Josefsberg 6-4 195 Fr - Miami
A WO Guard who comes to UF out of Miami. Brings winning experience, helping Riviera Prep to a 3A state championship, the first in school history.

Incoming Fr
SG Isaiah Brown 6-5 185 - Signed LOI
C Olivier Rioux 7-6 300 - Hard Commit
 
instaGATOR said:
I think that it's neither, but if a guard was going portal, I'd think Kugel before Aberdeen....

PF Samuel's eligibility has been exhausted, so he's gonzo for sure.

PF/C Condon is here to stay and a starter for sure next season.
SF/PF Haugh is a near perfect small forward, and even better as his outside shooting improves.

Nothing but the iG's own WAG, but here's my 'early' possible starting 5 for next season.

PG Aberbeen
CG Clayton
SF Richard and Haugh
PF Condon and Shimmy
C Handlogten

While I expect that 10 or 11 will get regular playing time in the rotation, and the more playing the better imo.
=====

SG Julian Rishwain 6-5 200 Grad-Sr
He payed in 8 games for a total of 62 minutes, so he's likely gonzo....

PG Bennett Andersen 6-2 190 Sr
He was awarded the extra open ship in 2023-24 as a reward for his service imo.
He is likely also gonzo, or a non-factor as a practice player.

SG Alex Klatsky 6-4 206 rsSr WO >>> Gonzo

PG Jack May 6-4 195 rsJr WO,
Goes or stays as a practice player WO
==========

PG Kajus Kublickas 6-2 171 Fr - Kaunas, Lithuania
He competed with Lithuania at the FIBA U20 European Championships in 2023.
He averaged 6.3 points and a team-leading 3.1 assists.

SG Cooper Josefsberg 6-4 195 Fr - Miami
A WO Guard who comes to UF out of Miami. Brings winning experience, helping Riviera Prep to a 3A state championship, the first in school history.

Incoming Fr
SG Isaiah Brown 6-5 185 - Signed LOI
C Olivier Rioux 7-6 300 - Hard Commit
Click to expand...
I meant Micah. No clue why I typed Samuel. I would have loved to see Aberdeen on the floor those final 2 minutes yesterday. He's our best on ball defender.
 
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The iG stopped watching the vs Colo game 5 minutes into the 2nd half, due to the sad excuse for game official. I left it running while I did other things around the house, but with just over 11 left in the 2nd half, I become so disgusted with the officials that I turned the game off in favor of watching Gator softball live instead.... As it turns out, I'm glad that I wasn't there for the rest of that BS officiating fiasco....

After yet another conversion under the rim by Lampkin, the mounting frustration from Golden boiled over after Condon was whistled for a late foul that went unheard by UF's bench as a result of a broken whistle from the official positioned on the baseline, resulting in a technical foul from the second-year UF head coach. Condon would ultimately foul out with 2:11 remaining.

It was hardly the first time a questionable call had drawn the ire of Golden and his coaching staff, and it wouldn't be the last despite UF's head coach having been issued a technical foul. (3 T's in his entire coaching career, with 2 of them being called by this same excuse for an official)

>> Anyone want to tell me I'm wrong about the Gators and the official's BS calls and no-calls now???
==========

According to Walter Clayton in the post game interview. "The five players who'd played their final contests in the Orange and Blue, including fellow starters Zyon Pullin and Tyrese Samuel, along with three walk-ons in Alex Klatsky, Jack May and Bennett Andersen."

The iG sincerely hopes that's all that won't be back for the 2024-25 season, and especially in the case of Clayton himself...

Along with the freshmen duo of Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh, there's optimism Richard and Clayton will be part of the returning pieces of the puzzle for Golden and his coaching staff for the 2024-25 season, though they didn't firmly state their intentions to return to Gainesville next season, perhaps aware it would be neither wise in the moment nor fair to their teammates who'd concluded the final game of their respective collegiate careers.

Regarding the latter, Clayton expressed he'd yet to weigh whether his immediate future would include another season at Florida or not, though he acknowledged the defeat had left him yearning for another crack at March Madness with the program who identified him as a high-impact addition after two seasons at Iona University.
"I'm going to go back and be with my family," Clayton, asked what his decision-making process would entail, said....."
247sports.com

'Very tough': Disappointment, devastation evident in the aftermath of Florida defeat to Colorado

Florida's 2023-24 season came to an end Friday with a two-point loss to 10-seed Colorado
247sports.com 247sports.com
 
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It's what I thought might happen as the season progressed / regressed....
He's the only one that I thought might hit the post season protal.

A preseason All-SEC second-team selection in the conference's media poll, Kugel entered his sophomore season with sky-high expectations and was viewed widely as a candidate to be selected in this year's NBA Draft. However, the year hardly unfolded as anticipated for the 6-foot-5 Orlando native.

After starting each of the Gators' first 11 games to open the season, a stretch that saw him shoot just 13-for-53 (24.5%) from 3 and commit 33 turnovers against 23 assists, Kugel sat out for the entirety of Florida's Dec. 22 home win over Grambling State then transitioned into a role off the bench for the remainder of the season.

https://247sports.com/college/florida/Article/riley-kugel-to-enter-ncaa-transfer-portal-229379802/
 
Golden said Florida determined that Aberdeen was best-suited to handle Florida's late-season situation rather than 50/50 Soph-slump' Kugel.

"The reality is basketball is a team game and sometimes different guys are needed for different circumstances," he said. "For that specific moment in the tournament we thought Denzel and his ball handling and his defense would give us a big lift and he stepped up for us."

That's something that a few of us here have been advocating since early in the season....
 
Kugel was the departure that I thought most likely all along.

Aberdeen is happy here and going nowhere else imo.

Clayton is the only one that might (50-50) might go, but along with everyone else, I'm hoping he stays.

Another BIG and another SG/SF is what I have on my own wish list, but we'll see in the by&by..... I'd certainly take another Pullin type PG, but that's unlikely to happen due to a lack of portal availability....
 
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Despite his struggles in 2023-24....
The #4 SG/SF Riley Kugal 6-5 207 has programs lining up to see if they can get him right and is already down to a top four of Houston, Kansas, Connecticut and Arizona.
2023-24 Stats: 9.2 Pts - 3.5 Rbs - 1.5 Ast - 39.4 FG% - 31.2 3's%

The iG would be happy with either of these 2 to fill Kugel's roster spot.

The #3 SF/SG Cade Tyson, 6-7 205 **** Matthews, NC, from Belmont is in the portal:
Tyson is as good of a wing shooter as there is going to be in the portal. There probably won't be many who are even close. The 6-foot-7 wing has already made 128 three-pointers at an impressive 44.6% clip. In addition to his shooting,,, his sturdy frame, functional athleticism, and overall feel for the game stood out.
2023-24 Stats: 16.2 Pts - 5.9 Rbs - 1.6 Ast - 49.3 FG% - 46.5 3's% - 2 Yrs of eligibility

The #5 SF Darlinstone Dubar 6-8 211 **** Scotland, PA, IowaSt >> Hofstra is in the portal.
He's a particularly dangerous shooter from the corner and is also a high-level finisher around the rim. He will be sought after as a three-and-D type of guy.
2023-24 Stats: 17.8 Pts - 6.8 Rbs - 1.4 Ast - 53.9 FG% - 39.9 3's% - 1 Yr eligibility
 
And if they want to go with a HSer, there's this guy:

#4 SF Liam McNeeley 6-7 210 ***** - Montverde (FL) Academy - Natl. #15

Committed to: Undecided - from Richardson, TX.

Analysis: One of the best shooters in the senior class, the native Texan has been a big part of Montverde’s domination this season. He’s got a really sturdy frame, is proving more and more that he can dial up some athleticism when needed and he’s got some toughness. He’s a guy that others appear to love playing with. He will be a popular guy to watch at the game given that he's the only player invited to the 2024 MickyD AA game who isn't currently committed to a school.
Adam Finkelstein -- 247 DIRECTOR OF SCOUTING

Liam McNeeley has one of the best combinations of skill and basketball acumen in the national class. He came up the ranks known as a shooter – and for good reason as he has clean mechanics, a compact release, and shot over 40% from behind the three-point line in both the NIBC and EYBL seasons – but he’s far more versatile than just a specialist. He’s particularly adept at coming off screens, making instinctual reads, and then attacking defenders while they are on the move. That can mean movement threes, but it can also mean curls, dribble penetration, and an ability to get downhill at times. McNeeley has a high natural feel for the game and is a good passer who can also facilitate for others around him. In fact, Montverde frequently made him the featured player of their half-court offense during his junior season and relied on his ability to make decisions with the ball in his hands, not necessarily as a primary ball-handler, but as the first domino in many of their actions.

Physically, he’s not especially long or athletic, but he has legit size at over 6-foot-7 with his shoes on, a sturdy base, and increasingly strong and cut upper body. He’s made strides being able to stay in front of more athletic wings on the defensive end, in large part because he’s aware enough to be in the right spots and take the right angles. Overall, McNeeley may not have the ideal physical measurables of a prototypical five-star prospect, but he is one of the most consistently productive and reliable basketball players in the class.
 
How about adding recruiting to this thread?
I hear UF is in the mix for 5 star Cameron Boozer and his 4 star twin brother, Cayden.
 
gatordad3 said:
How about adding recruiting to this thread?
I hear UF is in the mix for 5 star Cameron Boozer and his 4 star twin brother, Cayden.
Click to expand...
The 1st post in this thread included the 2 incoming 2024 HS recruits, so try paying attention.... 😎

Committed and/or signed LOI HS Recurits:

SG Isaiah Brown 6-5 185 - (signed LOI)
C Olivier Rioux 7-6 300 - (unsigned, hard commit)
And there is room for 2 more in the 2024 class, either portal or HS.
My last post to this thread also included possible additions to the 2024 class.

There are currently no 2025 committed recruits, but if you have something to post about them,,, then have at it....
 
TEBOW TIME said:
View embedded media

InstaGoober is too old to be typing all his drivel so he has to copy and paste
Click to expand...
As clueless as I've come to expect from the TebowTurd.
I mostly read and type, but will use the cut & paste occasionally for expediency....

However you are the one constantly posting links to those that do your thinking/talking for you.
And I'm betting that ole Walter would tell you to Shut The Hell Up....
 
instaGATOR said:
Still peeking in windows, or are you claiming that everyone here reports to you on what they read???
What a goaterdud schmuck....
Click to expand...
How convenient you ignore almost all replies made toward you do nothing but clown your useless copy and pasting. LizardGrad89 and the KY fans are among many.
 
C Vladislav Godlin 7-1 240 **** - TxTech, then FAU xfer, will be a rsSo in 2024-25
While I don't see a big need for him, I'd still take the Russian if he wants to be a Gator.
C Micah Handlogten 7-1 235 Jr
PF/C Aleks Szymczyk 6-10 250 rsSo
PF/C Alex Condon 6-11 230 So
C Olivier Rioux 7-6 300 - (unsigned, hard commit)

Note: IF taking him as a xfer would keep Rioux from signing with the Gators, then I'd not take him, but that's just me....
 
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