Last Year: 16-17; Eighth (9-9) in the Southeastern Conference, lost in the first round of the NIT
Head Coach: Todd Golden (Second Year)
Projected Starting Lineup
| G Walter Clayton, Jr – 6’2″, 195 – Junior |
| G Zyon Pullin – 6’4″, 206 – Senior (5th) |
| W Riley Kugel – 6’5″, 207 – Sophomore |
| F Tyrese Samuel – 6’10”, 239 – Senior (5th) |
| C Micah Handlogten – 7’1″, 235 – Sophomore |
Projected Starters’ 2022-23 Stats
Walter Clayton: 16.8 ppg. 4.3 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.8 spg – 43.1% 3FG @ Iona
Zyon Pullin: 18.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.2 apg, 0.9 spg – 39.4% 3FG @ UC-Riverside
Riley Kugel: 9.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.8 spg – 37.6% 3FG
Tyrese Samuel: 11.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.1 spg, 0.8 bpg – 55.0% FG @ Seton Hall
Micah Handlogten: 7.6 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 2.3 bpg, 1.3 spg – 66.2% FG @ Marshall
Experienced Reserves
| W Will Richard – 6’4″, 206 – Junior |
| F/C Aleksander Szymczyk – 6’10”, 250 – Sophomore |
| G Denzel Aberdeen – 6’5″, 190 – Sophomore |
| G Julian Rishwain – 6’5″, 200 – Senior (5th) |
Experienced Reserves’ 2022-23 Stats
Will Richard: 10.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.9 spg – 39.8% 3FG
Aleks Szymczyk: 2.1 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.2 apg, 0.5 spg – 39.3% FG
Denzel Aberdeen: 1.6 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 0.2 apg – 43.8% FG
Julian Rishwain: 5.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.7 spg – 26.9% FG @ San Francisco
Freshmen
| F Thomas Haugh – 6’9″, 210 – Freshman |
| G Kajus Kublickas – 6’2″, 171 – Freshman |
| F/C Alex Condon – 6’11”, 230 – Freshman / Australia |
Last season was one of the seasons in the history of Florida Gators basketball. Not one of the greatest, or one of the worst. Just, one of the seasons.
It was the first year of head coach Todd Golden’s tenure in Gainesville, and there were some really great moments, fun wins, and tremendous individual performances. And it must be said that the Gators played hard and well down the stretch last year, even earning an NIT bid. It establishing that Golden was getting somewhere. Then, a bunch of players left in the offseason.
So, overall, it was not an especially successful debut season. And since the roster was changing, the new coach felt he had the chance to bring in pieces which feel like better fits. Golden has done so.
Just four guys who played for last season’s Gators are back, while Golden and his staff have brought in almost a half-dozen proven collegiate players – nine new players total – who better fit Golden’s vision for the team. Together, the Gators have one of the most highly-rated and eagerly-anticipated groups of transfers any coach in the nation has lured. And now, with a roster he’s built, Florida’s new coach is ready to start again, and re-introduce his Gators program.
The key holdovers from last year’s team are a pair of high-quality young shooters, Will Richard and Riley Kugel. Last season, they ranked second and third on the team in scoring average, and first and second in made triples, combining to knock down 86 of them at a 39% rate.
A consensus Top 100 recruit last fall, Kugel took a bit to get rolling. By the new year, though, Kugel stepped into a significant place in Golden’s rotation and started swishing jumpers. And slashing to the rim for dunks. The Orlando product can operate out on the wing, and has shown the skills to become a devastating threat putting it on the floor and driving once the defense closes out. He was barely behind Richard in scoring last year as a freshman, and came on strong down the stretch. Kugel hit double figures 15 times, and over the Gators’ final ten games, Kugel scored double figures each time, averaging 17.3 points on better than 40% from downtown in the process. Like Richard, Kugel is a big, strong guard, and he’s happy to play aggressively on defense and above the rim when he gets a path to through the lane.
His coach has noticed some improvements not just on the floor, but in the way Kugel has handled himself this offseason. “Riley’s habits have changed. His maturity has grown by leaps and bounds,” Golden said this fall. “Obviously, he’s improved on a lot of his basketball skills, but it’s that everyday stuff – knowing what is expected of him every time he walks in the building and in terms of his accountability on and off the floor – that’s going to take his game to the next level.” Kugel’s name has begun popping up on preseason award lists, and looks to be on the verge of a true breakthrough as one of the key players on this team.
Richard arrived last season from Belmont, where he had a terrific freshman year which caught Golden’s – and plenty of other peoples’ – attention. In his first season as a Gator, Richard proved that in addition to being a scorer, he is quite the shooter. While he made 47 triples in his season in Nashville, Richard made them at a 33% mark. If he can continue to grow his game while maintaining the 40% he made last season, Richard may be on the verge of quite a breakout year. Richard is an efficient scorer who concentrates on getting open and spotting up on the perimeter or using screens and a good sense for moving without the ball to get good looks near the basket.
A physical guard, Richard does good work on the boards and defensively, using his nearly seven foot wingspan to disrupt opponents, and he’s blocked 45 shots in 65 career games. With the arrival of some playmaking guards, he may shift into a super-sub role as the season wears on. It’s likely that Richard will play starter’s minutes regardless of his role; and as Golden puts more and more talent on the floor at other positions, Richard should continue growing into one of the SEC’s top scoring threats.
Due to graduation and transfer, Denzel Aberdeen is the only other holdover returning to Golden’s backcourt. To that end, Zyon Pullin and Florida native Walter Clayton Jr have been brought in to run the show. Pullin, a two-time All-Big West pick while at UC Riverside, committed to the Gators over their SEC rivals at Louisiana State and brings a tremendous amount of playmaking and scoring skill to either guard spot. A point man with good size and length, Pullin started 77 games the past three seasons for the Highlanders, and he’s averaged 16.4 points, 5 boards and 4.3 assists with a 1.8 assist to turnover ratio. Though not a guy who necessarily prioritizes the three point shot, Pullin has been able to keep defenses honest with a career 35% mark from downtown.
What Pullin really enjoys is using his dribble to get into the paint, where he is great at manipulating screens and isolation opportunities to create off the bounce
What Pullin really enjoys is using his dribble to get into the paint, where he is great at manipulating screens and isolation opportunities to create off the bounce. With a strong handle and explosive quickness the closer he gets to the rim. Pullin has gone to the foul stripe five times per game the past two years, converting 77% of his shots and constantly attacking the lane to put pressure on his opponents. Unfortunately, just as happened at the start of last year, Pullin will miss a few games to start this season. The reason is that he again participated in a non-sanctioned NBA evaluation tournament this summer. “We assumed he was going to miss some games,” Golden admitted. He continued “We will miss him in those games. But this gives others an opportunity to step up.”
Clayton played for Iona the past two seasons, and last winter was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s Player of the Year. It was a sensational year, as Clayton hit 46% of his shots overall, 41% from distance and sank 102/107 (95%) freebies, the best such mark any player in the country posted from the foul stripe. Clayton is comfortable operating as one of two playmakers on the court due to his years spent running the Gaels’ offense along with Daniss Jenkins, who followed Rick Pitino to St. John’s during the offseason. As such, it’s hoped that Clayton should fit in seamlessly beside Pullin, and what’s more, Clayton’s outside shooting talents should be the Yin to Pullin’s drive-happy Yang.
“We tried every sort of coverage against Walter Clayton. Seems like a great kid. Very stoic on the court. Doesn’t get too high or too low,” Mount Saint Mary’s coach Dan Engelstad told 247 Sports this summer, describing Clayton. “We tried to limit his touches, but he finds a way. He gets to his pull-up. He shot it decent from three. He’s very athletic. He’s very explosive. He’s got that toughness from his football days, too. He’s a winner, man.” Pitino demands strong defense from his players, and Clayton is a strong defender even by Slick Rick’s standards. Clayton racked up 19 blocks and an MAAC-best 59 steals in 32 games last season while playing terrific, physical defense which didn’t give his opponents time or space to play their game.
Almost the entire frontcourt rotation around Kugel and Richard is new, also. Tyrese Samuel and EJ Jarvis were longtime starters farther to the northeast, and this spring headed South to play for Golden. Jarvis had arrived from the Ivy League and was going to be a key piece up at forward, but in late summer the former Yale standout stepped away from the program. “Personal deal,” Golden said at the time. “TBD on his return.” It now seems as though Jarvis will not play for the Gators, and that the team is moving on.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 46.3% – Opponent Effective FG Percentage (18th) |
| 49.4% – Team Effective FG Percentage (235th) |
| 31.4% – Team 3FG Percentage (314th) |
| 5.2 – Blocks Per Game (6th) |
| 22.4% – Team Offensive Rebound Percentage (303rd) |
Samuel brings good size, as well as experience in the Big East, where he became a reliable interior scorer last year. He posted a half dozen double-doubles last season, with four of them coming down the stretch as Samuel averaged 13 points over the Hall’s final 10 games. It’s his rebounding that Golden identified as a key skill, and Samuel has fully embraced his coach’s desire to see the Gators attack the glass this winter. “We need to rebound. Guards, everyone. Five guys need to rebound because last year they weren’t that good at rebounding, [coaches] were telling me, so they emphasize that a lot at practice,” Samuel told Chris Harry for FloridaGators.com. “We want to get all the rebounds, push the ball, play fast and win a lot of games. And rebounding is probably the main thing, especially getting a lot of offensive rebounds.”
While Samuel can shoot it out to the three point arc, he’s attempted fewer and fewer triples in each of his four seasons, and as Samuel had focused his attention inside, he’s become a highly effective scorer. And given his 45 slams a year ago – fifth-most in the Big East – and ability to power through contact inside, Samuel is a great option to finish a lob when Florida’s guards penetrate. He’s also become a more consistent defender and rim protector, and given his length and experience, Samuel has proven capable of holding his own at the 5 in bigger lineups while being able to guard some smaller players. That Golden can play Samuel together with a smaller or larger frontcourt player should provide the Gators more quality depth than much of last year.
Golden didn’t stop the frontcourt overhaul there. Also coming aboard are some complimentary freshmen, as well as a largely unheralded recruit who exceeded every possible expectation last season during his own freshman campaign. There’s one face Gator fans will recognize, though, and he helped Florida to finish on their feet at the end of last year.
Alex Szymczyk is a German post player who is stout inside, and showed late last year that he’s beginning to get comfortable showing his skill level, too. With his college-ready frame, Szymczyk was able to average 13 minutes over Florida’s final seven games as a rookie. After practicing against Castleton all year, Szymczyk has gained confidence to defend effectively, and his rebounding should be a help as well. Offensively, Szymczyk likes to shoot the ball. He did not make shots efficiently last year, but Szymczyk kept launching. The makes will come, as he’s got a good-looking shot, and Szymczyk has confidently knocked down shots out beyond the land of trey this summer. Szymczyk’s start to the season will be a bit delayed also, as he’s recovering from a broken bone in his foot. It’s likely that, once he returns to full strength, Szymczyk’s role will grow to an average of upwards of 15 minutes per contest this season.
Micah Handlogten held offers from American University, Presbyterian, Youngstown State, Jacksonville and Division II Emory & Henry College coming out of high school; and Marshall, where he originally committed. Handlogten showed up in Huntington as an almost comically lanky unknown quantity, and all he did was have one of the best seasons of any freshman big in the nation. He started all 32 games for the Thundering Herd, scored in double figures ten times, blocked 75 shots, came up with 41 steals and tied for the Sun Belt rebounding crown.
It was such an outstanding first year that when much of the Herd’s veteran core departed and Handlogten entered the Transfer Portal, let’s just say that his offer list became considerably more prestigious. While Florida doesn’t play quite the level of freewheeling offense which Dan D’Antoni employs at Marshall, Handlogten can get from end to end and showed last year what an effective post defender he can be even in a very up-tempo system. Most of Handlogten’s points came off of great looks in close provided either by the Herd’s veteran guards or Handlogten’s own terrific efforts on the offensive glass; he grabbed a Sun Belt-best 109 of his team’s misses last year. It will be an adjustment for Handlogten moving up to the SEC, but given all of the skills he’s shown without needing to be the focal point of an offense, Handlogten may well morph into an offense-wrecking star as he gains strength and experience.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| N – Baylor / Oregon State – November 24 |
| N – Virginia – November 10 |
| @ Wake Forest – November 29 |
| N – Michigan – December 19 |
| N – Pittsburgh – November 22 |
The complimentary freshmen are Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon. One, Haugh, is a versatile defender and highly athletic forward from Pennsylvania; the other, Condon, is a quick and hard-nosed pivot from Australia. Both youngsters can really get up and down the floor, and as they gain strength should offer a great array of matchup possibilities. Condon seems to be the better shooter at this point, and should be able to space the floor better than Handlogten when he spells the slightly-more-experienced player. Florida’s coaches have already praised Condon for how much effort he gives on the glass and in getting up the court to establish position. As he gets comfortable offensively, Condon should offer real potential as a modern 5 man. Haugh may not be a deep threat just now, but he has shown the explosiveness to score easily near – or above – the rim. He’s also got good awareness and anticipation defensively for such a young player. With his tantalizing mix of clever play and athleticism, the Gators can see Hough playing a variety of roles going forward.
Aberdeen, a high school teammate of Kugel’s, returns after hardly playing last season. He’s got good size and has seemed more confident offensively this fall. Especially while Pullin is out, Aberdeen will have the chance to show that he’s ready to make steady decisions, knock down open shots, and bust it defensively. Golden has also added Lithuanian guard Kajus Kublickas, another freshman. Kublickas played for the same Žalgiris team in his home country which had sent plenty of other prospects to play high major American hoops. While he’s a bit spindly, Kublickas is a solid passer and shooter who will be brought along to help at the point going forward.
Knocking down outside shots is very much Julian Rishwain’s thing. Though he will also not be available immediately to start the new season, the former San Francisco shooter is thrilled to be reunited with Golden, his former coach. Coming into last year, Rishwain had made 118 career trey’s at a 38.3% clip. Last year, though, in a season which would eventually end prematurely and lead to knee surgery, Rishwain limped to a 24.3% rate from deep. When he got the chance to head to Florida and help Golden establish his culture with the Gators, “It was like a fire had been re-lit,” Rishwain proclaimed. “The dude still believed in me…Coach Golden knows what I can do. That’s why I’m here.” Though he was just cleared to resume full practice and contact activities before Halloween, Rishwain will be a valuable presence to Golden. “He’s going to give us a really good and needed additional shooter; someone who can really space the floor,” the coach said after adding Rishwain. “He’s a guy who can come in and bang a couple 3’s and hopefully get us going.”
Despite the losses piling up last winter, Golden did accomplish some things. He identified that Kugel and Richard in particular are keepers, and he found out how they meshed in his offense. Golden likes to see the ball flow, and shots come along easily. Despite the Gators ranking 250th or below nationally in a variety of shooting stats, Florida did manage to place better in possessions per game, turnovers committed. Now, Golden has a dangerous pair of proven guards to distribute the ball.
“I feel like we’re going to play fast this year, fast tempo, push it up the floor a lot,” Kugel said this summer. “We have a lot of guys that can just get it and go. We’ve got a lot of unselfish players.”
Losing Jarvis is a blow, but Samuel and Handlogten are proven glass artists, wnd the freshmen look good up front. If the Gators get better balance from the outside, Golden’s offense could start to flow like it has in the past. With a pair of dynamic lead guards like Clayton and Pullin leading the way, this looks like a good and productive mix. It’s been a couple of tough years, but the Gators have their sights very much set on a return to SEC prominence.
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