College Hoops Top 50

Last Year: 24-12; 11-7, Sixth in the Southeastern Conference, lost in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament

Head Coach: Todd Golden (Third Year;

Projected Starting Lineup

PG Walter Clayton, Jr – 6’3″, 195 Senior

G Alijah Martin – 6’2″, 210 5th-year Senior

G Will Richard – 6’4″, 206 Senior

F Alex Condon – 6’11”, 230 Sophomore

C Ruben Chinyelu – 6’10”, 255 Sophomore

Experienced Reseves

G Kajus Kublickas – 6’2″, 190 Sophomore

G Denzel Aberdeen – 6’5″, 190 Junior

F Thomas Haugh – 6’9″, 215 Sophomore

F Sam Alexis – 6’8″, 240 Junior

Freshmen

G Urban Klavžar – 6’1″, 195 / Lithuania

G Isaiah Brown – 6’4″, 195

F/C Viktor Mikić – 6’11”, 240 / Serbia

C Olivier Rioux – 7’9″, 305 / Canada

There are going to be some bigs in Florida this winter. Lots of bigs. Big – big – bigs. Ultimately, though, the guys who will put the bite in these Gators are guards. They’ve got an extremely gifted one of those in the Swamp, too. 

It was a bit of a herky-jerky second season for head coach Todd Golden, but when his Gators were good, they looked fantastic. They played fast, scored lots of points, and were a whole lot of fun for neutral observers to watch win or lose. This year, though, Florida wants to do considerably more winning and a lot less losing. 

Though the Gators never lost more than two games in a row, they scattered 12 L’s across the schedule. It was far from all bad; they got red-hot and made a thrilling run to the SEC tournament title game in a loaded field, after all. Ultimately their inconsistencies – especially on defense – led to their fall in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. That loss to Colorado was (told you they were always worth tuning in for) one of the most entertaining games of the whole season, but it rather underscored the areas where Florida meets to improve. 

So Golden set out this spring to make some adjustments, tweak some things…add some more size…you know, zhuzh things up a bit. Now, his team looks like it’s going to be just as fun, and potentially more steady. You’ll probably want to follow their progress – however things turn out, there are going to be fireworks. 

The local kid who turned into a budding superstar lead guard last season is Walter Clayton, Jr, and he is the spark that will set off a whole bunch of those fireworks. Two years ago at Iona, he was the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Last season, he was named second-team All-SEC and made the league all-tournament team following arguably an even better season with the Gators. This winter, he’s deservedly being hyped as one of the best guards in the country. 

An elite scoring guard who can hurt opponents from all over the floor, Clayton is also a talented distributor and quality defender. For a high-volume scorer, Clayton is quite efficient in his approach and execution. It was known when he transferred in last year that Clayton could really shoot the ball, and he lit up the Southeastern Conference to the tune of 93 makes – fourth-most in the league. He took a higher percentage of triples last year relative to his overall attempts than ever before, but Clayton is also adept off the bounce, and was better than many had expected at scoring in the lane. He has a good, tight handle and uses it inventively to open up looks while the defense is worried about his jumper. Clayton also smoothly sets up his friends when he sees the opportunity, and knows how to take advantage of defenders who are trying to cheat over and double him. The past two years, Clayton has had the luxury of playing alongside Daniss Jenkins and then Zyon Pullin, but this year Clayton will be running more of the show himself and must continue to make good decisions with the ball. 

Whether he gets all the way to the rack or opts for a runner or pull-up shot in the paint, Clayton is highly effective inside the arc as well. He’s made at least 42% of his mid-range tries in each of his three seasons, and Clayton doesn’t tend to settle for bad-angle or closely contested jumpers. Perhaps most devastating of all, Florida’s opponents know that if they foul Clayton, he will cash in at the stripe. After leading the nation with a 95.3% rate two years ago, Clayton made 87.7% of his foul shots last winter. He’s the sort of guard that can heat up and carry a squad in March – Clayton hung 33 points on Colorado in last year’s NCAA Tournament. He did so while committing just a single turnover, and it only took Clayton 17 shot attempts to get there. This year, Clayton is hoping for a few more chances to show his stuff when the lights are brightest. 

Over the course of four years at Florida Atlantic, Martin played a starring role in helping the Owls rise to national prominence.

One of the new guys that Golden brought in this spring knows what it’s like to go to the Final Four, and Alijah Martin hopes to have found a path back to the promised land by joining the Gators. Over the course of four years at Florida Atlantic, Martin played a starring role in helping the Owls rise to national prominence. His combined experiences will be valuable to a Gators team which wants to get there, and Martin’s more tangible on-court production will help, too. An all-league performer in both Conference USA and the American Athletic Conference, Martin has put up remarkably similar numbers each of the past seasons. He’s averaged between 13.9 and 13.1 points, between 5.9 and 5.3 rebounds, and between 1.4 and 1.6 assists in each of those campaigns, and Martin should post fairly similar statistics at Florida. 

His three-point percentage has been in a slight decline each of the past two years, but Martin has made at least 70 deep balls three seasons running and opponents know better than to leave him open. They also know better than to give him a straight line to the cup, because Martin is explosive around the basket and will throw down some huge dunks. A physical guard whose bounce and strength allows him to play larger than his listed size, Martin will crash the glass at both ends of the court. He knows what it’s like to take turns with other prominent players in a winning ensemble cast, and Martin has demonstrated the ability to take charge and get things done when the need arises. With a combination of attributes that the Gators need, Martin will have plenty to say about how far Florida goes this winter.

The Gators’ third guard, Will Richard, has been a solid source of scoring in Golden’s lineup since arriving in the Swamp from Belmont. Like Clayton, Richard tested out the NBA Draft process this spring before deciding to return to Gainesville, but now that he’s back, Richard gives the Gators three proven bombardiers to threaten opposing defenses. Though he averaged more minutes per game last year, Richards saw a decline in his shooting splits. He’s always been very good at cutting to the rim or slashing in from the wing after a shot fake, and coming into last year, Richard had converted 61.0% of all two-point tries he’d attempted. He still made 52.0% inside the arc last winter, but Richard would love to nudge his rate higher, just as he’d like to return to the 39.8% mark he posted from the land of trey in his Gators debut. He’s become a better passer since joining Florida, and Richard was particularly good on the offensive glass as a junior. He can really get up, whether in traffic or to swat a shot on the perimeter, and Richard racked up 21 putback tries, per Hoop-Math. With a bit more consistency from his outside shot, Richards will shine in his biggest role yet. 

Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks)

85.6 – Points Per Game (5th)

65.3 – FG Attempts Per Game (1st)

18.4 – Personal Fouls Per Game (298th)

15.9 – Opponent FT Made Per Game (311th)

5.3 – Blocks Per Game (13th)

Denzel Aberdeen is back to provide experience and the occasional big game off the bench. Though he didn’t play much as a freshman, Aberdeen began to find his stride last winter. He averaged just about ten minutes per game and is capable of playing alongside any of the Gators’ other guards, providing solid defense while not doing anything he shouldn’t. While he only scored in double figures three times last year, Aberdeen saved his best performance for a day when Florida needed it most: his 20 points and four steals on 4/5 shooting from distance was exactly what the doctor ordered to help UF slip past red-hot Texas A&M and into the SEC tournament title game. This year’s top rookie, Isaiah Brown, will be strong competition for the best backup minutes. A borderline Top 100 prospect, Brown is a Florida native with the size, savvy, and quickness to help out right away.

“You watch him play, he’s like a junior out there,” Golden told 247 Sports this fall in describing Brown. “Like, he knows all the angles, he’s a great team defender, he knows how to cut, get to the glass offensively. He just, he makes a lot of winning plays.” Coaches love to pump up their young guys in preseason practices, but it sure seems like Brown will have a role early on in his career, and that the Gators will have a deep group of guards. 

Up front, there is considerable youth, considerable skill, and almost-unreasonable size. Though Florida will be without the services of promising center Micah Handlogten this winter as he recovers from injury, Golden has created intense competition in the post by adding three new faces to a couple of talented returning sophomores. 

Golden wasn’t entirely sure what he had when Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh showed up for their first practices last summer, but both showed a lot of promise in their freshman season. Australian import Condon’s lone start as a rookie came in the Gators’ NCAA Tournament game, but he had long since become a key part of Florida’s rotation. He averaged more than 20 minutes per game, and Condon contributed steadily enough to earn a spot on the SEC’s All-Freshman squad. Though he was new to one of America’s toughest conferences, Condon showed a feisty side when tested by grown dudes, and he’s right at home playing a physical role near the basket. He’s also capable of stepping out to the perimeter and splashing three’s, and given that he’s moving more and more smoothly at 6’11”, Condon is already a pretty tough cover. He didn’t put up huge numbers as a freshman, but Condon always seemed to be chipping in 10 points and seven rebounds here or a couple-twotree blocks there. He was patient, deliberate, and steady. Often, those are some of the attributes which take the longest to really sink in for young bigs, but Condon’s skill level is high and his approach is advanced. 

Haugh is another big guy who brings both traditional competence in the post plus the mobility and range to be a matchup problem. He’s more fluid in ranging out to the perimeter than Condon, and Haugh has enough lateral quickness and plenty of length to cover some wings away from the basket. He’s got some explosiveness near the rim, and Haugh can get off the ground quickly. Most opponents who figured that out only realized their danger after Haugh had come from nowhere to reject a shot attempt, but his reputation is noe established. He should only become more versatile as he adds strength and refines his jumper, and Haugh adds real versatility to the Gator frontcourt. 

Florida has added two rising transfers to complement Condon and Haugh, and to shore up what has been such a porous defense. With his NBA-ready frame and 7’8″ wingspan, former Washington State pivot Ruben Chinyelu may be the most intimidating presence among this year’s Gators. He largely played a reserve role for the Cougars as a freshman, but Chinyelu was a major part of Wazzu ranking 11th nationally in defensive rebounding rate. Though he averaged less than 14 minutes per contest, Chinyelu ranked ninth in the Pac-12 with 66 offensive rebounds as a rookie, too, and he translated 30 of those extra opportunities into putback stabs, per Hoop-Math. A terrific and physical rim protector, Chinyelu functions as a genuine defensive anchor deep in the paint. He didn’t get pushed around as a freshman, and won’t be as a sophomore, either. Golden is counting on that reliability to embolden his other defenders. 

Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on

N North Carolina – December 17

N Wake Forest – November 28

vs Virginia – December 4

N Arizona State – December 14

@ Florida State – November 15

With a couple of tough customers waiting to deter opponents should they reach the paint, everyone on Florida’s roster should be able to guard more aggressively. Chattanooga transfer Sam Alexis adds to that plan, and like Haugh, has the athleticism and foot speed to range out on the perimeter. He enjoyed a fine sophomore season for the Mocs, leading the Southern Conference in blocks per game and being named to the league’s All-Defense team. Like Chinyelu, Alexis isn’t a finished product offensively, but his lively style in the paint allowed him to pile up putbacks, offensive boards, and dunks inside. Alexis also converted a strong 48.2% of his mid-range tries last winter, per Bart Torvik, utilizing both hook shots and a twisting sort of set shot that the wiry-strong forward can get to reliably. 

In addition to Brown, UF is welcoming three more freshmen who will try to prove that they’re worthy of getting in on the action quickly. As if the Gators didn’t have enough quality young big guys already, Golden signed the big-of-bigs this year. Quebecois freshman Olivier Rioux stands 7’9″ and checks in at more than 300 pounds; in fact, he’s the Guiness World Record holder for tallest teenager ever. Best of all, Rioux has some genuine skills to go with his show-stopping size. Serbian post Viktor Mikić is just 6’11”, but he’s another solid long-term investment. Mikić played his final prep season in the USA and moves well around the lane for his size. It’s possible that one or both of the freshman bigs will take a redshirt, but they add real intrigue going forward. Kajus Kublickas is back at guard after playing a small role as a first-year, and he’ll get a challenge from newcomer Urban Klavžar. Both young guards are from Lithuania and bring considerable experience in international tournaments. Klavžar played in Spain last year, and is considered a terrific shooter. 

It took Golden a couple of years to really get rolling at San Francisco, but he got the Dons charged up and into the NCAA Tournament. He’s done that for the Gators too, and there’s considerable momentum behind the Gators this fall. The schedule should help them to get rolling – while there are some highlight matchups with North Carolina and Wake Forest, UF will play some easier games which should hemp this still-fairly-young group to hit its stride.

The Gators play fun, freewheeling basketball, and Golden’s style is clearly attractive to exciting young players. With a couple of clearly-established veteran guards and a cavalcade of promising young huge guys, Florida is starting to look like a potential monster. If it all starts clicking in Golden’s third year, the Gators will be poised to take the SEC by storm – and carry the fun well into the month of March.