Welcome to my team preview series for 2024-25. Each day between now and the start of the college basketball season, I will preview one team or conference, both on Instagram (@collegehoopsoutlet) and through an article here. The preview will go in-depth on the roster build of the team, my expectations for their upcoming season, and the state of the program under their current head coach.
Florida (Projected: 7th in SEC)
Todd Golden showed great improvement in year two at Florida, taking the Gators from 16-17 (9-9 SEC) to 24-12 (11-7 SEC). Now in year three, the expectations will be even higher, as the Gators return a large portion of last season’s core and are widely heralded as a preseason top 30 team.
The duo of senior guards that return for Florida will likely be the two most important players on this team, referencing all-conference guard Walter Clayton Jr. (18 ppg, 4 rpg) and Will Richard (11 ppg, 4 rpg). Clayton transferred in from Iona last offseason, and showed his prowess as an elite scorer, even at the high-major level. 2024-25 could be a big season for him, with starting backcourt mate Zyon Pullin gone, more weight will be rested on Clayton’s shoulders. Richard has been a double-digit scorer the past two seasons for the Gators but could also be asked to take on a bigger role and step out of the shadows.
Five other players will return to Florida alongside the veteran guard duo, including a couple of promising sophomores. Alex Condon (8 ppg, 6 rpg) is the most highly thought of, an all-around big man out of Australia who impressed throughout his freshman campaign. Thomas Haugh (4 ppg, 4 rpg) saw a bit less time than Condon as a freshman but is another guy that could be called upon in the frontcourt rotation. The final player returning to the frontcourt is Micah Handlogten (5 ppg, 7 rpg), although he may miss most or all of the season due to an injury he suffered in the 2024 SEC Tournament. Denzel Aberdeen (3 ppg) and Kajus Kablickas (1 ppg) round out the list of returns, both depth pieces in the backcourt. Aberdeen could see a big jump in his junior season, likely the first guard off the bench after a sophomore year with flashes of potential, including a 20-pt game against Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament.
Just three players left the Florida basketball program this offseason, but all of them were vital parts of the team’s success last season. Zyon Pullin (16 ppg, 4 rpg, 5 apg) and Riley Kugel (9 ppg, 4 rpg) both had big roles in the backcourt, while forward Tyrese Samuel (14 ppg, 7 rpg) was the ultimate paint beast for the Gators, locking in on both ends and on the glass. All three have now gone their separate ways, and Coach Golden will have to figure out how to replace them.
From a physical replacement standpoint, Todd Golden went to the transfer portal first, finding three transfers who should all contribute instantly. Alijah Martin (13 ppg, 6 rpg at FAU) is the one who will have the most weight on his shoulders, coming over after a successful four-year career at FAU. Martin’s efficiencies dropped off slightly this past season, but he still proved his worth on both ends of the floor for the Owls. There is the expectation for him to be a big piece of the backcourt next to Clayton, something that may take a month or two of the season to develop as he jumps up to the SEC.
The two incoming transfers in the frontcourt should also play big roles for the Gators. Rueben Chinyelu (5 ppg, 5 rpg at Washington State) should start in the frontcourt, coming over after a promising freshman season at Washington State. Chinyelu was efficient from the field as a freshman, and with Handlogten out due to injury, his ability to protect the paint will be even more important to the Gators. Sam Alexis (11 ppg, 9 rpg at Chattanooga) will be another addition that can shore up the defensive side of things for Florida, an athletic forward who averaged 2.1 bpg this past season at Chattanooga.
Four freshmen round out the Gators roster for this upcoming season, two high school recruits and two international recruits. Guard Isaiah Brown (3*, NAT 108) could have an impact on the backcourt rotation as a freshman, an athletic combo guard who can create for himself and others. The international recruits, guard Urban Klavzar (Slovenia) and forward Viktor Mikic (Serbia) were both late additions to the Gators’ roster but could see time with an otherwise thin bench. Olivier Rioux (3*, NAT 275) is the final addition, a 7-9 center, yes 7-9, who may take a bit of time to reach the level of physicality required for SEC basketball.
In year three at San Francisco, Todd Golden took the Dons to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998. In year three at Florida, Golden will be expected to reach the NCAA Tournament, but his sights could be set on reaching the first Sweet 16 since 2017 for Florida. Regardless of how postseason play goes, I think it’s important for Golden’s squad to establish themselves as a major factor in the SEC this season in a highly competitive conference.
All eyes will be on Walter Clayton Jr. this season for the Gators, and rightfully so. If Florida exceeds preseason expectations, there’s a chance Clayton reaches All-American status. Looking at the roster as a whole, the X-factor for team success in my eyes is Washington State transfer Rueben Chinyelu. Chinyelu will have big hopes going into the season with Micah Handlogten out due to injury, and if he can have a breakout sophomore campaign, the Gators’ ceiling rises tremendously.
It would be tough for any team to compete in the SEC this year, and I think what could ultimately slow Florida down is the team’s lack of depth. Denzel Aberdeen and Thomas Haugh will need to take big leaps, which is very possible I will say, for me to fully believe in this team. That being said, I think it’s still a team that sits inside the top 25-30 for most of the year, but just isn’t able to crack into the top 3-4 teams in the SEC. I’ve got the Gators finishing 7th in the SEC this season, which shouldn’t be seen as a knock in the slightest.