One of the bright spots for Florida’s men’s basketball team was the emergence of [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] as the Gators’ best player. But with the fifth-year senior’s college career coming to an end, head coach Todd Golden will need to replace his output. Luckily for Florida, one of the best players in the transfer portal could slide right into Golden’s rotation.
[autotag]Kel’el Ware[/autotag], the No. 7 overall player in the 2022 247Sports composite, has entered the transfer portal after just one season at Oregon. Despite playing just under 16 minutes per game, Ware was able to average 16.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.3 blocks, and 1.3 assists per 40 minutes. The incredibly efficient seven-footer is from North Little Rock, Arkansas, and would be much closer to home in Gainesville than he was in Oregon.
Here is what 247Sports’ Isaac Trotter had to say about Ware’s potential fit with the Gators:
Replacing Colin Castleton is one of the biggest objectives of the offseason for Florida coach Todd Golden and the rest of the Gators staff. Florida was a major player for some of the top talent in the transfer portal last offseason, and Golden can sell Castleton’s success in his scheme. Ware’s path to a featured role and a huge usage rate is easy to project at Florida, but questions about if the Gators can win big in 2023-24 remain.
Ware was never expected to remain at Oregon for four years, but entering the transfer portal came as a surprise to most, with the 210-pound center expected to declare for the 2023 NBA draft. His size, length, and athleticism allow him to guard all five positions. Paired with his ability to create his own offense in the mid-and-low post and his three-point shooting, he has the potential to be a lottery pick in the 2024 draft.
In addition to the Gators, the other teams that 247Sports sees as a potential fit for Ware are Gonzaga, Arizona, Arkansas, Texas, Indiana, Colorado, LSU, Michigan, Duke and Kansas.
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