The Gators’ men’s basketball team has been struggling to find traction during the 2022 season. Despite receiving praise for the team he build in the transfer portal, head coach Mike White has had a hard time getting the best out of his team. The reasons for that problem are varied and deserve to be discussed in far more depth than there is room for in this space. The simplest explanation possible is mismanagement of the assets he has on hand. Perhaps headlining those assets is forward CJ Felder.
When Florida reeled in Felder as a Boston College transfer, it was a move accompanied with a noticeable amount of praise. The big man carried with him a reputation as a matchup nightmare and seemed poised to displace Anthony Duruji from the starting lineup. The reasoning — that Felder’s defensive prowess and controlled game will make more of an impact than his counterpart’s largely unbridled physical talents — was sound enough to convince us that he’d be the starter.
Eric Fawcett, one of the leading experts on Gators basketball, has been a big proponent of Felder’s potential to make an impact on the program from the day he transferred.
Ridiculous statistical impact of CJ Felder—rim protection. Averaged 2.2 blocks per game but what’s really impressive is that opponents only shot 37.5% at the rim when defended by Felder. He’s a wall in the paint, great for Florida’s defensive scheme.
— Eric Fawcett (@Efawcett7) April 3, 2021
The reality hasn’t been quite so shiny. Until this point in the season, White hasn’t given Felder the opportunity to shine during his time with the team. He’s averaged just over 12 minutes a game, scoring 4.0 points per game and making fewer highlight plays than he did with Boston College.
Nevertheless, he has earned the opportunity to start for these Gators.
First of all, it’s important to note that, while he doesn’t have as many blocks this season as he did in years past, he hasn’t really been afforded the opportunity to make those plays. When Colin Castleton is healthy, he’s the entrenched center. He’s a monster at the rim and White has no reason to rotate him out when Felder is just as effective at the perimeter.
When Castleton wasn’t healthy, the Gators turned to just about everyone else for rim protection. Jason Jitoboh, Anthony Duruji, and Tuon Gatkek have all been given more run as the backup center than Felder. In other words, it’s not fair to ding him in a reduction in blocks when his role has changed.
Additionally, while Felder hasn’t been a big-time scorer, he has been astonishingly efficient as a shooter from beyond the arc. His 41.7% hit rate from deep isn’t reflective of a hidden talent as a sniper. A far lower career rate and uninspired performance at the free-throw line attest to that fact.
Instead, it paints him as an intelligent, opportunistic shooter who takes shots when they’re there and doesn’t try to play hero ball when he’s covered. This modest, yet effective approach to offensive play is exactly what the Gators need right now while their offense has been stalling out and their middling NCAA tournament resume dwindles.
For Felder, this is an opportunity to prove that he belongs in the lineup. Deployment on the court is rooted more in what happens in practice and other behind-the-scenes activities than what happens on game day, but when a player shows out on game day, it can’t be ignored.
Finally, he is being rewarded for his efforts in Florida’s contest against Texas A&M. White placed him in the starting lineup alongside Tyree Appleby, Myreon Jones, Phlandrous Fleming Jr., and Castleton. That same lineup showed potential to be one of the Gators’ most productive deployments earlier this season, and with Jones back at full health, it can be a dangerous one again.
Felder has the tools to stick as a major contributor. He has the basketball IQ to plug the Gators’ leaky ship in the process. White is giving him his chance versus Texas A&M. He just needs to grab it with both hands.
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