Tag: 2020-21

Phlandrous Fleming Jr. hopes to bring his dominating play to major college basketball

Fleming was a dominant player in the Big South. Now, he joins the big-time and hopes his talent will translate to the SEC.

Name: Phlandrous Fleming Jr.

Number: TBA

Position: Guard

Class: Senior

Height: 6’4″

Weight: 210 lbs

Hometown: Athens, Ga.

High School: Cedar Shoals

Previous School: Charleston Southern

2020 statistics:

GP FG% REB AST PTS
18 39.5 7.4 2.3 20.1

Overview:

Originally a nearly unknown recruit out of Athens, Georgia, Fleming quickly made a name for himself as a freshman at Charleston Southern. He averaged 10.6 points (second-best among Big South freshman) and was named to the conference’s All-Freshmen Team for his efforts. His role increased as a sophomore, and he started 11 of the 22 games he appeared in for the Bucs. He averaged 12.5 points per game, second on the team, and he also averaged 5.5 boards.

He became a full-time starter his junior year, starting 31 of 32 games and taking home First Team All-Big South honors while also being named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. He led the league with 8.7 rebounds per game, and he also notched 47 blocks and 40 steals. Though his defensive play got the most attention, he also boosted his scoring average to 17.7 points.

His senior year in 2020-21 was his best yet. He averaged 20.1 points and 7.4 rebounds while racking up his second conference Defensive Player of the Year award in a row. He also added 1.8 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. Following a disappointing season for CSU, he announced that he would transfer for his final season of eligibility. Though Florida wasn’t initially high on his radar, he eventually announced his decision to join the Gators’ program, where he will compete to start next year.

Video:

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2020-21 Florida Gators Men’s Basketball Profile Card: Samson Ruzhentsev

The Gators added Ruzhentsev as a high-end recruit, but he’s more of a play for the future than a readymade contributor.

Name: Samson Ruzhentsev

Number: 2

Position: Small Forward

Class: Freshman

Height: 6’7″

Weight: 231 lbs

Hometown: Chattanooga, TN

High School: Hamilton Heights Christian Academy

Twitter: @thesame_sam27

2019-20 Stats:

New roster addition in 2020-21

Overview:

The top recruit among Florida’s freshman this season, the 6-foot-7-inch Ruzhentsev was fairly well-known as a prep player especially thanks to his win in the Dr. Pepper Classic Dunk Contest. Searching his name on Twitter reveals a bumper crop of highlights, mostly of Ruzhentsev dominating at the rim and overpowering some unfortunate kid for an acrobatic layup or dunk.

As a Gator, he hasn’t been able to find much time on the floor yet through his first handful of games. It’s a predictable decision on the part of head coach Mike White to keep him on the bench, as Ruzhentsev is considered more of a project player than a polished one. However, if they play their cards right, Florida could have an exceptional player on their hands in a year or two.

The 247Sports scouting report on Ruzhentsev described him as a “confident scorer with ability to put up points from all three levels.” They them went on to praise his body control and defensive versatility. However, they note, to actualize his full potential, he’ll have to level up his “feel and shot selection.” Additionally, there’s room for him to add muscle to his frame as he grows into his adult body.

Don’t expect to see too much of Ruzhentsev on the court this season unless another important member of the Gators’ roster succumbs to injury. He’s a good candidate to be redshirted as the Florida coaching staff helps him transform his potential into realized talent and molds him into a feature player.

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-__2vW7TKQ

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2020-2021 Florida Gators Men’s Basketball Profile Card: Colin Castleton

Castleton will be a fixture in the Gators’ lineup – he’s the longest big man the Gators have and he has added 16 pounds of muscle.

Name: Colin Castleton

Number: 12

Position: Center

Class: Junior

Height: 6’11”

Weight: 231 lbs

Hometown: Deland, FL

High School: Father Lopez Catholic

Twitter: @Castleton_

2019-20 Stats:

GP MIN FG% 3P% FT% REB AST BLK STL PF TO PTS
25 7.9 54.0 0.0 82.8 2.4 0.3 0.5 0.1 0.8 0.5 3.1

Overview:

The Gators landed Castleton as a transfer out of the University of Michigan. Coming out of Florida’s backyard as a native of Deland, Florida, the lengthy center was a highly regarded recruit in 2018 who had his pick of 21 schools to begin his college career. The big man played backup minutes for the Wolverines for his first two years in the NCAA, but seeking greener pastures, he came to UF to play as the starting center.

The former 4-star recruit hasn’t been able to do much before the 2020-21 season, but he’s been let loose by Mike White this season, tripling his minutes from last season. He’s proven valuable in the paint, exemplified by his performance against Vanderbilt in the Gators’ first game without Keyontae Johnson. He had the best night of his career thus far, putting up a pair of blocks, grabbing five rebounds and shooting 11-of-13 from the field. All of those shots came from within only a few feet of the rim, including four dunks.

It’s unclear how long Johnson will be out of action. However, if he misses considerable time, Castleton could see a boost in possessions as head coach Mike White looks for reliable mismatch options.

In all likelihood, Castleton will be a fixture in the Gators’ lineup through his junior and senior years. He’s the longest big man the Gators have to offer and he has added 16 pounds of muscle since his days as a prep player. As an old-school center, he probably won’t be prioritized at the next level, but he has the building blocks for an excellent player in the SEC.

Video:

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2020-2021 Florida Gators Men’s Basketball Profile Card: Niels Lane

Niels Lane joined the Gators as a guard in the 2020 recruiting class, and he’s already seen some action as a reserve through five games.

Name: Niels Lane

Number: 44

Position: Guard

Class: Freshman

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 206 lbs

Hometown: Freehold, N.J.

High School: Roselle Catholic

Twitter: @realnielsl

2019-20 Stats: New roster addition in 2020-21

Overview:

Lane was a three-star recruit from New Jersey coming out of high school. He committed to play for the Gators on Oct. 8, 2019, and he signed his National Letter of Intent on Nov. 13.

He enrolled at UF in December, and as a true freshman, he’s seeing some action in Florida’s guard rotation. At 6-foot-5-inches, he has ideal size for his position, and though he isn’t the best shooter, he can get the job done. He’s a talented defensive player who also makes himself a factor on the boards.

So far this season, he’s appeared in four games. His best performance came in a win against Stetson, when he scored six points in addition to making a rebound and an assist. All in all, he’s averaging 2.3 points, a rebound and 0.5 assists.

He’s a bit buried on depth chart this season, but in the future, Lane could be a key role player in UF’s guard group.

Video:

https://youtu.be/ZF_pBqw7LMk

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Gators men’s basketball transfer Colin Castleton immediately eligible to play

Forward Colin Castleton, who transferred to Florida this offseason, received a waiver from the NCAA making him eligible for this season.

Former Michigan forward Colin Castleton, who transferred to Florida via the transfer portal this offseason, received a waiver from the NCAA making him eligible for the 2020-2021 season.

The 6-foot-11-inch forward has earned a reputation for his versatility while in Ann Arbor, providing size and rim protection on the inside while also showing a nice touch on his shots from outside of the paint extending out to the midrange, with an occasional bomb from out deep to boot.

His arrival in Gainesville also represents a return back to his home state, as he played high school at Father Lopez Catholic High School in Daytona Beach where he was a four-star recruit and the No. 128 player in the country in 2018. He has two more seasons of eligibility to play out in Gainesville.

While the 20-year-old still has some room to fill out physically, he will provide some much-needed presence on the inside for a team dealing with a dearth of big men heading into the coming season. With Jason Jitoboh and Omar Payne likely playing large roles at the forward and center positions, Castleton’s presence will bring a great deal of relief to a team that lost Kerry Blackshear Jr. and Gorjok Gak from its forecourt to graduation and the transfer portal, respectively.

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Pete Carroll tweets out message of support amid coronavirus outbreak

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll tweeted out a message of support for residents of the Emerald City amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 outbreak has impacted sports leagues around the world, but Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll took to Twitter and urged everyone to hold steadfast in these trying times with a simple tweet.

In addition, the Seahawks organization released a statement calling for collective action by Pacific Northwest residents and staying strong in the face of the coronavirus outbreak.

“This is an uncertain and sometimes unnerving time for our city, our region and our world. As a community of Pacific Northwesters and 12s everywhere, it’s time to rally together and help. Together, we’re at our best. Together, there is hope, encouragement and support. Together, we got this.”

The organization also specified methods in which people could help deal with the issues at hand. The 2020 NFL free agency period will still be conducted as planned, but it is evident that the outbreak must be contained for next season to go smoothly.

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