Tag: 2020-21 season

JUCO transfer Tuongthach Gatkek looking to break into rotation in 2021-22

After one year of JUCO ball, forward Tuongthach Gatkek is working his way into the Gators rotation.

Name: Tuongthach Gatkek

Number: 32

Position: Center

Class: Sophomore

Height: 6’9”

Weight: 172 lbs

Hometown: Portland, Maine

High School: Caprock High School (Texas)

2020-21 Stats:

GP MIN FG% 3P% FT% REB AST BLK STL PF TO PTS
25 6.2 66.3 20.0 42.4 6.9 0.8 2.2 0.8 0.8 0.8 9.7

Overview: 

Tuongthach Gatkek was one of the stars of the 2020-21 Trinity Valley Community College basketball team. He averaged 9.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game last year for the Cardinals (23-3) before transferring to Florida.

Gatkek earned All-Region Honors as a freshman and had 19 points in his final game with TVCC, a second-round exit in the NJCAA Tournament. His season-high of 23 points came against Tyler Junior College in March. If anything, Gatkek was only getting better as the season went on.

Florida’s frontcourt is fairly busy with Colin Castleton, CJ Felder, Jason Jitoboh in the mix, but Gatkek could see decent minutes in the more lopsided Gator victories. He’ll have to get a bit more size to compete at this level consistently, but the defensive instinct is there to build on.

With some development, Gatkek could end up seeing more minutes down the road. Many of the starters are set to graduate or move on, leaving the door wide open for the JUCO transfer.

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Elijah Kennedy seeing key reps as a true freshman

Kennedy has a tough path to the court on a deep squad, but the true freshman is still making a moderate impact off the bench.

Name: Elijah Kennedy

Number: 10

Position: Guard

Class: High School Recruit

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 185 lbs

Hometown: Virginia Beach, Virginia

High School: Green Run

Twitter: @eligotnext

Overview:

A three-star recruit from Virginia Beach, the same area that gave the Gators Keyontae Johnson, Kennedy was a late addition to the 2021 class, which only had eventual five-star recruit Kowacie Reeves committed for most of the cycle. He was ranked as the No. 161 overall player in the recruiting class.

Kennedy suffered a knee injury during his junior season in 2019, and it severely impacted his recruiting. He told The Virginian-Pilot when he signed with the Gators on Aug. 2 that the way Florida handled Keyontae Johnson‘s collapse, from which he still hasn’t been cleared to play, was one of the things that made his Florida offer so attractive.

“One thing that made me feel comfortable was with everything Keyontae has been through, the school is still helping him out,” Harris said. “(Kennedy) will feel comfortable with him being there with another 757 guy.”

Kennedy wasn’t necessarily expected to make much of an impact this season, but given his ability to succeed on both ends of the court, he’s actually seen a good bit of reserve action this season. He’s appeared in every game, seeing a season-high nine minutes in the win over California. He scored three points in the wins over the Golden Bears and the Seminoles, which marks his career-high. However, he’s shooting just 3 of 10 on the season and hasn’t been very impactful on the defensive end or in passing the ball so far.

Still, he’s contributing more than many expected from the three-star and the Gators will hope to see him continue to develop as the season goes on.

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Center Colin Castleton will be a leader for Gators if he returns from the draft

Castleton had a breakout junior season at Florida after not producing much at Michigan, and if he returns from the draft, he could shine.

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Name: Colin Castleton

Number: 12

Position: Forward

Class: Junior

Height: 6’11”

Weight: 231 lbs

Hometown: Deland, Fla.

High School: Father Lopez Catholic

Previous School: Michigan

Twitter: @Castleton_

2020-21 statistics:

GP FG% REB AST BLK PTS
24 59.7 6.4 1.1 2.3 12.4

Overview:

A four-star recruit and a top 150 recruit on the 247Sports Composite as a prospect out of Deland, Castleton originally signed with Michigan in the class of 2018. He appeared in 19 games as a freshman and didn’t make much of an impact, averaging 1.1 points and 1.1 rebounds.

He saw a bit of an increase in production in 2019-20, but not by much. He averaged 3.4 points and 2.7 rebounds as a backup, and following the cancelation of the season, he entered the transfer portal.

Castleton found a home with the Gators, who were looking for another big man transfer after the departure of Kerry Blackshear Jr. He came out of nowhere in his first season in Gainesville, starting 21 of 24 games and averaging 12.4 points in addition to a team-high 6.4 rebounds. His 2.25 blocks per game ranked second in the SEC, and he took home a pair of conference Player of the Week awards.

Following his breakout junior season, he declared for the draft without hiring an agent to retain his eligibility. He’s expected to return before the deadline to withdraw, where he would be one of the few familiar faces on UF’s roster next season.

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Lewis tries his hand at the draft after disappointing two years at Florida

Scottie Lewis heads to the NBA to try and play after two seasons of college in which he didn’t exactly live up to his five-star billing.

Name: Scottie Lewis

Number: 23

Position: Guard

Class: Sophomore

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 189 lbs

Hometown: Hazlet, N.J.

High School: Ranney School

Twitter: @Scottie23L

2020 statistics:

GP FG% REB AST PTS
21 44.5 3.1 1.5 7.9

Overview:

Lewis committed to the Gators as a five-star recruit and the No. 7 overall player in the country (according to the 247Sports Composite), making him the highest-rated recruit coach Mike White has ever signed at Florida. Naturally, expectations were high early on for Lewis.

His freshman year was a bit up-and-down. Though he averaged just 8.5 points, he scored in double figures 10 times and scored at least 15 points six times. He really shined on the defensive end, though, becoming the first guard in program history to lead the team in blocks, totaling 36. His season-high in scoring (19) came in the final game against Kentucky in the final game of the season before the season was canceled.

Lewis made headlines off the court during the COVID-19 pandemic for his leadership during the summer’s unrest, speaking at a protest by players in Downtown Gainesville voicing their support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

When the Gators returned to the court this fall, it was with Lewis in a preeminent role. But after starting the first eight games, he only started one more the rest of the way. His scoring average decreased to 7.9, and though he averaged 3.1 rebounds, his blocks dropped to just 22.

Following a disappointment of a sophomore season in which he was expected to take a major leap forward, Lewis decided to cut his losses and declare for the draft with an agent, ending his college eligibility. Though he’s a talented player that could develop into something special with the right coaching, his career at UF didn’t live up to the hype.

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Locke heads to Louisville after three productive seasons in Gainesville

Locke has been arguably Florida’s most consistent scorer over the last three years, but he’s now heading elsewhere for his final season.

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Name: Noah Locke

Number: 10

Position: Guard

Class: Junior

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 203 lbs

Hometown: Baltimore

High School: McDonogh School

Twitter: @_NoahLocke

2020 statistics:

GP FG% REB AST PTS
25 42.5 2.4 0.7 10.6

Overview:

Originally a four-star recruit and the No. 15 shooting guard in the class of 2018, Noah Locke joined the Gators over offers from big-time programs like Michigan and Ohio State. As a freshman in 2018-19, he finished second on the team in scoring with 9.4 points per game and averaged 2.3 three-pointers, fifth-best in the SEC. He started 26 of 36 games that season and scored a season-high 27 points against Texas A&M.

He assumed a starting role once again as a sophomore (for 29 of 31 games, albeit), and his numbers only increased. He averaged 10.6 points and 2.5 rebounds, and his 48.1% mark from downtown was the best for any SEC player with 50+ makes since 1996. He also notched his first (and only) career double-double in a win over Long Beach State.

As a junior in 2020-21, Locke almost entirely replicated his stat line from the previous season. He had the same points (10.6), assists (0.7) and steals (0.6) averages, and his rebounding dropped to just 2.4 while his field-goal percentage dropped by just 0.4 percentage points. Despite his consistency as a shooter, he didn’t run the point much and rarely facilitated the offense.

Apparently in search of a bigger role, he entered the transfer portal this offseason. He announced that he would be joining Louisville, where he will hope he’s more productive under coach Chris Mack.

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Hoops transfer CJ Felder should provide an immediate impact for Florida

The Gators added a talented scoring forward and rim protector in CJ Felder, who was one of the best players on a bad Boston College team.

Name: CJ Felder

Number: TBA

Position: Forward

Class: Junior

Height: 6’7″

Weight: 230 lbs

Hometown: Sumter, S.C.

High School: Sumter

Previous School: Boston College

2020 statistics:

GP FG% REB AST PTS
19 45.9 5.9 0.9 9.7

Overview:

A three-star recruit in the 2019 recruiting class out of Sumter, S.C., Felder chose Boston College over offers from major programs closer to home like Auburn, Clemson and Georgia Tech. He was an immediate impact player for the Eagles as a freshman in 2019-20, starting 18 of the 31 games he appeared in. He averaged 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds, and he came close to a double-double in a game against Syracuse, scoring nine points with nine boards.

He saw a much bigger role this past season with Boston College, starting all but two of the 19 games the team played. He boosted his scoring average to 9.7 points, and his rebounding average increased to 5.9. He managed his first career double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds in a game against Wake Forest, and in an early-season matchup against Florida, he scored 11 points but was held to just one rebound. Despite his size, he also demonstrated his presence as an elite rim defender with 2.2 blocks per game.

After a 4-16 season in which the Eagles finished last in the ACC, Felder announced that he would be entering the transfer portal on March 21. On April 2, he announced his commitment to the Gators. He returns closer to home, where he will help replace the production of Omar Payne, who transferred to Illinois.

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Keyontae Johnson’s scary collapse interrupted a brilliant career

Johnson was on track to have one of the top seasons of any player in the country this year before his health scare jeopardized his career.

Name: Keyontae Johnson

Number: 11

Position: Forward

Class: Junior

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 229 lbs

Hometown: Norfolk, Va.

High School: Oak Hill Academy

Twitter: @Keyontae

2020 statistics:

GP FG% REB AST PTS
4 64.1 4.5 1.3 16

Overview:

Johnson was a four-star recruit in the 2018 recruiting class, and he saw immediate action as a freshman. He played in 36 games (starting 20 of them), totaling four double-doubles on the year (including three in postseason play. He finished the year averaging 8.1 points and 6.4 rebounds, and he entered his sophomore season with high expectations.

Johnson lived up to those expectations in 2019-20, and then some. He led the team in scoring with 14 points per game and he also averaged 7.1 rebounds. He had eight double-doubles (which, conveniently, doubled his total from the prior year). Johnson finished second on the team in rebounding and first in steals with 38. For his efforts, he was named to the coaches First Team All-SEC and the AP Second Team All-SEC.

The season was canceled before Florida’s first SEC Tournament game due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Johnson entered his junior year as the preseason SEC Player of the Year. Through the first four games, he appeared to be on track, scoring double figures in three of them with a high of 24 against Boston College.

However, early in UF’s fourth game against FSU, Johnson collapsed and had to be taken off the court and to a hospital, where he was listed in critical but stable condition. He has since started to recover, and he closed out the season in a new role as “Coach Key” on the sidelines. Florida hasn’t made his diagnosis public, but it did say its experts don’t believe the collapse to have been related to his previous diagnosis with COVID-19.

Now, his future is a bit in question. If he is medically cleared to play in 2021-22 and chooses to return to Florida, he will be surrounded by a lot of new faces after a mass transfer exodus. But if he comes back to the court, it will be huge for UF next season.

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Gators add a big-time scorer via transfer portal in Brandon McKissic

Brandon McKissic joins the Gators as a graduate transfer after a stellar final season at Missouri-Kansas City.

Name: Brandon McKissic

Number: TBA

Position: Guard

Class: Graduate

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 195 lbs

Hometown: Ferguson, Mo.

High School: St. Louis University

Previous School: Missouri-Kansas City

2020-21 statistics:

GP MIN FG% 3P% FT% REB AST BLK STL PF TO PTS
18 34 50.8 42.9 66.7 3.7 3.3 0.1 1.5 2.8 3 17.2

Overview:

A Ferguson, Mo., native, McKissic wasn’t a highly recruited player despite being a standout at St. Louis University High School. He was unranked on the 247Sports Composite, and he decided to stay relatively close to home and play college basketball at Missouri-Kansas City.

His freshman season with the Roos, he started 20 games and appeared in 31, averaging 7.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists. The rebound and assist numbers stayed relatively similar in his sophomore year, but he started 28 games and boost his scoring average to 10.5 points as he started 28 games.

McKissic only started 21 of 28 games his junior year, but he still managed to lead the team in scoring averaging 11 points per game. His best season by far, though, came his senior year.

He averaged 17.2 points per game while still managing to shoot above 50% for the second year in a row. Additionally, he managed career-high averages in rebounding (3.7), assists (3.3) and steals (1.5). With all players being granted an additional year of eligibility due to COVID-19, McKissic decided to try his hand at big-time college basketball and announced he would be transferring as a graduate. He officially committed to Florida on April 2.

UF has to replace a lot of production next season, but additions like McKissic should help. He will likely be a Day 1 starter at guard.

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Talented Penn State scorer Myreon Jones could take Gators’ offense to the next level

UF landed a talented scorer from Penn State this offseason via the transfer portal, which should offset some of its losses this offseason.

Name: Myreon Jones

Number: TBA

Position: Guard

Class: Junior

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 180 lbs.

Hometown: Suwannee, Ga.

High School: Lincoln Academy

Previous School: Penn State

Twitter: @MyreonJones21

2020-21 statistics:

GP MIN FG% 3P% FT% REB AST BLK STL PF TO PTS
25 30.3 39.4 39.5 77.3 2.7 2 0.1 1.3 1.4 1.2 15.3

Overview:

Jones wasn’t a big-time recruit coming out of the Lincoln Academy in Suwannee, Georgia. As a three-star recruit, his only major college basketball offers came from Penn State and Memphis. He chose to play for the Nittany Lions. He averaged just over 10 minutes per game in 30 games as a freshman, though he averaged just four points a game.

He became a starter as a sophomore in 2019-20 (starting all but one contest), and he boosted his scoring average to 13.3 while averaging three assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals. He was given an All-Big Ten honorable mention for his efforts.

Jones was once again very productive offensively, averaging a career-best 15.3 points, but his shooting percentage dropped from over 44% to just 39.4%. After a losing season for the Nittany Lions, he decided to transfer for his final season of eligibility.

He was one of the top transfers available on the market, and he announced on Twitter last week he planned to join the Gators. After losing six players this offseason between the transfer portal and the draft, Florida will likely start Jones at one of the guard spots. Being a senior, he may have to be a leader on his new squad sooner rather than later.

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ACC standings as of Feb. 22

After a weekend that saw Duke knock off No. 7 Virginia, No. 16 Florida State get a win at Pitt, and Notre Dame blow a 20 point lead at Syracuse, here is how the ACC men’s basketball standings look

After a weekend that saw Duke knock off No. 7 Virginia, No. 16 Florida State get a win at Pitt, and Notre Dame blow a 20 point lead at Syracuse, here is how the ACC men’s basketball standings look this afternoon:

  1.  Florida State 9-2, 13-3
    2. Virginia 11-3, 15-5
    3. Virginia Tech 8-3, 14-4
    4. North Carolina 8-5, 14-7
    5. Louisville 6-4, 11-5
    T-6. Clemson 7-5, 13-5
    T-6. Syracuse 7-5, 13-6
    8. Duke 8-6, 10-8
    9. Georgia Tech 7-6, 11-8
    T-10. Notre Dame 6-8, 9-11
    T-10. Pitt 5-8, 9-8
    12. NC State 5-8, 9-9
    13. Wake Forest 3-11, 6-11
    14. Miami (FL) 3-12, 7-13
    15. Boston College 1-9, 3-13