Tag: Colin Castleton

Former Yale basketball player visited Florida earlier this week

After an in-home visit, a top transfer portal target arrives in Gainesville to get a first-hand look at the Florida campus and basketball facilities.

Todd Golden’s first year as Florida’s men’s basketball coach had its high and low moments. One of the bright spots was a 67-54 win over then-No. 2 ranked Tennessee. Other than that, the Gators underperformed this season, going 16-17 and losing to UCF in the first round of the NIT. Paired with the departure of [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag], the Gators have some work to do in the offseason.

One way to make improvements to the roster is via the transfer portal, and the Gators have their eyes on former Yale forward [autotag]EJ Jarvis[/autotag]. Jarvis, a 6-foot-8-inch, 220-pound power forward, is considered one of the best big men in the portal. He played a vital role in the Bulldogs’ season, leading them to a 21-9 record and their third-best KenPom finish in the last decade at No. 64 overall.

Statistically, he was crucial for Yale last season. He was the team’s third-highest scorer, averaging 11.3 points per game. He is an incredibly efficient shooter from the floor, with a 56% success rate from two-point range and 41% from three-point range. His career high for points in a game is 34, which came on February 25 at Cornell’s expense.

Jarvis‘ trip to Gainesville came less than a week after the Gators staff visited him at his home in Washington DC. The graduate transfer has officially narrowed down his list of destinations to eight schools, with Florida making the cut. Joining the Gators are Cal, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Miami, Northwestern, Notre Dame and VCU.

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247Sports names Florida as a potential fit for top men’s basketball player in transfer portal

Replacing Colin Castleton is no easy task, but a recent addition to the transfer portal might be just what Todd Golden needs to continue rebuilding the Florida men’s basketball program.

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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Could Florida’s Riley Kugel be NBA bound this offseason?

Florida guard Riley Kugel only got better as the 2022-23 college basketball season went on, and now he has to decide whether he should stay in school for another year or head to the pros.

Florida head basketball coach Todd Golden has a ton of roster spots to fill heading into Year 2 with the Gators, but it might be keeping the talent that’s already on the roster that proves to be the biggest challenge. A core of [autotag]Riley Kugel[/autotag], [autotag]Alex Fudge[/autotag] and [autotag]Will Richard[/autotag] next season is a decent one to work with, but there are questions about whether or not Kugel will make it back to Florida for another season.

Although he denied transfer rumors a little over three weeks ago, Kugel’s name has continually come up in draft conversations since. There’s little doubt that Kugel has the skill set to play in the association one day, but could that day come as soon as next year?

If Kugel declares, there’s no guarantee he’ll be selected. Returning for another year would give him a chance to continue his development and evolve into a bonafide first-round pick. That said, Kugel has already made incredible strides over just one season at the college level.

“The jump he made within the SEC play was remarkable,” Golden said regarding Kugel’s play down the stretch, according to 247Sports. “Like you don’t see that very often. You know, I think the last eight or nine games he was averaging close to 20 points a game. I mean, just pretty, pretty impressive stuff.”

Kugel averaged 17.3 points per game on 49.6% shooting for Florida to close out the season. He can finish at the rim and shot 45.7% from three-point range late over the final six games of the year.

There are plenty of reasons for NBA teams to be interested in a 19-year-old that shows such promise. Golden and the Gator Collective will pull out all the stops to get him to stay, just as they did to keep [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] a year ago. But, it’s Kugel’s call whether or not he begins his professional career.

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Florida basketball coaches meet with Yale transfer target

Florida basketball coaches met with Yale forward EJ Jarvis recently as the staff continues to look at options in the transfer portal.

Florida basketball coaches met with Yale forward [autotag]EJ Jarvis[/autotag] during an in-home visit, according to a Wednesday report from 247Sports.

Jarvis entered the transfer portal a week ago and is shaping up to be one of the targets Todd Golden’s staff is most interested in. Golden and Co. have a big task ahead of them as they attempt to replace most of the frontcourt from a season ago. [autotag]Alex Fudge[/autotag] will still be around, but [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag], [autotag]Jason Jitoboh[/autotag] and [autotag]CJ Felder[/autotag] are all leaving the team.

There are plenty of minutes up for grabs at UF right now, and Jarvis has shown that he has the stuff to excel at the Ivy League level. He averaged 11.4 points and 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. At 6-foot-8 inches tall, Jarvis isn’t afraid to let fly from deep. He shot 40.6% on 32 three-point attempts a season ago.

Despite his impressive numbers, Jarvis didn’t play a ton for Yale last season. He played in just over 55% of the team’s minutes, so this isn’t a 36-minute-a-night kind of guy. That might work well with Todd Golden’s system and allow some flexibility with other potential incoming transfers.

The Gators have also been linked to St. Francis forward [autotag]Josh Cohen[/autotag] and Bradley forward [autotag]Rienk Mast[/autotag].

Jarvis was just a three-star recruit coming out of high school and ranked No. 497 overall in the class of 2019. He now has offers to play in the SEC and other Power Five programs.

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Florida hoops targeting former Bradley forward in transfer portal

Florida has already lost a good chunk of its basketball roster to graduation and the transfer portal, but the Gators are looking to add some new pieces of their own.

After 88 games with the Bradley Braves, forward [autotag]Rienk Mast[/autotag] is testing out the transfer portal waters and getting plenty of Power 5 interest, including some from the Florida Gators, according to 247Sports.

UF is treating Mast as a priority target with one of the biggest team needs being frontcourt depth following the departures of [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag], [autotag]CJ Felder[/autotag] and [autotag]Jason Jitoboh[/autotag]. Mast averaged 13.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game last season for the Braves and is hoping his game translates against even stronger competition.

“I’m looking for a great basketball spot,” Mast said to the Peoria Journal Star. “Bradley is a great basketball spot. But you get to play against high majors 4-5 times a season. I want to see how I match up and play under bright lights every night. I want to see how I stack up against the best competition in college.”

At least 10 Power Five programs have already reached out to Mast, so Florida won’t be alone in its pursuit of him. The 52nd 1,000-point scorer in Bradley’s history is a hot commodity on the early transfer portal market.

At 6-foot-9-inches tall, Mast could fight right into the role Felder had at the start of the season, playing the four. The Gators still need to add a big man to match up with the nation’s top centers, though, and Mast would be a bit small for that spot. His rebounding skills are strong, but you can’t teach height.

Expect Florida to be very active in the portal this offseason because the team lost so many players.

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Florida losing guard Niels Lane to transfer portal

Kowacie Reeves isn’t the only Gator hitting the transfer portal. Guard Niels Lane is also leaving the team in search of brighter pastures.

After news broke of [autotag]Kowacie Reeves[/autotag] departing the Florida Gators on Thursday, Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun is reporting that guard [autotag]Niels Lane[/autotag] is also on his way out of the program.

Lane is the second Gator to enter the NCAA transfer portal just a day after UF fell to UCF in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament. The departure was relatively expected by fans after Lane appeared in just 14 of Florida’s 33 games this season. He finished the season averaging 2.4 points per game and 1.2 rebounds per game while playing just under nine minutes a game.

This season served as a major step back for Lane after he carved out a role as a defensive specialist under Mike White during his junior year. Todd Golden never seemed to be interested in making the most of Lane and it showed in him getting a third of the playing time he did last year.

With the departures of Lane and Reeves, Florida is running thin on players for the 2023-24 season. [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag], [autotag]Myreon Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyle Lofton[/autotag] are all out of eligibility, and [autotag]Jason Jitoboh[/autotag] and [autotag]CJ Felder[/autotag] are both wrapping up their fourth year with the program. A COVID waiver could extend their college careers, but the offseason should still see plenty of turnover.

Lane will get a chance to prove himself elsewhere as a senior. He never really lived up to his four-star status in Gainesville, but things could be different after a fresh start.

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Florida basketball stands steady in ESPN’s BPI rankings after SEC Tournament loss

The Gators remained in the top 50 of ESPN’s BPI but lost some ground in strength of schedule and record.

Thursday’s loss against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Game 3 of the second round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament may have been the last time Florida basketball takes the floor this season. Despite a valiant effort without their team leader [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag], the Gators tumbled out of the tourney early losing in overtime, 69-68.

Coming into the game, Todd Golden’s team was ranked No. 49 in ESPN’s Basketball Power Rankings, and even though they took the loss against MSU they remain in the same spot afterward. The Gators’ strength of schedule dropped a spot to No. 23 while the strength of record lags behind at No. 76 — a drop of five spots from before.

That is it for Florida basketball for now, pending an invitation to one of the other postseason events such as the National Invitation Tournament or the College Basketball Invitational — the former appearing to be quite likely. Selections for the NIT will be announced on Sunday, March 12, and the competition will begin on March 14 at campus sites. The CBI tips off on Sunday, March 18, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

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PHOTOS: Highlights from Florida basketball’s loss to MSU in SEC Tournament

Here are the highlights from Florida’s SEC Tournament-exiting loss to MSU.

Florida basketball dropped its lonely matchup in the 2023 Southeastern Conference Tournament with a 69-68 overtime loss to the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Game 3 of the second round of play. The Gators fought valiantly without its star center [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag], but in the end, MSU had just a little bit more in the tank.

The Orange and Blue was led by [autotag]Riley Kugel[/autotag]’s 14 points along with his six rebounds and two assists. [autotag]Kowacie Reeves[/autotag] and [autotag]Myreon Jones[/autotag] — the latter of whom made some clutch shots down the stretch — both finished with 11 points apiece. Tolu Smith led the Bulldogs with 28 points and 12 rebounds.

Take a look below at the best highlights from Florida’s brief appearance in the 2023 SEC Tournament against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

This pair of Gators got All-SEC basketball nods

Although his season was cut short, Florida’s Colin Castleton earned All-SEC honors along with freshman Riley Kugel on Monday.

The 2023 college basketball regular season has ended, and the coaches of the Southeastern Conference have voted on who they believe the top players in the league are. Florida had two players featured across the various All-SEC teams released on Monday.

Senior forward [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] made the All-SEC First Team and the All-SEC Defensive Team, and guard [autotag]Riley Kugel[/autotag] made the All-SEC Freshman Team. Castleton’s final year at the collegiate level was cut short on Feb. 15 against Ole Miss when he suffered a broken hand, but he accomplished a lot before the injury.

Castleton led the team in scoring (16.0 points per game) and rebounding (7.7 rebounds), but his defense was the most dominant part of his game. He finished the year ranked fourth in the country with 3.0 blocks per game and climbed to third all-time in program history with 194 rejections. His 2.49 blocks per game are a school record.

Kugel emerged relatively quickly as one of Florida’s best scoring options and he really took off in conference play. He scored in double figures in eight straight games to close the regular season, which is the longest double-figure scoring streak in SEC play by a UF freshman since [autotag]Bradley Beal[/autotag] did it in 2011-12, according to the UAA.

Although Florida is losing Castleton next season, it has a bright, young star in Kugel to build around.

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Florida fails to garner any votes in latest AP Poll

Another week, another major poll without votes.

Once again Florida basketball was omitted from the Associated Press Poll following its loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores in Nashville on Saturday — the third in a row and sixth of the last seven for Todd Golden’s gang. With just two games remaining on the regular season slate, it does not appear that the Gators will gain any ground this season either.

The Orange and Blue also finds itself voteless in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll and nowhere to be found in the many various bracketologies and bubble watches. Even a late-season run with some success in the Southeastern Conference Tournament is unlikely to help this [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag]-less team.

Next on the schedule for Florida are the Georgia Bulldogs, who host the Gators on Tuesday night inside Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia. UGA is currently ranked No. 145 in the NET, No. 137 in ESPN’s BPI and No. 142 in KenPom and beat UF in their meeting earlier this season in Gainesville, 82-75. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. EST and the game can be watched on the SEC Network or heard on the Gator Sports Network.

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