Tag: EJ Jarvis

Senior transfer forward leaves Florida basketball team

Head coach Todd Golden announced a senior transfer from Yale is leaving the team before the season tips off.

Florida men’s basketball head coach Todd Golden spoke to the media on Tuesday and revealed that Yale transfer [autotag]EJ Jarvis[/autotag] is leaving the team for personal reasons.

Jarvis was missing during Monday’s practice and it doesn’t look like the Washington D.C. native will return anytime soon. Golden said the timeline for Jarvis’ return is unknown.

Jarvis transferred from Yale when the offseason started in March, and is one of nine newcomers on the Gators’ squad.

The 6-foot-8-inch forward was supposed to be substantial to the Gators’ offense but now Golden will turn to other arrivals like sophomore Micah Handlogten, senior Tyrese Samuel, freshman Alex Condon and freshman Thomas Haugh to fill the No. 4 spot on the floor.

Aleks Szymczyk suffered a broken foot on Aug. 29, with an outlook of 10-12 weeks for recovery. Once the lone remaining frontcourt player from last season returns, the Orange and Blue should have some appreciable depth.

The Florida Gators are slated to tip off the season with the Orange and Blue scrimmage on Nov. 2 and an actual matchup with Loyola on Nov. 6.

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Gators add fourth transfer to men’s basketball team

Welcome to the Swamp, Tyrese Samuel! The former Seton Hall big man is headed to the Swamp for fifth and final year of collegiate eligibility.

After adding a pair of transfer players to the roster earlier in the week, the Florida men’s basketball team added former Seton Hall forward to [autotag]Tyrese Samuel[/autotag] on Sunday.

Samuel is a fifth-year player that saw success in 2022-23 after breaking into the starting rotation as a senior. The 6-foot-10-inch, 235-pound big man averaged 11 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season and should be a key piece of Florida’s frontcourt rotation in 2023-24.

The Gators have also added forward [autotag]EJ Jarvis[/autotag], center [autotag]Micah Handlogten[/autotag] and guard [autotag]Walter Clayton Jr[/autotag]., who should all compete for significant minutes if not starting spots on the team.

Samuel might play a similar role to [autotag]Jason Jitoboh[/autotag], providing some size off the bench.Samuel is a strong rebounder, espescially on the offensive glass and he’s also known to force a turnover or two in each game, be it a block or steal.

The recent departure of [autotag]Alex Fudge[/autotag] — who declared for the 2023 NBA draft on Monday — could also mean that Samuel plays a starting role on the team. Jarvis and returner [autotag]Alek Szymczyk[/autotag] are the only expreienced forward big enough to play a traditional four. Freshmen [autotag]Alex Condon[/autotag] and [autotag]Thomas Haugh[/autotag] might aslo fit the bill.

Samuel chose Florida over Wake Forest after taking an official visit to the Swamp over the weekend. Associate head coach Carlin Hartman was already familiar with Samuel from his time recruiting for the Oklahoma Sooners, and the two rekindled the relationship during an in-home visit a week before the official trip, according to 247Sports.

The coaching connection helped Samuel land on Florida, and now he’s all in on restoring glory to the Gators name.

“I want to show people how I’m able to play pretty versatile and also I want to win games,” Samuel said. “Winning games is the main thing and making the tournament. Not just making the tournament but making a deep run and trying to get as far as possible.”

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Yale basketball transfer is considering a move to Notre Dame

Who will be Shrewberry’s first addition?

The basketball transfer season really won’t hit it’s stride until next weekend but new [autotag]Notre Dame[/autotag] head coach [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] has to be looking at who could potentially join the team next year.

One of those transfers could be Yale forward [autotag]EJ Jarvis[/autotag]. The 6-foot, 8-inch and 220 pound wing really came into his own this past season. He shot 55% from the field, 40.6% from beyond the arc and grabbed over 5 rebounds per game.

There is no question that Jarvis will qualify for the transfer academically, the real question is how would his skills translate to a higher level of competition once a move is made.

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Florida losing forward Alex Fudge to NBA draft

Todd Golden has one more roster spot to fill thorough the transfer portal this offseason now that forward Alex Fudge is going pro.

After just one year with the Florida Gators, forward [autotag]Alex Fudge[/autotag] is leaving the college ranks and entering his name into the 2023 NBA draft pool as he pursues a professional career.

Swamp247’s Jacob Rudner first reported the news Thursday night at the tail end of the football team’s Orange and Blue Game, and Fudge’s departure caught plenty of fans off guard. That might not be the case for those who pay close attention to the team’s transfer portal movement, though.

Florida is in the process of replacing all but five members of its scholarship roster from a season ago, and there’s been a heavy focus on frontcourt depth. Todd Golden and Co. have already secured center [autotag]Micah Handlogten[/autotag] and forward [autotag]EJ Jarvis[/autotag] through the portal, but they have continued to schedule official visits with big men that would not have found much playing time with Fudge on the roster.

While it’s unclear whether Golden knew that Fudge was seriously considering leaving or not, he’s been putting together a plan to deal with another lost player from the 2022-23 team.

Fudge started just 11 games for Florida during the middle of the season before going down with a concussion. By the time he got healthy again, Golden had switched to a small ball lineup with [autotag]Riley Kugel[/autotag] and [autotag]Will Richard[/autotag] starting at the three and four.

The LSU transfer finished his only year at Florida averaging 5.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per game.

Florida has four scholarship spots open now that Fudge is off the roster.

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Gators add Iona G Walter Clayton Jr. through transfer portal

Florida basketball continues to add pieces through the transfer portal, and the latest addition is a lights-out shooter from Iona that was the conference player of the year last season.

For the second day in a row, the Florida Gators added a key piece to its men’s basketball team through the transfer portal.

Former Iona guard [autotag]Walter Clayton Jr[/autotag]. announced his commitment to the University of Florida Tuesday morning, making him the 10th scholarship player on the Gators’ 2023-24 roster. Clayton’s decision is not only significant because it’s a new name for Gator Nation to learn, but he also chose UF over St. John’s, which is where his old coach Rick Pitino is now.

The SEC is obviously appealing, but Clayton’s commitment — along with the additions of big men [autotag]EJ Jarvis[/autotag] and [autotag]Micah Handlogten[/autotag] — signals that top transfer players are open to joining what Todd Golden and Co. have going in Gainesville.

Of course, Florida lost several players of its own through the portal, which has left an incredible amount of minutes to replace. Playing time in an elite conference is always enticing.

Clayton averaged 16.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Gaels last season and won the MAAC Player of the Year Award. The name of the game for Clayton is scoring, and he does it efficiently. He shot well over 40.0%  from three-point range last season and is a 95.3% shooter at the stripe.

Florida is adding a smart player that usually puts up good shots and makes the right decision. He’ll help space the floor for the bigs on the team and be the second option to [autotag]Riley Kugel[/autotag] out wide often.

A starting five of Clayton, Kugel, [autotag]Will Richard[/autotag], [autotag]Alex Fudge[/autotag] and Handlogten seems realistic at this point, with [autotag]Denzel Aberdeen[/autotag], Jarvis and [autotag]Alex Szymczyk[/autotag] all fighting for minutes off the bench.

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Florida basketball adds elite transfer portal C Micah Handlogten

The Florida Gators men’s basketball team have added a second player through the transfer portal, former Marshall center Micah Handlogten.

The second year of the (Todd) Golden Era at Florida will look a lot different from the first with the departures of three of the team’s most prominent big men, Colin Castleton, Jason Jitoboh and CJ Felder.

Replacing the production those three provided is no easy task, especially Castleton’s workload, but the Gators added a major piece of its new-look frontcourt on Monday with the commitment of former Marshall center Micah Handlogten. The 7-foot-1-inch big man chose Florida over Auburn and NC State after entering the portal as one of the top big-man transfers in the country.

His commitment comes fresh off a visit to the Swamp over the weekend. On3’s Joe Tipton spoke with Handlogten about the decision and learned that the visit was among the many reasons the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year chose Florida.

“I chose Florida because of the opportunity that the University holds,” Handlogten said. “They have an opening for a center to come in and play major minutes. After going on my visit, I mesh really well with the players and I love the coaches. I really think I can thrive under their coaching and become a pro at Florida.”

Handlogten is among the nation’s top shot blockers, which is something Florida fans have gotten used to with Castleton down low. Speaking of the now-former Gator, Castleton was a direct participant in Handlogten’s recruitment, according to Jacob Rudner of 247Sports. The two big men caught up during Handlogten’s recent visit, and Castleton sold the University of Florida to him.

Gainesville is certainly a good place for big men to thrive, and Handlogten has the numbers to warrant a starting role right away. He averaged 7.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.2 assists in 25.3 minutes per game as a freshman.

His conditioning should only improve, which means his playing time will too. Averaging a double-double seems attainable for him in his first season in the SEC.

Handlogten is the second transfer to join the Gators over the offseason. Former Yale forward EJ Jarvis is also committed to Florida, and the two could spend plenty of time on the court together next season.

Alex Fudge, Riley Kugel and Will Richard all figure to be major pieces for UF next season, and guard Denzel Aberdeen should get a chance to play more as a sophomore.

Alex Szymczyk is the other returning player on the roster, and freshmen Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon will join the team. That leaves four scholarship spots left for Florida to fill through the transfer portal.

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Former Yale forward commits to the Florida Gators

72 hours after narrowing down his list to eight schools, Todd Golden’s biggest transfer portal target has committed to the Florida Gators.

EJ Jarvis, a 6-foot-8-inch, 220-pound power forward who spent the past three seasons playing forward for the Yale Bulldogs, has committed to play basketball at the University of Florida, according to 247Sports.

Jarvis played a vital role in the Bulldogs’ 2022-23 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. He was also one of the nation’s best shot-blockers, coming in at No. 29 nationally among qualified players.

The commitment comes just 72 hours after releasing a list of eight schools he was considering. Joining the Gators on the list were Cal, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Miami, and Northwestern. The announcement also came on the heels of two visits with Todd Golden and his staff. The first was an in-home visit, with Golden traveling to the nation’s capital to meet with Jarvis in his hometown. The second came less than a week later, with the top forward in the transfer portal visiting Gainesville for the first time. The Gators had to beat out seven other schools for Jarvis’ services. Notre Dame and VCU.

This is a massive win for Golden, whose main priority this offseason is to rebuild the Gators’ frontcourt depth. The only frontcourt players currently on the roster are Alex Fudge and Aleks Szymczyk. With the departure of All-SEC center Colin Castleton, center Jason Jitoboh and forward CJ Felder, new additions like Jarvis and freshmen Thomas Haugh, and Alex Condon will have plenty of opportunities to establish themselves as an important part of the Gators’ rotation.

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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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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