Jason Jitoboh – Syndication Server

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.

Gator alert 🐊

Welcome to Gainesville @Tyrese5G!

🗞 https://t.co/soKXaRqeWk #GoGators pic.twitter.com/kDB1z9v1x5

— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) April 17, 2023

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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Florida bringing in Seton Hall transfer forward for official visit

The Gators are still looking to add a few names from the transfer portal, and Seton Hall forward Tyrese Samuel might be a name to watch with an official visit coming up.

The Florida Gators still have three open scholarship spots on the men’s basketball roster, and Todd Golden’s recruiting staff isn’t slowing down their efforts in the transfer portal any time soon.

On Saturday, April 15, UF will host former Seton Hall forward [autotag]Tyrese Samuel[/autotag] on an official visit, according to Jacob Rudner of 247Sports.

Samuel is still deciding between Florida and Wake Forest, so this trip should help him answer whatever questions he has left about the school and program. Associate head coach Carlin Hartman already stopped by Samuel’s house for an in-home visit on Sunday to get him a headstart on what the Gators are all about.

What might attract Samuel to Florida most is the exposure he’ll get playing in the SEC. It’s far easier for players to stand out at a Power Five program, especially one that has produced NBA big men in the past and perhaps near future in [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag].

Florida could use another center after losing Castleton and [autotag]Jason Jitoboh[/autotag], even with the addition of former Marshall 7-foot center [autotag]Micah Handlogten[/autotag]. Samuel will be a fifth-year guy, though, so he may not want to split time as a sixth or seventh man off the bench.

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Florida hoops hosting Charlotte transfer C on official visit

The Gators aren’t slowing down in the transfer portal after landing a trio of players. Former Charlotte center Aly Khalifa is set to officially visit Gainesville over the weekend.

The Florida Gators landed a pair of commitments to the men’s basketball program in as many days, but the recruiting train is slowing down for Todd Golden and Co. any time soon.

Swamp247’s Jacob Rudner reported that former Charlotte center [autotag]Aly Khalifa[/autotag] will be on campus for an official visit with the Gators beginning on April 15. Khalifa is an international talent, who is originally from Egypt. At 6-foot-11-inches and 230 pounds, he dominated the post in the Conference USA with the 49ers for two years.

The big man’s game isn’t limited to down low, though. He’s a strong passer and shot 38.1% from three-point range last season. Khalifa is very strong rebounder, which shouldn’t be assumed because of his height. He won the 2021-22 Conference USA Freshman of the Year Award.

Florida recently brought center [autotag]Micah Handlogten[/autotag] into the fold, but the Gators still need a backup center after losing both [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Jason Jitoboh[/autotag] at the end of the season. Khalifa would fit into Jitoboh’s role immediately and provide a different set of skills off the bench than Handlogten.

The Gators have three scholarship spots left to fill, including incoming freshmen, and Khalifa could very well take one of them if things go well over this extended visit to the Swamp.

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Former Gators center announces transfer destination

After four years with Florida, center Jason Jitoboh has found a new home for his final year of college eligibility.

Former Florida Gators center Jason Jitoboh is headed to the Volunteer State to play for the Tennessee State Tigers in his final season of college eligibility, according to a social media post he sent out on Sunday evening.

Jitoboh is the second of five Gators in the transfer portal to find a new home. He received interest from Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Loyola Chicago and Seton Hall while in the portal but picked Tennessee State University in the end.

Wing Kowacie Reeves announced his commitment to Georgia Tech on Friday, and Trey Bonham, CJ Felder and Niels Lane are still looking at options.

Watch this 🙏🏾 #GoTigers pic.twitter.com/wNcqtWAu9K

— Jason (@JasonJitoboh) April 9, 2023

Jitoboh’s four years at Florida could have been much more, but a serious eye injury shut him down during the 2021-22 season, which was his best on average statistically. He played a career-high 368 minutes over 32 games (seven starts) last season, but he never really seemed like the kind of guy Golden liked to utilize on the court.

Spending his final year at Tennessee State will give him a chance to show off his stuff far more than another year in the Swamp would. It’s tough to see a fan-favorite leave, but this is the best move Jitoboh could make for his career and should have his degree after four years in Gainesville.

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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.”

Excited to announce my commitment to the University of Florida!! 🐊

Go Gators 🧡💙 pic.twitter.com/fL5FwyCWwB

— Micah Handlogten (@MHandlogten) April 10, 2023

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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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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Gators expected to lose Trey Bonham to NCAA transfer portal

Florida continues to lose players to the transfer portal after Year 1 of the Todd Golden era. Guard Trey Bonham is expected to be the latest Gators to leave the team this offseason.

Florida has already lost a good chunk of its 2022-23 men’s basketball to the NCAA transfer portal, and junior guard [autotag]Trey Bonham[/autotag] is the latest name expected to step away from the program, according to a report from All Gators.

Bonham appeared in 30 games for the Gators during his one year in Gainesville, starting 13 of those contests and reaching 20 points three times. The Virginia Military Institute transfer averaged 5.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.

Although he did make a string of starts early in the season, Bonham’s production dropped significantly after the calendar turned over. Offensively, he was an energetic leader off the bench, but Bonham’s defense left a lot to be desired.

[autotag]Myreon Jones[/autotag] was the better option at the other guard spot to complement [autotag]Kyle Lofton[/autotag], and there’s no guarantee Bonham takes over either’s role during his senior year. It’s not too surprising to see Bonham leave. Plenty of players gave Todd Golden a chance but there are always going to be those who don’t end up fitting.

Bonham is unique in that he’s the only Golden-era transfer to depart the team after just one year. [autotag]CJ Felder[/autotag], [autotag]Jason Jitoboh[/autotag], [autotag]Niels Lane[/autotag] and [autotag]Kowacie Reeves Jr[/autotag]. were all added to the team during the Mike White days.

The other 2022 transfers are either still with the team or out of college eligibility. [autotag]Alex Fudge[/autotag] and [autotag]Will Richard[/autotag] should be foundational pieces of the lineup next season for the Gators, and Lofton is done with college hoops after five years.

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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 basketball loses third player to NCAA transfer portal after season’s end

As expected, another Gators basketball player is seeking greener pastures after a subpar season.

Florida’s men’s basketball program got some bad news on Monday afternoon when it learned that center [autotag]Jason Jitoboh[/autotag] plans on exploring his options in the NCAA transfer portal, multiple sources told Swamp247’s Jacob Rudner.

The departure of the big man makes it three players who have already signaled their intent since the Gators were knocked out of the NIT by UCF last Wednesday, joining guards [autotag]Kowacie Reeves[/autotag] and [autotag]Niels Lane[/autotag] who made their announcements on Thursday.

Jitoboh’s performance this year was clearly hampered by an eye injury he sustained last season that required four surgeries so far — with one more remaining — which still resulted in significantly impaired vision in the affected eye. His path to recovery has been a harrowing one, according to assistant coach Carlin Hartman.

“Some of the things in which he had to deal with in his recovery are things I would never want to wish on my worst enemy,” Hartman told Swamp247. “He’s having to sleep with his face down in a hole in a certain part of his bed ‘cause he couldn’t sleep on his sides. Little things like that where you just don’t think about in terms of dealing with the eye pressure he was facing. Then, he had to withdraw from his classes in the spring, and so he’s having to take all these classes in the summertime all the way up until we just started fall semester.”

It is unclear where the 6-foot-11-inch, 300-pound center from Abuja, Nigeria, will land next season but he did manage to average 5.7 points and 2.1 rebounds per game in his seven starts after Colin Castleton was sidelined with an injury. Hopefully, he finds a program that fits him perfectly so he can finish up his collegiate eligibility in style.

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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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