Tag: Kowacie Reeves

Florida bounces back against Oregon State in Phil Knight Legacy Tournament

Black Friday went much better than Thanksgiving for the Florida men’s basketball team as the Gators rolled over the Oregon State Beavers in the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament.

The Florida Gators took down the Oregon State Beavers, 81-68, on Friday night to advance to the fifth-place game of the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament.

UF got out to a very hot start in this one and never really looked back. Florida spent just 37 seconds of this ame without the lead, and most of the time it was a double digit lead. [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] didn’t have a monster night thanks to four fouls, but he looked a lot better than he did against Xavier and proved that not every 7-footer is going to shut him down. There’s still plenty of time for him to prove that he’s one of the nation’s top big men, but his draft stock is about where it was at the end of last season despite a great start to the year.

On the other hand, guard [autotag]Trey Bonham[/autotag] as lit up the scoreboard in each of his two starts during this tournament. He figures to be a major part of the starting lineup moving forward, even if it means cutting into [autotag]Kowacie Reeves[/autotag]’ playing time. Bonham led all scorers with 19 points, and [autotag]Will Richard[/autotag] was lights out with 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting.

Although it was a nice bounce-back win, Florida still has to prove itself against a non-Quadrant 4 opponent to earn some respect this year. That likely won’t happen in the fifth-place game of this tournament, but conference play might present the opportunity.

Breaking down Florida’s grinding loss to Xavier on Thanksgiving

Here’s a look at how Florida’s loss to Xavier went down in the opener of the Phil Knight Legacy.

Florida basketball opened up the Phil Night Legacy in Portland, Oregon, on Thanksgiving Day with a loss to the Xavier Musketeers by a final score of 90-83. The matchup between a Southeastern Conference school and a Big East representative did not go quite how Gators fans would have liked after having stuffed themselves with dinner on this evening.

[autotag]Tre Bonham[/autotag]’s 23 points led the way while [autotag]Will Richard[/autotag] followed with 18 and [autotag]Riley Kugel[/autotag] with 12 to round out the Gators in double digits; Richard also paced the squad with three steals and [autotag]Kyle Lofton[/autotag] maxed out the assists with six. [autotag]Kowacie Reeves[/autotag] sat this one out due to a coach’s decision that was not elaborated upon.

The biggest story was [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag]’s general ineffectiveness on offense throughout the game, scoring just 11 points while grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking four shots. That is a rather modest double-double given his 5-for-14 effort from the field as well as going just 1-for-2 from the free-throw line in 32 minutes played.

Take a look below at a chronological breakdown of the game action as Florida’s second loss of the season unfurled.

Florida basketball opens up Phil Knight Legacy Tournament against Xavier

It’s revenge time for the Gators against the team that knocked them out of the NIT last season. Will Florida beat Xavier this time around?

After a 3-1 start to the Golden era at the University of Florida, the Gators men’s basketball team is headed out West for a major test in the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament. UF will face the Xavier Musketeers in the opening round, giving fans a rematch of last year’s Round 2 NIT matchup.

Florida lost that game to end a disappointing season, which makes this a revenge game for returning players like [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag], [autotag]CJ Felder[/autotag] and [autotag]Kowacie Reeves[/autotag]. Castleton, in particular, is a player to watch for as he was limited to just 10 points and six boards against Xavier the last time out. He’s been on an absolute tear so far this season, averaging 25.3 points per game and 8.8 rebounds through the Gators’ first four contests.

It’s worth noting that Reeves lead Florida in scoring the last time these two teams met up. He has struggled to find his stroke early on in Todd Golden’s system, but this could be the breakout game he needs.

One of the reasons Castleton may not be as effective as he’s been all year is Xavier’s starting center Jack Nunge, who is listed as a 7-footer. Castleton struggled to dominate the paint in the first half against Florida State, but he carried the team in the second half to a victory. Adjustments will have to be made to overcome Xavier’s size, but Castleton’s a much different player than he was during last season’s NIT run.

If the Gators can win in the first round of this tournament, a likely matchup with Duke awaits.

Tip-off is at 5:30 p.m. EST in the O’Connell Center in Gainesville.

Projected Starting Lineups:

FLORIDA

Player Pos H/W Class
CJ Felder F 6-7 / 240 Senior
Colin Castleton F 6-11 / 250 5th Year
[autotag]Will Richard[/autotag] G 6-4 / 206 Sophomore
[autotag]Kyle Lofton[/autotag] G 6-3 / 188 Graduate
Kowacie Reeves G 6-6 / 192 Sophomore

XAVIER

Player Pos H/W Class
Jack Nunge F 7-0 / 245 Graduate
Zach Freemantle F 6-9 / 225 Senior
Souley Bourn G 6-3 / 175 Graduate
Colby Jones G 6-6 / 205 Junior
KyKy Tandy G 6-2 / 190 Senior

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PHOTOS: Highlights from Florida basketball’s first loss to FAU Owls

Take a look at some of the best pictures from Florida’s first-ever loss to FAU.

Florida basketball lost to the Florida Atlantic Owls for the first time in four tries on Monday night, taking a 76-74 loss to their visitors on the O’Connell Center court. The Gators were sloppy throughout the game after looking quite tight in their opening two matchups.

Center [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] dropped 30 points on FAU after scoring a career-high 33 against the Kennesaw State Owls. However, it was not nearly enough to neutralize the visitor’s blistering three-point assault, which they shot at a 54% clip.

Otherwise, the Orange and Blue had three other players who scored in the double digits: [autotag]Will Richard[/autotag] (14), [autotag]Kyle Lofton[/autotag] (14) and [autotag]Kowacie Reeves[/autotag] (11). Castleton also notched a double-double with 12 rebounds.

Take a look below at some of the best photographs from Florida’s first loss of the 2022-23 season at the hands of the Florida Atlantic Owls.

Colin Castleton drops 33 as Gators pick up second win of Golden era

Colin Castleton was a force on the hardwood Friday night as Florida took down Kennesaw State behind his career-high 33 points.

The Gators are 2-0 to start the [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] era following an 88-78 win over the Kennesaw State Owls Friday night.

Center [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] was the story of the night, leading all scorers with a career-high 33 points. After the game, Castleton admitted that the game plan was to exert use his physical advantage over smaller defenders, and things worked out perfectly. Castleton still has a long frame that could stand to add some weight, but he looked like one of the best big men in the country against an opposing center that was four inches shorter than him.

While most of the night belonged to Castleton, [autotag]Will Richard[/autotag] and [autotag]Kowacie Reeves[/autotag] also hit double digits before the night ended.

It wasn’t all fun and games, though. The Gators struggled to shut down the Owls the same way they did against the Stony Brook Seawolves, and opposing SEC teams will take advantage of the sloppy defense. Still, “there’s no such thing as a bad win,” at least for a team that’s shooting to make the NCAA Tournament at the end of the year. Every little bit counts and the start of the Golden era has been fun for the Florida faithful.

It’s a bit too early to make any bold assumptions about this team, but there is certainly a feeling of optimism based on the early returns under Golden.

Florida basketball scores transfer portal win with this point guard

The Gators got their replacement for Tyree Appleby on Monday.

Florida basketball added another player from the transfer portal to its roster on Monday when former Virginia Military Institute point guard [autotag]Trey Bonham[/autotag] announced on Twitter that he is joining new head coach Todd Golden and the Gators for the 2022-23 campaign. After the departure of [autotag]Tyree Appleby[/autotag] to the portal, it looks like UF has found its replacement at the one position.

The 6-foot, 170-pound from Mobile, Alabama, was a standout with the Keydets over the past two years, averaging 13.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, four assists and 1.3 steals per game last season en route to an even .500 record with 16 wins and an appearance in the College Basketball Invitational. His scoring efficiency stands out as his carrying trait, putting up a 47.8% mark from the field while nailing 34.8% of his three-pointers and 82.6% of his free throw attempts — numbers that Golden is certainly salivating over.

Bonham is the third player to arrive in Gainesville via the transfer portal, joining former LSU forward [autotag]Alex Fudge[/autotag] and Belmont guard [autotag]Will Richard[/autotag]. Florida will also benefit from the return of center [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag], up-and-coming guard [autotag]Kowacie Reeves[/autotag], as well as guard [autotag]Niels Lane[/autotag] and forward [autotag]CJ Felder[/autotag].

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Florida guard Myreon Jones set to return for extra year

First Colin Castleton announced his return to Florida basketball and now Myreon Jones has done the same.

On Monday, [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] received the good news that [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] would be exercising his extra year of eligibility to return to Florida for another season. Six days later, [autotag]Myreon Jones[/autotag] followed in his footsteps and decided to return for a super-senior season, according to a report from Jon Rothstein.

Jones’ return gives the Gators a veteran ball-handler in the backcourt to pair with rising sophomore [autotag]Kowacie Reeves[/autotag] and Belmont transfer [autotag]Will Richard[/autotag]. There’s also sophomore [autotag]Elijah Kennedy[/autotag] and incoming freshman [autotag]Denzel Aberdeen[/autotag] to consider in the backcourt rotation.

The thought was that Florida would need to grab a point guard from the portal after [autotag]Tyree Appleby[/autotag] announced his decision to transfer, but Jones fills that spot in nicely. Golden can still go after someone he likes in the portal with three open roster spots, though.

Jones transferred from Penn State in 2021 and averaged 8.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game with the Gators as a senior. He was very streaky over the season and finished with the season shooting 35.5%. Most of Jones’ shots came from beyond the arc, which made for some exciting offense at times. His best performance came against Georgia when he made seven three-pointers en route to 23 overall.

If Jones can find some consistency, he can be a valuable piece of this Gators team. Golden’s usage of him could help Jones improve his stats and allow the younger guards to grow as the seasons unfolds.

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BREAKING: Kowacie Reeves rescinds transfer portal entry, returns to Florida

Great news Gator fans!

After entering the NCAA transfer portal on Wednesday, Florida basketball’s freshman guard [autotag]Kowacie Reeves[/autotag] has reversed his course and will return to the University of Florida for his sophomore season, as reported in a tweet by Travis Branham of 247Sports on Friday. Florida’s lone 2021 recruit had 48 hours from when he initially submitted his name to change his mind, which apparently happened according to sources.

The 6-foot-6-inch, 182-pound guard started 10 of the 29 games he appeared in for the Gators last season, averaging 5.5 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 15.5 minutes per game. He was eased into the rotation by former head coach Mike White, and after an early adjustment period, Reeves started eight-straight games during the thick of the Southeastern Conference schedule. He played off the bench after that until the National Invitation Tournament, in which he started both games.

Reeves’ peak moment was the Texas A&M matchup in the SEC Tournament, in which he tossed in 21 points in 29 minutes, going 3-for-7 from beyond the arc and 6-for-11 overall, with six rebounds, a steal and an assist in the eliminating loss. His second-best scoring output came four times during the season in which he dropped 14 points apiece — including both NIT games.

His return is a huge coup for head coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag], who has his work cut out taking over a floundering program that has already seen some departures. Easily the most talented player on the roster, Reeves paired up with [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] gives the Gators a core they can build around going into the 2022-23 season.

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Report: Florida’s Kowacie Reeves to test transfer portal waters

It’s possible he could return, but it is not looking good for the Gators.

Florida basketball got some grim news on Wednesday afternoon when a report surfaced that freshman [autotag]Kowacie Reeves[/autotag] intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal. Many had hoped the former top-30 prospect would stick around for the Todd Golden era in Gainesville, but according to Travis Branham at 247Sports, it looks like that is no longer a sure thing.

The 6-foot-6-inch, 182-pound guard started 10 of the 29 games he played in for the Gators last season, averaging 5.5 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 15.5 minutes per game. He started off slowly as former head coach [autotag]Mike White[/autotag] eased him into his rotations, but after an early adjustment period, Reeves started eight-straight games during the heart of the SEC schedule. He subsequently returned to the bench until the NIT, in which he started both games once again.

Reeves’ peak moment was the Texas A&M matchup in the SEC Tournament, in which he tossed in 21 points in 29 minutes, going 3-for-7 from beyond the arc and 6-for-11 overall, with six rebounds, a steal and an assist in the losing effort. His second-best scoring output for the season is a four-way tie between four games in which he dropped 14 points apiece.

While his entry into the transfer portal is not a guaranteed sayonara to one of Florida’s rising stars it certainly makes Reeves’ return pretty unlikely. Hopefully, Golden (and The Gator Collective?) can help draw him back into the arms of the Orange and Blue before next November.

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Where does Florida basketball stand? The Athletic breaks down current roster

The Athletic broke down Florida basketball’s current roster while giving fans an idea of what holes head coach Todd Golden is trying to fill.

New Florida head coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] earned his first significant victory when he convinced center [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] to return for a fifth season. He was Florida’s leading scorer, rebounder and shot-blocker last season.

However, Golden still has a lot of recruiting left to do with three spots left on the Gators’ 2022-23 roster. The Athletic spoke with Golden about Castleton’s return while breaking down the state of Florida’s current roster.

Gators Online reported that the Gator Collective played a factor in Castleton’s decision to return. However, Golden also pitched that he would build the team around the big man and that the team would be good enough to make the NCAA tournament.

“That’s similar to Colin, where my thought was if he came back and bought into what we were doing, it would be much easier to build an NCAA Tournament roster around him,” Golden said. “That’s something he’s really passionate about accomplishing, after having a sour taste in his mouth last season.”

Golden added that he wanted to develop Castleton’s touch from deep because it’s a critical part of the offense.

The former San Francisco head coach spent a lot of energy and time on recruiting guard [autotag]Myreon Jones[/autotag] to come back for another season. After transferring from Penn State, Jones struggled mightily to find his footing with the team. Golden believes the key to getting Jones back to the sniper he was with the Nittany Lions is rebuilding his confidence.

Another recruiting victory Florida and Golden earned was when Belmont guard [autotag]Will Richard[/autotag] chose to transfer to Gainesville. He should immediately slot in as a starter or as the team’s sixth man.

The Gators will also return [autotag]Kowacie Reeves[/autotag], [autotag]CJ Felder[/autotag], [autotag]Jason Jitoboh[/autotag], [autotag]Niels Lane[/autotag] and [autotag]Elijah Kennedy[/autotag] while adding high school recruits [autotag]Denzel Aberdeen[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag].

Reeves picked up his scoring quite a bit later in the season, averaging 16.3 points per game in the team’s final three contests after only scoring 5.5 earlier in the year. Felder had one of the team’s best plus-minus but only tallied the ninth-most minutes on the team. He should play a lot more next season given Golden’s emphasis on analytics.

Then The Athletic wrote that the Gators want to add a point guard or two and frontcourt depth. Florida’s targets in the backcourt include Bradley’s Terry Roberts, SMU’s Kendric Davis, Charlotte’s Jahmir Young and VMI’s Trey Bonham. Then its frontcourt prospects are LSU‘s Alex Fudge, Morehead State’s Johni Broome and Nevada’s Warren Washington.

Golden has made quite a bit of progress in retooling the Florida roster, so it can get back to the NCAA tournament next season.

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