Tag: Todd Golden

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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Florida announces rosters for Orange and Blue game

Who are Gators fans cheering for Team Orange or Team Blue? Florida’s spring game is this Thursday night.

Florida’s first football game under new head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] is finally here. The Orange and Blue Game is Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. EDT and can be seen on SEC Network+. Ahead of the game, the Gators unveiled their rosters for the spring game on Wednesday.

The rosters consist of 52 and 48 players, respectively, even though outside linebacker [autotag]Chief Borders[/autotag], running back [autotag]Montrell Johnson[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Jordan Young[/autotag] are expected to play for both teams. Napier and Florida also divided up its on-the-field coaching staff and off-the-field analysts and staffers. Women’s basketball coach [autotag]Kelly Rae Finley[/autotag] and men’s basketball coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] will serve as the honorary captains for the Orange and Blue teams.

Napier has elected to put the first-team offense and defense on opposite teams. The first-team defense will be on Orange while the first-team offense will be on Blue. Orange’s defense will be highlighted by safety [autotag]Trey Dean[/autotag], defensive tackle [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag]. Blue’s offense will be led by quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag], wide receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] and offensive linemen [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag].

It’s an exciting time for Florida fans because it’s their first chance to see Napier in charge and the program’s first spring football game in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here is a look at the rosters for both teams:

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Transferring forward Alex Fudge bound for Gainesville

Take a look at Florida’s latest transfer portal score.

Wednesday afternoon, it was reported that transferring small forward [autotag]Alex Fudge[/autotag] is Florida-bound. The Jacksonville native was convinced to come home after spending his freshman season with LSU and entering the portal on April 1.

Coming out of high school, Fudge was rated as the 57th prospect in the country by 247Sports. He underperformed that billing on the offensive side of the ball last season. The scouting report praised his ability to rise at the rim and keep defenses honest from all three levels, but he was an 18th percentile scorer and he struggled to make good on his putback attempts. Going into his age 19 season, it’s impossible to say that he’s a bust, but there’s work to be done to draw out his true talents.

By bringing Fudge into the fold, head coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] is reinforcing the defensive identity of the Gators’ frontcourt. Standing at 6-foot-8-inches with a trim frame, the sophomore uses that physique well. He was one of the best defensive players available and particularly shone on the perimeter last season, where he was roughly a 70th percentile defender by points per possession.

Playing alongside [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] will be a bonus for Fudge, who was effective as a cutter last season and has the athletic abilities to continue that with Florida. Castleton is such a well-known and dangerous scorer in the low post that many teams ignore his ability as a passer, which is nothing special but definitely workable for outlet passes. His gravity in the post will create some free looks for Fudge as a slasher.

Fudge was also an effective rebounder despite being a little slim. His 3.2 rebounds per game don’t jump off the page, but he only played 13 minutes per game. I was curious what he would have done if he had a bigger role on the Tigers, so I scaled up his time on the floor where he would have shot 211 attempts. (That was the average for an SEC rotation player in 2021-22) Assuming all the other shooting, scoring and rebounding rates remain the same, he would have been a 7.5 rebounds per game player in 31 minutes per game.

The LSU Tigers must have known their basketball team was in for some roster churn after changing coaching staffs, but they can’t have imagined what wound up happening was the likely result. All 15 players from the 2021-22 roster either declared for the draft or entered the transfer portal following the hire of Matt McMahon.

Fudge isn’t a star right away, but he provides excellent bench depth for the time being and could be a draftable player if he unlocks another level. The Gators’ new staff couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to prove themselves by unlocking that next level.

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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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BREAKING: Colin Castleton announces he’ll return for another year

Florida center Colin Castleton’s return significantly improves the ceiling for next year’s team.

Florida basketball big man [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] shocked fans and media members alike on Monday morning when he tweeted a graphic announcing that he’ll return to the Gators for the 2022-23 season for his super senior season. It’s a great win for head coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] who convinced the former Michigan transfer to come back and play a third season for the Orange and Blue.

“The past couple weeks have helped me reflect on the season, as well as give me time to decide what’s next for my future,” Castleton wrote. “Thank you to my family and everyone who has helped me make this decision. Everyone’s process is different, and I’m adding another chapter to mine. Gator Nation I’M BACK!”

Golden also hopped on Twitter to share his excitement.

“Welcome back big fellah @Castleton_!!” he wrote. “Looking forward to accomplishing great things with you and our team. Just the beginning!!”

Florida gets back its leading scorer and rebounder from last season. Castleton averaged 16.2 points and nine rebounds while also blocking 2.2 shots per game. He also racked up 10 double-doubles.

Golden was vocal about how badly he wanted Castleton to come back for another year since he took the Florida job.

“Colin is a guy I’ve spent a lot of time with in the past couple of days,” Golden said during his introductory press conference. “I’m trying to work to see if he has a desire to come back and use his extra year.”

His efforts obviously paid off on Monday. Castleton significantly and immediately boosts the ceiling for next year’s team.

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Todd Golden lands first transfer commitment as Florida’s head coach

Todd Golden got his guy. Welcome to the Swamp, Will Richard!

Former Belmont guard [autotag]Will Richard[/autotag] announced his commitment to the Florida Gators on Saturday.

Richard becomes the first player to commit to new head coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] after picking the Gators over Clemson, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. As a freshman, Richard started 30 of 33 games averaging 12.1 points and 6 rebounds per game. His best scoring performance (22 points) came in an NIT loss to Vanderbilt.

The 6-foot-5-inch, 195-pounder entered the portal on March 22 and Golden immediately got to work. The two spoke daily until Richard finally made it to campus on April 7, and the decision came shortly after that trip.

Richard’s commitment comes on the heels of [autotag]Tyree Appleby[/autotag]’s decision to transfer from UF for his final year of eligibility. [autotag]Tuongthach Gatkek[/autotag] also hit the portal and [autotag]Anthony Duruji[/autotag] declared for the NBA draft. Golden is still working on getting [autotag]Colin Castelton[/autotag] to return, but Florida needs help from the transfer portal to turn things around.

Landing Richards is a good start. He’s one of the more productive names in the portal and figures to be the primary ball-handler for the Gators next season. Pairing him with [autotag]Kowacie Reeves[/autotag] would give Golden a talented duo in the backcourt to work with.

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Transfer portal target from LSU visiting Florida basketball Saturday

Florida basketball is hosting LSU small forward transfer Alex Fudge on Saturday.

New Florida men’s basketball coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] has been aggressive in the NCAA transfer portal after three players from last season’s roster decided to depart the program with more attrition expected. One name the Gators have contacted is LSU small forward Alex Fudge. He told CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein on Saturday that he is visiting Florida and Golden.

Fudge hails from nearby Jacksonville, Florida, and spurned the Gators for the Tigers in 2020. In about 14 minutes per game, he averaged only 3.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 42.4% from the field and 28.6% from deep.

He entered the NCAA transfer portal along with every other player from LSU’s roster last season after former coach Will Wade was fired after the NCAA found that he committed several recruiting violations while leading the Tigers’ program.

Out of high school, 247Sports ranked him as the 57th best player nationally and as the 12th best at his position in its composite rankings.

Rothstein also reported that Fudge is receiving interest from USC, Georgia, Texas A&M and Marquette. LSU’s new head coach Matt McMahon is also trying to recruit Fudge back to the Tigers.

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Report: Florida basketball forward Tuongthach Gatkek enters NCAA transfer portal

Florida basketball forward Tuongthach Gatkek joined guard Tyree Appleby in the NCAA transfer portal on Thursday.

Florida men’s basketball lost another player from last season’s roster on Thursday. On3’s Matt Zenitz reported that forward [autotag]Tuongthach Gatkek[/autotag] entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal. He’s the third departure the program has suffered this offseason. Guard [autotag]Tyree Appleby[/autotag] submitted his name to the portal on Monday and [autotag]Anthony Duruji[/autotag] declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his fifth year of eligibility.

Gatkek was a late addition to the 2021-22 roster. Florida added him in mid-August after one year at Trinity Valley Community College in Texas. He played in 21 games mainly due to the time starting center Colin Castleton missed this season.

Coming into the season, Gatkek was a redshirt candidate because of how late he arrived on campus. He quickly carved out a role for himself as Florida lacked depth in the frontcourt.

New head coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] has his work cut out for him as he tries to retool the roster for next season. Florida has already made contact with several players in the transfer portal and should stay active throughout the spring and summer.

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Danny Wuerffel beams about coach Billy Napier and QB Anthony Richardson

Gator Great Danny Wuerffel was in attendance for Florida’s practice on Saturday. He beamed about Napier and Richardson.

New football coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and basketball coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] have welcomed back Florida’s storied traditions in both sports with open arms. Golden recently hired Gator Great [autotag]Taurean Green[/autotag] to his staff as the director of player development, and Napier has chosen former Florida linebacker [autotag]Mike Peterson[/autotag] as one of his on-the-field assistants.

Napier also wants more former players to visit the Swamp. Heisman Trophy winner [autotag]Danny Wuerffel[/autotag] stopped by practice Saturday. He beamed about Napier and quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] while speaking to reporters.

Wuerffel was impressed by the number of people involved with the program. He also spent several minutes talking with Napier after practice and had the opportunity to share advice with current student-athletes.

“I’ve had a chance to talk with the players at different times, really on the subject of leadership and trying to develop leaders,” he said. “I met with some of them as a group and others individually; it has been really encouraging. I’m really excited to be associated with GatorMade and help really highlight some of the great stuff that they’re doing.”

Wuerffel believes Richardson’s potential is through the roof like any other person thought who watched him last season. He complimented his passing skills and his athleticism.

“But I think what’s encouraging to me is to see the way he processes the game,” he said. “He’s a really smart guy, and I think he’s got so much potential. And as everybody’s been saying, you hope that you see that potential translate and there’s consistency. And you hope he stays healthy.”

Hopefully, Richardson can stay healthy after he had an offseason procedure on his knee that caused him to miss the Gasparilla Bowl.

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Here are Florida basketball’s assistant coaches hires under coach Todd Golden

Florida coach Todd Golden is putting the finishing touches on his first coaching staff. Here’s a list of every hire he’s made.

New Florida men’s basketball head coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] is putting the finishing touches on his first coaching staff with the Gators, selecting the best and the brightest available in an effort to restore glory to the Orange and Blue on the parquet.

He comes to Florida after spending the past three seasons coaching the San Francisco Dons, where he amassed a 57-36 overall record. This season Golden and the Dons had a breakthrough, tallying 20 wins while making their first NCAA Tournament since 1998.

Before heading out west, Golden gained experience as an assistant coach and a director of basketball operations in the Southeastern Conference at Auburn under coach Bruce Pearl. Prior to joining the Tigers, Golden served as an assistant on Smith’s staff at Columbia. He also has experience playing college basketball at Saint Mary’s.

Here is a list tracking all of his hires so far after replacing [autotag]Mike White[/autotag] on the Gators’ bench.