Tag: Todd Golden

Check out what grade 247Sports gave the Todd Golden hire

Florida’s new head basketball coach earned a solid grade from 247Sports after a look at the rest of the hires around the Southeastern Conference.

Six coaches were hired to take over men’s basketball programs in the Southeastern Conference this spring and there’s been no shortage of reactions to the coaching carousel.

The folks over at 247Sports took a look at each of the six coaches and gave an in-depth analysis of the pros and cons of each new hire. Of course, Gator Nation wants to know if the experts think Golden is a good hire and it appears that he’s got the stamp of approval with a B+ grade from the service.

Golden has a chance to be a home-run hire. Florida taking a big swing early on Golden could look like a wise decision in a year or two. His Xs and Os acumen can’t be questioned. It really comes down to his ability to put together a big-time staff who can recruit the elite players needed to win in the SEC. High-end talent combined with Golden’s coaching chops could be a huge recipe for success.

The pros include Golden’s analytical approach and ability to recruit overseas while the cons naturally focus on his lack of experience coaching and recruiting in the south.

While a B+ isn’t the highest grade among the group, it is better than the B Georgia got for hiring [autotag]Mike White[/autotag]:

White is a no-doubt Power Five coach. Georgia poaching White probably says more about the situation in Florida than it does about Georgia. Winning at Georgia is a tough task. White should be active in the transfer portal, and he certainly seems like a high-floor coach.

Missouri’s Dennis Gates and LSU‘s Matt McMahon led the pack with A grades and South Carolina’s hiring of Lamont Paris earned an A- from 247Sports.

[mm-video type=video id=01fzeqz3pd3vmwabxb5f playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fzeqz3pd3vmwabxb5f/01fzeqz3pd3vmwabxb5f-310b2780c73d28f0f8cbccfd931b76a5.jpg]

[listicle id=80329]

[listicle id=80505]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Gators have reportedly shown interest in this transferring point guard

Here’s a possibility for the point guard position on next year’s men’s basketball squad.

The Gators have reportedly been in contact with Nelly Cummings, a transferring point guard. He played the 2021-22 season at Colgate and hit the portal as a grad transfer following the season, immediately drawing interest from numerous teams. The only other SEC teams who have been specifically linked with him are Arkansas and Vanderbilt, but there are suitors from every high-major conference.

When evaluating players as a fit under [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag]’s scheme, the obvious factors to consider are offensive efficiency, rebounding and three-point shooting. Those are areas Florida’s head coach has singled out as in need of improvement. How does Cummings stack up?

Even after the worst season of his career behind the arc, Cummings was an above-average shooter for Colgate last year. Over 40% of the shots he let fly were three-point attempts, and he connected on 36% of them. That rate is substantiated by his consistently excellent free throw shooting. This man knows how to get the ball in the basket.

He’s not a one-trick pony, but Cummings’ offensive efficiency takes a hit when three-point shots are eliminated. He only sunk 40% of his two-point attempts last season and wound up with an unspectacular .8 points per possession on such plays. This drop in effectiveness is to be expected from a smaller guard, but it’s a little concerning when considering whether he can be a difference-maker in the SEC.

One of Cummings’ go-to moves is to fake a dribble drive to get the defender on his back foot and let a shot fly as soon as the opposing player is off balance. In that way, he is able to leverage his height — a disadvantage with defenders closing out — to his advantage by taking the initiative and wagering that his short arms are faster than the defender’s long legs. That’s a staple among small guards and we’ve seen it often during [autotag]Tyree Appleby[/autotag]’s time in Gainesville.

Many people believe that rebounding is a matter of toughness and size, but that’s just not true. The 6-foot-9-inch Oscar Tshiebwe makes no sense as the nations’ best rebounder if we live in a world where the tallest, most muscle-bound players gather the most balls. Rebounding is also influenced by the ability to read the ball off the rim and get to where it’s going to be.

Cummings seems to have that ability, collecting more rebounds than you’d expect from someone standing only 6-feet tall. He averaged over three rebounds per game over the past two years and I’d expect that figure to decline a little facing better athletes in the SEC, but not to an extreme degree.

With only one year of eligibility left for Cummings, he’ll have no runway to get adapted to SEC play. He needs to perform well and quickly. For the Gators, who need a bridge point guard for the 2023 season, it would be easy to sell him on the available minutes.

The question is whether Cummings is the guy the Gators want. If Appleby sticks around for his final season, it wouldn’t make sense to carry two guards in the “tiny but mighty” archetype. If the point guard position is totally barren, though, he can probably be what Florida needs: competent.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=none image=https://gatorswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[lawrence-related id=80848,80786,80740,80597,80476]

[listicle id=80329]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Florida basketball announces hire of this well-known offensive developer

Florida basketball gets some SEC experience on its coaching bench.

Wednesday morning, Florida made official the hiring of [autotag]Korey McCray[/autotag] as the associate head coach of the Gators’ men’s basketball team. McCray spent the previous seven seasons with Mississippi State, a monolithic run in terms of coaching monogamy. He brings nearly a decade of SEC coaching experience to the team, which is something head coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] and assistant coach [autotag]Kevin Hovde[/autotag] are sorely lacking.

As an associate head coach, McCray will be Golden’s right hand, a fitting role for the veteran leader. He carries a reputation as a strong recruiter and you’ll see him praised for his hand in UCLA’s trio of 2012 five-star recruits. As Florida Basketball Hour was quick to point out, he is also an asset in the gym.

“One thing I really love about McCray is that he worked with NBA players as a skill development coach before he got into coaching at the Division 1 level,” said the FBH host. “I’ve said in this podcast before that I think the role of coaching is overrated in college basketball when it comes to player development… but he worked with NBA players who have millions of dollars on the line whether they can shoot 33% from three or 35% from three. For a wing in the NBA, that could mean $12 million over three years. These NBA players do not mess around with who they want to work with.”

From a basketball ops perspective, McCray will likely be one of the most traditionalist voices in the room. He will be joining a heavily analytics-influenced group of coaches, but his grassroots as a powerhouse AAU coach as well as a student of Leonard Hamilton and Ben Howland lend themselves in the other direction.

That’s not a bad thing — few are the coaches who have more experience to glean from. It also would seem to indicate that Golden is willing to give his ear to those with different approaches than his, demonstrating the flexibility and modesty that is needed for a relatively new head coach. Interfacing smoothly between the two styles of basketball will be essential, though, especially in player evaluation and skill valuation.

From a bird’s eye view, McCray’s willingness to abandon ship at Mississippi State for Florida is meaningful. MSU has a strong program that always seems to be just on the verge of a breakout. That McCray sees an opportunity in Florida basketball that he didn’t have with the Bulldogs should be an encouraging sign for Gators hoops enthusiasts.

[mm-video type=video id=01fze67fn95nt4sgwsh4 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fze67fn95nt4sgwsh4/01fze67fn95nt4sgwsh4-8adfbf8d344c9b300e4bea2bcfd4ccb8.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=80786,80740,80597,80476,80507]

[listicle id=80329]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Gators announce first assistant coach hire under Todd Golden

Todd Golden makes his first hire as the head coach of the Florida Gators men’s basketball team.

New Florida men’s basketball head coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] is beginning to fill out his staff at UF and [autotag]Kevin Hovde[/autotag] is the first assistant coach to be named in this new era of Gators basketball.

Hovde recently served as an assistant at Richmond. He coached the Spiders to an Atlantic 10 championship and a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season, but it was hard to say no to Golden after spending seven seasons with him.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join Florida’s elite men’s basketball program and become a part of the University of Florida and Gator Nation,” Hovde said in the official release. “It was going to take a special opportunity for me to leave my alma mater, and this is that opportunity. I am incredibly thankful to be a part of this staff.”

Golden has been a fan of Hovde’s coaching chops since the two started coaching alongside each other at Columbia. After spending plenty of time together at various universities, it’s unsurprising to see Hovde be the first man to join Golden’s staff.

“He has one of the best offensive minds we have in the college game,” Golden said. “We’ve obviously had the opportunity to work alongside each other for several years at multiple stops, and I’m really glad we have the chance to add another chapter to our collaboration here at Florida.”

[mm-video type=video id=01fzbk9hbjw9gws8ckgc playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fzbk9hbjw9gws8ckgc/01fzbk9hbjw9gws8ckgc-e14d3ac4e4bcf957d83464c5d8464f55.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=80597,80471,80379,80182]

[listicle id=80505]

[listicle id=80454]

[listicle id=80329]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Florida basketball has reached out to this Nothern Iowa transfer

Could Northern Iowa standout Noah Carter be the first transfer of the Golden Era?

The Florida Gators will look like an entirely new team next season. [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] has replaced [autotag]Mike White[/autotag] as head coach, and six seniors are set to move on from the program barring a surprise return.

That means Golden will likely be dipping into the transfer portal and an early name being linked with the Gators is Nothern Iowa sophomore Noah Carter, according to 247Sports. The 6-foot-6-inch, 229-pound forward averaged 15.0 points and 4.1 rebounds in 2021-22 and has heard from several other programs since entering the portal on Wednesday.

Florida, Arkansas, BYU, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech are the early suitors, but Carter wants to take things slow.

“At the end of the day I’m trying to find a school that I fit in best and where I can make an impact,” Carter said. “Entering the portal has been something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I have some dreams and goals I want to achieve and I just believe that I’ll need to go to a different school and start a different chapter of my life to achieve them.”

UF has produced plenty of NBA players in the past and certainly has more eyes on it than UNI does. That said, Florida also plays in the much tougher Southeastern Conference, and Carter is relatively unproven against that level of play on a consistent basis.

With a few years of eligibility left on the table, Carter would have time to settle in wherever he lands. Often underlooked over his career, Carter is hoping he’ll finally get a chance to make the impact he knows he’s capable of.

[mm-video type=video id=01fz0vhkvneprhd3dm82 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fz0vhkvneprhd3dm82/01fz0vhkvneprhd3dm82-7a92b7a8ecafed7f58f6ee5fd37c8d07.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=80476,80507,80471,80441,80379]

[listicle id=80454]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Todd Golden outlines two problem areas he wants to shore up at Florida

Florida coach Todd Golden gave a self-scout of last year’s team and said he wants the team to be better in two key areas.

The 2021-2022 Florida men’s basketball team under former head coach Mike White struggled to shoot the ball well from deep and rebound defensively, only shooting 30% from three and finishing 331st in defensive rebounding with a 22.56 per game average. New coach Todd Golden said during his introductory press conference that if the Gators improve drastically in those areas while getting better in others that the program could return to the NCAA Tournament next season.

“I think the two areas that we’re going to really strive to be better at next year is shooting the ball,” Golden said about his self-scout of last year’s Florida team. “The team I think was around 30.5% from the year on (three-pointers) and the way that I like to play that’s simply not going to be good enough. We’re going to have to go out and shoot the ball better to achieve the goals we want to achieve.

“Also defensively: rebounding. That was an area that was surprising to me when evaluating the team and the roster that they didn’t have a lot of success in because I think the pieces are there, and I think the talent is there in terms of being able to get on the glass. I think if we can lift those two areas up a couple of pegs and stay consistent and get better in other areas, we should be back in the tournament next year.”

It’s easier said than done for the former San Francisco skipper because the Gators’ current roster consists of six seniors and graduate students that likely played their final game for the Orange and Blue. Then there should also be quite a bit of roster turnover like there typically is during a coaching change.

Florida and Golden also granted its top signee from the class of 2022, Malik Reneau, his release from his letter of intent earlier this week. The five-star power forward prospect was ranked No. 28 overall according to the 247Sports Composite. Golden said they haven’t given up on Reneau, but the task of hanging on to him has become more difficult now that other schools can recruit him again.

Golden and his coaching staff will also tackle the NCAA transfer portal to address the incoming roster turnover. It was reported that Florida has already been in contact with Utah Valley center Fardaws Aimaq and Dartmouth point guard Taurus Samuels.

It’s good to see that Golden has high expectations for the Gators program but turning Florida into an NCAA Tournament team again next season is a tall order.

[mm-video type=video id=01fyycestjsdmtfxm088 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fyycestjsdmtfxm088/01fyycestjsdmtfxm088-ff9b3ed8dac84653af610cf3b5d937c2.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=80471,80441,80379]

[listicle id=80505]

[listicle id=80454]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Best Twitter welcomes for new coach Todd Golden includes Gator greats

The Florida Gators released an awesome welcome video feature for Todd Golden that had former men’s basketball greats in it.

New Florida men’s basketball coach Todd Golden landed in Gainesville and officially started his new job on Monday. The Gators signed Golden to a six-year, $18 million deal.

He leaves the San Francisco Dons after three seasons where he went 57-36. In his final season, he led San Francisco to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 24 years but didn’t stay long as his 10th-seeded Dons fell, 92-87, in overtime during the first round.

On Tuesday, he toured the University of Florida to get a sense of his new home. Then he graced the Stephen C. O’Connell Center floor for the first time where a welcome video for Golden featuring several Florida men’s basketball legends like Al Horford, Corey Brewer, Lee Humphrey, Bradley Beal, Chandler Parsons, among others, was played.

The Florida Gators men’s basketball Twitter account made it public on Wednesday. It was an awesome video that Florida fans should check out.

The video also produced some great Twitter reactions that will be highlighted below.

Florida basketball can retool quickly with this transfer portal target

This highly sought men’s basketball transfer portal target could quickly accelerate the rebuild in Gainesville.

Florida basketball was a frustrating ride during the recently concluded season. The team consistently underperformed and nagging injuries to key players Myreon Jones and CJ Felder certainly didn’t help.

Between the coaching change Florida is undergoing and how old the roster was, the Gators are likely in for another offseason of roster churn. That’s not necessarily a bad thing if head coach Todd Golden is able to pull the right players to Gainesville. Reportedly, Florida has already been in contact with a transfer portal target near the top of every school’s must-have list: Fardaws Aimaq.

The center for Utah Valley had a tremendous 2021-22 season, planting himself on the map by averaging a double-double. He lit up Pepperdine in neon with a 34-point performance and dominated the boards against BYU, tallying 22 rebounds, proving he was clearly too much of a player for the Western Athletic Conference.

Aimaq is 247Sports’ top-ranked transfer at this stage, and, naturally, he set his sights on much loftier competition by entering the transfer portal and hinting he intended to test the waters of the NBA draft process. While his status might not last as more players enter the portal, he’s by no means an under-the-radar steal.

Numerous teams will offer Aimaq an opportunity to play in their colors, so what pitch can Florida make to him?

Golden runs an analysis-driven operation and his offenses at San Francisco were always cutting edge. He was not secretive about the fact his offense was in the coordinator’s hands, which means there will probably be some changes when he hires someone for that role at Florida. He has a clear preference and will no doubt hire someone who prioritizes efficient scoring.

If Aimaq doesn’t go pro, he’ll be looking to prove himself against competition superior to what he faced at Utah Valley. With a premium being put on stretch bigs in the NBA, shooting could be one way for him to separate himself from the pack. The big man hit over 40% of his deep shots last season — an exceptional mark from someone with a 6-foot-11-inch frame, but it was a rate he put up while averaging only 1.25 attempts per game.

Progressive college offenses can make good use of a stretch big, as well. Golden’s offensive coordinator would no doubt scheme up some looks for Aimaq from behind the arc. Continued success on a higher volume of attempts against better defenders would be a clear way to improve his draft value, and if Golden can demonstrate a clear plan to develop Aimaq as a shooter, it may be a big step in the right direction to recruit him.

Honestly, bringing Aimaq on the Gators is a bit of a long shot, but there’s no harm in trying. The potential rewards of having a center on the roster who is a completely opposite type from Jason Jitoboh — the best center remaining in the likely event of Colin Castleton’s departure — far outstrip the opportunity cost of fruitless recruiting efforts.

[mm-video type=video id=01fypr3wbyktj6zjxksj playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fypr3wbyktj6zjxksj/01fypr3wbyktj6zjxksj-551e04eae40dcc1a2beac02387a1b432.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=80441,80280,80182]

[listicle id=80454]

[listicle id=80329]

[listicle id=80239]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

5 takeaways from Todd Golden’s introductory press conference

Here are five things that stood out about Todd Golden in his intro press conference.

As I was walking out of the O-Dome to my car post-press conference with the new Florida basketball head coach, I ran into the president of the school Dr. Kent Fuchs.

He was at another function while Todd Golden was speaking.

Boy, he missed some fanfare.

The band was playing at an uncomfortably loud level, former players showed up and there were enough orange and blue balloons to last the two children who are now Gainesvillians a few months.

“How’d he do?” Dr. Fuchs asked, pointing to the scene in the arena where things were breaking up.

Well, here are five things I thought.

Highlights from Todd Golden’s introductory press conference

Athletic director Scott Stricklin introduced Todd Golden as the next Florida men’s basketball coach on Wednesday.

The University of Florida and athletic director Scott Stricklin made the hire of new men’s basketball coach Todd Golden official on Wednesday, after which Stricklin and Golden met with local media for an introductory press conference. The latter leaves San Francisco after spending the past three seasons there as the head coach where he collected a 57-36 that included a trip to the NCAA Tournament this season. Here are some of the highlights from his first media availability.

Stricklin spoke first and said the University Athletic Association began the coaching search immediately after former coach Mike White informed him that he was leaving to become the Georgia Bulldogs‘ newest coach. He added that Golden wanted to be a Florida Gator and help them win championships.

Golden stepped to the microphone next and told reporters that Florida has a championship pedigree and that it has all the tools to win one.

White left the Gators because of his struggles to meet the program’s expectations and his seat was becoming hotter and hotter. Golden made it clear that he embraces those lofty goals.

“Not at all,” he said in response to a question as to whether Florida’s expectations are too high. “When this opportunity became available, Meghan and I decided this is where we want to be. [Mike White’s decision] didn’t change the way I felt about this place at all. I want those expectations.”

After he took the job, Golden said he reached out to former Gators coach Billy Donovan and spoke to him for about 30 minutes. The conversation gave him goosebumps because he looks up to him, telling Donovan that he will call him often for advice.

Golden developed a reputation for relying heavily on analytics with the Dons, which he fell in love with it when he was a walk-on at St. Mary’s. Some analytics-backed strategies he employed with San Francisco are fouling up three late in games, going for two-for-ones at the end of the half situations and avoiding mid-range jump shots.

Finally, Golden said he wants his teams to shoot better from the three-point line. It was an area Florida struggled with this past season.

Now that Golden is mostly settled in, he’ll need to attack the NCAA transfer portal this offseason to replenish the Gators roster.

[mm-video type=video id=01fypr3wbyktj6zjxksj playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fypr3wbyktj6zjxksj/01fypr3wbyktj6zjxksj-551e04eae40dcc1a2beac02387a1b432.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=80379,80280,80182]

[listicle id=80329]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.