When it came to Florida’s 2023 transfer portal class it was all about buckets, buckets, and more buckets.
Walter Clayton came from Iona and was someone who could light it up from three and get to rim with an electric first step, but as just a sophom*ore he was yet to master the defensive intricacies of the game. Zyon Pullin was an elite pick and roll operator who could get his own bucket in isolation, but he wasn’t someone who could lift UC Riverside from being the 6th best defense in the Big West. Tyrese Samuel was a stout post up defender from a physical Big East, but the plan to take him and play him exclusively at power forward was a move geared towards maximizing the offense while knowing Florida’s defensive versatility would be damaged. There was some optimism that Micah Handlogten would help in the area of shot blocking, but his lack of mobility and bulk left him vulnerable in SEC play. Florida’s final scholarship went to Julian Rishwain, a pure three-point bomber who would have been in a designated hitter role if healthy.
That wasn’t to say these were not good players–in fact, they were excellent players and together were one of the best transfer classes in the country. However, it’s a fact that the scales were tilted heavily in one direction–the offensive one.
The Gators didn’t recruit bulk to handle the physical post players of the SEC, and they didn’t get a point guard who could pressure the ball. Whereas most teams in the SEC recruit long forwards for the three and four spots that can guard multiple positions and be impactful with their length, Florida chose to play centers at power forward and guards at the small forward spot in order to maximize scoring potential.
With this being the case, we saw what happened. The Gators were able to put up points with their playmaking guards and their relentless offensive rebounding. Unfortunately, things weren’t as successful on the defense end as the Gators struggled to keep opposing players in front of them and they haemorrhaged points all season long, culminating in an NCAA Tournament performance where they gave up 102 points at an astonishing 1.32 points per possession to a Colorado team whose previous three games saw them put up point totals of 60, 68, and 58.
If you have watched head coach Todd Golden’s career, this will come as quite a surprise. During his time as a player, he was pure effort and intensity on the defensive end. As an assistant, he was always tasked with working on the defensive side of the ball. When he finally got the head job at San Francisco he made defense a focus, and the one year they made the NCAA Tournament they came in at 26th in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency metric. A self-professed defensive guy, he made his imprint on that side of the floor his first year at Florida. Despite not having prototypical defensive-minded players he got the Gators to 31st in adjusted defensive efficiency, though–as you can likely attest, it wasn’t always the prettiest watch. That difficult style to watch could be why the pendulum swung so far to the opposite side of the spectrum with the Gators entering 2023-24 built to score over everything else.
That season didn’t go as expected, and with multiple players graduating the Gators went back to the portal to retool, and it was clear they had a different strategy in mind.
First, they got Sam Alexis from Chattanooga, a promising young player who can get to his right hook offensively but his best traits are definitely on the defensive end. Sure, he gives up some of the bulk that could overpower smaller forwards, but he’s much more agile on the perimeter than any frontcourt player the Gators had on the roster a year ago. Next, they grabbed Rueben Chinyelu who doesn’t give you anything on the offensive end outside of offensive rebound putbacks and dunks, but can dominate the defensive end with his ridiculous 7’8” wingspan. In the frontcourt–it was two pickups that are much stronger on the defensive side than the offensive side.
On Sunday afternoon the Gators got their first commitment from a perimeter player–FAU’s Alijah Martin. Martin comes to the Gators as one of the best defensive guards in the country, someone that can guard multiple positions and cause chaos with his ability to blow up actions and get steals. Sure, he brings some offensive punch with a clean three-point stroke, but make no mistake–he is more dominant on the defensive than offensive side of the ball.
If you’re keeping track at home, that’s three out of three players that are impactful defensive players and guys that hang their hat on that side of the floor. Coming off a year where the Gators couldn’t guard–this is extremely notable.
It’s clear that the Gators are completely changing their strategy from a team building and play style standpoint, and they aren’t trying to do what they did last year and finish 94th in the country in defense. Given that Todd Golden has been open about the fact he’s more of a defensive guy, he’s now building a roster that can execute his vision of how he wants to play.
This is likely a positive sign, as in college basketball you generally need a roster that mirrors the personality of the head coach. Last year the Gators tried to run and gun which was never Todd Golden’s strength as a coach–and the season had its fair share of frustration that ended with a first round NCAA Tournament exit. Sure, putting up 100 points multiple times is fun, but if the Gators are going to win games and make an NCAA Tournament run, Golden probably needs to build a team that he knows how to coach, and that looks like what’s happening with the transfer portal additions.
The 2024-25 Gators are going to look a lot different than 2023-24, and it could very well make for a more successful season.
