Dark Horse 2024 Final Four Contender
Dark Horse 2024 Final Four Contender
The thrilling non-conference period of the college basketball season has concluded, with one team emerging as a potential surprise contender for a Final Four run in March.
The Florida Gators have had a strong start to their 2023-24 season. The program has had a major identity change in Todd Golden's second year as head coach. Following the graduation of standout fifth-year senior Colin Castleton in 2023, Golden and his staff had to prepare and recruit for a new game plan.
Castleton was heavily relied on last season, but he often found himself on the bench during big games due to foul trouble. It is evident Golden has shifted away from a forward-centered offense and has returned to the offense he ran during his three-year tenure at San Francisco. This year Florida’s offense depends on guard play, rebounding bigs, and a fast pace of play.
Florida’s transfer portal recruits have made prominent contributions early on. Golden pulled two experienced guards out of the transfer portal that are playing significant minutes for him. Iona transfer, Walter Clayton Jr., and Zyon Pullin, a UC Riverside transfer, both averaged over 15 points per game last season for their teams. The two have joined returning guards Riley Kugel and Will Richard to form a four-headed monster in the backcourt. All four are averaging over 10 points a game and grab over three rebounds a game. Because the guards rebound so well, Florida can play at a fast pace. The Gators are just outside the top 30 teams in fastbreak points with an average of 15.31 per game. Along with a faster-paced offense, comes a lot more shot opportunities. This team is not afraid of shooting the ball as they rank tenth in field goals attempted with an average of 65.5 shots a game.
The premier part of this Florida team is the offensive rebounding. They rank fourth best in the nation with 16.15 offensive rebounds a game. This is in large part due to the three newcomers in the frontcourt.
Tyrese Samuel transferred from Seton Hall in March of last year. The 6-foot-10 forward has gotten off to a phenomenal start in his senior year. Samuel is averaging a career-high 14 points and a team-high 8.8 rebounds per game. Samuel was not the only big Golden acquired through the portal in 2023. Micah Handlogten played his freshman year at Marshall before transferring to Florida. Handlogten, a seven-foot center, has made substantial improvement in his game since last season. The 7-foot-1 sophomore has become a terrific rebounder and has shown incredible athletic ability for an athlete of his size.
Florida is one of only two teams to have multiple players averaging over 3.3 offensive rebounds a game due to the aggressive rebounding attack of Samuel and Handlogten.
True freshman Alex Condon has given Florida depth in their frontcourt. Currently, the 6-foot-11 forward only averages about 20 minutes of action, but come March, his opportunities will increase.
Florida still has a lot to fix between now and the beginning of the NCAA Tournament. For instance, their three-point and free-throw shooting will need to improve during conference play. There are plenty of practices and games for them to continue to develop into a Final Four contender. With the past NCAA Tournament success that Coach Golden has had, I believe his team will be one most do not want to face.