After back-to-back seasons that ended in the NIT, the 2023-2024 new-look Gators could be Golden. A roster loaded with fresh faces and big-time talent just might be the team fans have been waiting for.

by Pat Dooley (BSJ ’76)

Todd Golden’s first year with UF men’s basketball was a struggle. Most are for first-year coaches.

Last year, Golden walked into the room that displays the giant face of Billy Donovan overhead and talked about how Florida needed to be better in two areas: offensive rebounding and 3-point shooting.

How’d that work out? Not well. The Gators ended the season under .500, last in the SEC in offensive rebounding and third in the nation from the bottom in 3-point shooting.

So Golden hit the reset button.

You can’t tell the players without a program this season, as only four scholarship athletes returned. Five others went into the portal (only one landed at a Power Five program) and Alex Fudge took his bricks and 16.7% 3-point shooting to professional basketball.

Like with Billy Napier’s football team, Year One, for Golden, was really Year Zero, a chance to get to know the university, the city and the players he inherited.

He’s hoping last year’s promises are fulfilled this season. Starting with rebounding. “It’s an area where we have to make a jump,” he said.

Losing Colin Castleton to injury didn’t help last season’s rebounding. But the Gators might have solved the problem. In 7-foot-1 Micah Handlogten — the Sun Belt’s Freshman of the Year, rim protector and rebounder — we have our first 7-footer since the great Dwayne Schintzius. Golden plucked him from Marshall. He also signed 6-foot-11 Alex Condon from Australia … And Seton Hall transfer Tyrese Samuel, who is 6-10 and started every game at the Hall last season … And 6-9 Thomas Haugh.

Which means we might realize Golden’s dream of having two big men on the floor at the same time.

Which means better rebounding.

Of course, part of rebounding — and a major part of defense — is communication. A lot of introductions had to be made with so many new players. Indications are it’s been close to seamless. And leaders will emerge.

“The chemistry has been great,” sophomore Riley Kugel said. “I’m starting to be more vocal compared to last year.”

During SEC Media Days, Kugel swore he can play any position on the court. Anyone who saw the last 10 games of the 2022-23 season would agree. With Castleton out, Kugel took a more aggressive role in the offense. After averaging 6.6 points earlier in the season, he clocked 32 minutes a game in the final 10 and averaged 17.3 points, while shooting 49.6% from the field.

But it wasn’t enough to get the Gators dancing again. Around him, players were hoisting shots that seemed allergic to the inside of the rim. Take Kugel and returning junior Will Richard out of the mix and the rest of the team shot a woeful 27.9% on threes.

That’s not good.

Most of those guys are gone, and the Gators are optimistic the next group isn’t another experiment gone sour. “These transfers, I think they are really going to help us,” Golden said.

There’s good reason to be optimistic. In addition to the tall trees down low, Florida has added key players to fill out the roster. For example, when Golden talks about Walter Clayton Jr., he’s not blowing smoke. Clayton Jr. was the Metro Atlantic Player of the Year last season for Rick Pitino at Iona and — get this — led the nation in free-throw shooting.

“He’ll be one of the best shooters in the league,” Golden said.

Be still my heart.

Then there’s Zion Pullen. After missing the first three games this season because he was in a semi-pro league over the summer while toying with the NBA, the grad transfer from UC-Riverside takes over the starting point guard job. And he’s a true point guard.

All in all, it’s an eclectic mix, with four international players and not many familiar faces. Oh, and here’s breaking news: the SEC might be the best it’s ever been … and that’s even BEFORE Oklahoma and Texas join.

“You could argue it’s the best conference in basketball,” Golden said.

Yes, you could. That, coupled with Florida’s non-conference schedule, makes Year Two (or Year One, if you buy my premise) challenging.

That’s OK with Golden. He likes his team.

Check back in March to see how everyone else feels about it.

Sportswriter Pat Dooley (BSJ ’76) covered the Gators for The Gainesville Sun for 33 years until his retirement in 2020. He still shares his love for Gator sports through his podcast, “Another Dooley Noted,” and WRUF radio program, “Dooley’s Back 9.” His Gator Nation News column does not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Florida.