FLORIDA BASKETBALL: Final Open Practice Takeaways & Notes

On Tuesday afternoon, Florida Gators men's basketball had their final open practice until the season begins. The practice facility was joined by the voice of the Gators, Sean Kelley, who even served as a referee during the scrimmage portion of practice.

A lot of new faces will be seen in the orange and blue on the court this year, and it was easy to notice the impact the newcomers will have. Here are a few takeaways from Todd Golden’s final open practice before the season tips off, which included a scrimmage session.

Fast practice, fast pace of play.

After watching the guys go through their practice routine, it was easy to figure out the pace Golden wants them to play. From the opening whistle to the last, outside of water breaks, everyone was running all over the court, including coaches.

After getting the initial lay-up lines, three-man weaves, and passing drills, Golden gathered the troops at the center of the court to set some goals for the scrimmaging portion of practice.

With different personnel this year and more size, it gives Golden the ability to be more creative on both the offensive and defensive sides. Zyon Pullin, a transfer from UC Riverside, and Walter Clayton Jr., a transfer from Iona, were some of the main ball handlers for the Gators and commanded the offense well. Golden was harping about pushing the ball down the court and getting the ball in the hands of playmakers.

One of Golden’s more animated moments of the day is when sophomore guard Denzel Aberdeen took a rebound coast-to-coast for a lay-up. Golden praised him for being able to create his own offense and pointed out there’s no need to get into the offense when you can continue to do stuff like that.

Riley Kugel is STILL that guy.

Hands down, the best player on the court Tuesday was Riley Kugel.

Kugel was instant offense for his team during the scrimmage and was the highest-scoring player among both teams during the time period. A future NBA talent, Kugel and Golden seemed to be talking to his star after each play, trying to find takeaways from his perspective.

Look for Kugel to have another big year for the Gators in a less stressful fashion. Outside of Kugel and Colin Castleton, Florida had minimal offensive production. With the addition of other offensive weapons, it will take pressure off of Kugel and allow the offense to flow smoothly.

Size is not a problem.

Todd Golden and his staff recognized the problem this offseason and were able to acquire size in comparison to last season’s roster. Florida landed one of the top shot blockers in the country in the transfer portal, Micah Handlogten, from Marshall. Just a sophomore, Handlogten is a 7'1" problem for any guard trying to get a shot off in the paint. On top of that, he also converted two and-ones during the scrimmage along with a blocked shot.

Another big-time transfer the Gators landed was Seton Hall forward Tyrese Samuel. Samuel, at 6'10", is a graduate senior who started all 33 games last year, averaging 11.0 points and 4.3 rebounds. His athleticism and the way he moves for how big he is are something that stood out during the practice portion.

Look for both of these transfer players to be big-time players for the Gators in the paint this year. The next time we will get a chance to see this team will be November 2, 2023, in the O’Dome for the Orange and Blue game. Their season begins November 6, 2023, when Florida hosts Loyola Maryland.