So why should I feel good about Gators basketball moving forward?

I remember being just as excited about LaDarius Halton! That part didn't work out as well.

 

agree, almost mentioned him for the hype.....

Of Halton, Donovan said: "I think he's as gifted as anybody in the country at his position. I think the only one who can stop LaDarius is LaDarius. The biggest adjustment he'll have to make at the next level is playing every play. He's so athletically gifted that he doesn't have to exert himself all the time. He has to learn to do that."

 

Ladarius was a spectacular player whose career was destroyed by his degenerative knee problems. Sylbrin Robinson also was a Gator signee that year, but he never qualified academically. Sylbrin was the MVP of the state high school tournament that year and played with Haslem, Steve Blake and other stars on the Miami High state championship team.

 

Hi tampajack1 - how are you liking Kugel? He's becoming the star of the team in CC's absence. Kid can play!

 

Are we sure Kugel is coming back? He might want to play with a big winner.

 

As you might be aware, I was posting prior to Kugel enrolling at UF that he was our best recruit since Brad Beal. I was hoping that he would start from day 1, but that didn’t happen. Nevertheless, I am quite happy with his progress. He has every tool in the book to become a big-time NBA player, and, possibly, a big-time NBA point guard. I would be quite happy if he plays the point for UF next season. He just needs to tighten his handle a little more to be a dominating college point guard.

 

(And improve free throws!)

 

I am aware and thus my post, you told us and you are right. I am excited about Kugels prospects next year. He is on quite the streak right now.

 

With NIL money in play, it wouldn't surprise me if a blue blood looking to shore up its roster made a play for him.

#1 off season priority for Golden is to keep whatever talent he has.

 

Well, no one is sure about any player on any team, are they?

 

I'm not sure point guard is where I'd want to see him. But I'd be happy to give him 5 or 6 minutes a game at the point, just to see how it goes.

 

Here’s why I like the idea. He has tremendous vision and passing ability. He is huge for a point guard. He can get into the paint at will. He should be able to overwhelm smaller defenders. He has a very high basketball IQ. He has the quickness to guard other point guards. The offense would run through him. He looks to me like a prototypical big NBA point guard. I might change my mind if Ques decides to return to UF.

 

That, and his bad attitude.

 

Perhaps. I'd rather sign a top PG transfer and have him get the ball into Kugel's hands first, though. If Kugel develops his skills he might be able to accomplish what you want, but he has a ways to go first.
I still have hopes for Trey Bonham, though. He shows moments of great play but that are too often punctuated by stretches of out-of-control play. The jump to the SEC was a bit overwhelming for him.

 

The crowd at the final game was outstanding (relative to many of our crowds over the past 7 years), and speaks, to me, that the fans are willing to be patient as a new coach gets his roots settled. Kugel is going to be a very exciting player to build around going forward. I think Mike White put together some incompatible teams or teams that he was unable to get to work effectively together; all in all, I'd say this season as a transition year went pretty well given CC's injury. To me, retention and growth are more important than recruiting, but I'm not discounting the importance of recruiting either. Needs to be more than just guys who have had success, they need to be able to work together in a plan that maximizes their effectiveness. It may take some time for Golden to figure all that out, but I'm eagerly looking forward to the SEC Tournament, whatever postseason ball exists after that (if any), and next year as well.

Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS

 

Well, seems we have problem though we are currently ranked 14th out of 14 teams in recruiting for next season according to 247 sports.

 

Rivals had Kugel ranked as the #145 high school senior. 247 Sports had him at #83. I posted early on that he was our best recruit since Beal and was a top-20 high school player. The lesson here is that the experts are often way off base, most likely because they haven’t seen much, if any, of the kid’s games. I like that we have signed 2 bigs. As for now, I trust that TG and his staff can recognize talent. It should also not be forgotten that Aberdeen was a really good high school player and might be ready to step up big time next season.

 

Sounds like the 1994 Gator team.

 

I remember you posting your evaluation of Kugel and it has turned out to be spot on.

Kudos.

 

What did you see out of Aberdeen on the floor this year? My basketball IQ is puny so I really can't gauge.