Golden is turning to transfers to build roster
GAINESVILLE — St. Bonaventure point guard Kyle Lofton’s recent addition continued Florida coach Todd Golden’s success mining the transfer market as he rebuilds the Gators.
Golden’s 2022 transfer class ranks No. 1 in the SEC and No. 3 nationally, according to 247Sports.
With the two scholarships remaining, Golden and his staff are not finished, either.
Lofton, a three-time all-Atlantic 10 selection, currently leads the wave of newcomers. Belmont combo guard Will Richard, Virginia Military Institute point guard Trey Bonham and LSU forward Alex Fudge also transferred to Gainesville.
Lofton’s playmaking skills are his selling point.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound New Jersey native averaged 5.2 assists during four seasons with the Bonnies. This included 5.9 assists per game in 202122 to rank 10th nationally, highlighted by a 17-assist effort against UMass.
Lofton averaged 13.2 points, 3 rebounds and 1.6 steals during his career. He shot 42.1% from the field but just 30.3% from 3-point range.
The 23-year-old also played an astounding 38.1 minutes a game, a workload he is unlikely to have to duplicate with the Gators.
“He makes others around him better and cares only about one thing: winning,” Golden said.
Golden replaced Mike White after he left for Georgia following seven seasons at UF and the program’s first outside the NCAA Tournament since 2016.
Golden immediately set his sights on improving the Gators’ talent level while retaining key pieces from last season’s squad.
“Our roster will look a lot different in six weeks than it does now,” Golden said in early April.
The 36-year-old coach lured back 6-foot-11 post player Colin Castleton, the team’s leader in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots, and 6-foot-6 shooting guard Kowacie Reeves, the top recruit in the Gators’ 2021 class.
Veteran shooting guard Myreon Jones, who transferred from Penn State in 2021, opted to return for a fifth year after an inconsistent season with the Gators. Jones averaged 8.5 points and shot 32.1% from 3-point range after he scored 15.3 points a game and shooting 39.5% from beyond the arc in 2020-21.
Forward CJ Felder is expected back after hip surgery while guard Niels Lane aims to build on his expanding role off the bench. Center Jason Jitoboh continues to recover from a serious eye injury suffered on Jan. 26 at Tennessee.
Meanwhile, Lofton will not be the only first-year Gator poised to make an impact.
The 6-foot-5, 195-pound Richard averaged 12.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals last season at Belmont. Fudge, a high-flying 6-foot-8, 185-pound Jacksonville native, averaged 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in 13.9 minutes as a promising 17-yearold freshman at LSU. The 6-foot, 170-pound Bonham averaged 11.3 points, 2.9 assists and shot 48% from the field during two seasons at VMI.
Denzel Aberdeen, a 6-foot-4 guard from Orlando’s Dr. Phillips, is the sole remaining member from White’s 2022 recruiting class. Aberdeen averaged 14.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 31 games last season.
High school teammate Riley Kugel, a 6-foot-6 wing, is also on the Gators’ radar. Kugel, the nation’s No. 78 prospect, averaged 16.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 2021-22.
According to 247 Sports, Buffalo forward Josh Mballa visited Florida last week. The 6-foot-7, 220-pound post player from France averaged 13.9 points and 9.5 rebounds the past two seasons.