2023–24 Florida Gators men's basketball team

2023–24 Florida Gators men's basketball
2023–24 Florida Gators men's basketball
NCAA tournament, first round
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Record	24–12 (11–7 SEC)
Head coach	Todd Golden (2nd season);
Assistant coaches	Carlin Hartman (2nd season); Kevin Hovde (2nd season); Korey McCray (2nd season);
Home arena	O'Connell Center
	Seasons ← 2022–23 2024–25 →

The 2023–24 Florida Gators men's basketball team represented the University of Florida during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Gators, led by second-year head coach Todd Golden, played their home games at the O'Connell Center in Gainesville, Florida as members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

2023–24 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings
v t e	Conf				Overall
Team	W		L	PCT	W		L	PCT
No. 5 Tennessee	14	–	4	.778	27	–	9	.750
No. 20 Kentucky	13	–	5	.722	23	–	10	.697
No. 3т Alabama	13	–	5	.722	25	–	12	.676
No. 18 Auburn †	13	–	5	.722	27	–	8	.771
No. 24 South Carolina	13	–	5	.722	26	–	8	.765
Florida	11	–	7	.611	24	–	12	.667
Texas A&M	9	–	9	.500	21	–	15	.583
LSU	9	–	9	.500	17	–	16	.515
Mississippi State	8	–	10	.444	21	–	14	.600
Ole Miss	7	–	11	.389	20	–	12	.625
Georgia	6	–	12	.333	20	–	17	.541
Arkansas	6	–	12	.333	16	–	17	.485
Vanderbilt	4	–	14	.222	9	–	23	.281
Missouri	0	–	18	.000	8	–	24	.250

† 2024 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll

Previous season

The Gators finished the 2022–23 season 16–17, 9–9 in SEC play, to finish in eighth place. They lost in the first round of the NIT to UCF.^[1]

Offseason

Departures

Departures
Name	Number	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Notes	Ref.
Myreon Jones	0	G	6' 3"	177	Graduate student	Birmingham, AL	Graduated
CJ Felder	1	F	6' 7"	240	Senior	Sumter, SC	Transferred to McNeese	^[2]
Trey Bonham	2	G	6' 0"	170	Junior	Mobile, AL	Transferred to Chattanooga	^[3]
Alex Fudge	3	F	6' 9"	200	Sophomore	Jacksonville, FL	Undrafted free agent; signed with Los Angeles Lakers	^[4]
Niels Lane	4	G	6' 5"	215	Junior	Freehold, NJ	Transferred to Delaware	^[5]
Kyle Lofton	11	G	6' 3"	188	Graduate student	Hillside, NJ	Graduated
Colin Castleton	12	F	6' 11"	250	Senior	DeLand, FL	Undrafted free agent; signed with Los Angeles Lakers	^[6]
Kowacie Reeves	14	G	6' 6"	192	Sophomore	Macon, GA	Transferred to Georgia Tech	^[7]
Jason Jitoboh	33	C	6' 11"	300	Senior	Abuja, Nigeria	Transferred to Tennessee State	^[8]

Incoming transfers

Incoming transfers
Name	Number	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Previous school	Ref.
Zyon Pullin	0	G	6' 4"	205	Graduate student	Pleasant Hill, CA	UC Riverside
Walter Clayton Jr.	1	G	6' 3"	195	Junior	Lake Wales, FL	Iona	^[9]
Micah Handlogten	3	C	7' 1"	227	Sophomore	Huntersville, NC	Marshall
Tyrese Samuel	4	F	6' 10"	235	Graduate Student	Montreal, QC	Seton Hall
EJ Jarvis	15	F	6' 8"	220	Graduate Student	Washington, D.C.	Yale
Julian Rishwain	23	G	6' 5"	190	Graduate Student	Los Angeles, CA	San Francisco

2023 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Alex Condon F	Perth, Australia	NBA Global Academy	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	230 lb (100 kg)	Feb 2, 2023
Alex Condon F	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports:
Thomas Haugh F	New Oxford, PA	Perkiomen School	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Jun 29, 2022
Thomas Haugh F	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 79
Overall recruiting rankings:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Florida 2023 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 14, 2023. "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 14, 2023.

Roster

2023–24 Florida Gators men's basketball team

Players

Coaches

Pos.	#	Name	Height	Weight	Year	Previous school	Hometown
G	0	Zyon Pullin	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	206 lb (93 kg)	GS	College Park HS UC Riverside	Pleasant Hill, CA
G	1	Walter Clayton Jr.	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Jr	Bartow HS Iona	Lake Wales, FL
G	2	Riley Kugel	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	207 lb (94 kg)	So	Dr. Phillips HS	Orlando, FL
C	3	Micah Handlogten	7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	So	SouthLake Christian Academy Marshall	Lake Norman, NC
F	4	Tyrese Samuel	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	239 lb (108 kg)	GS	Orangeville Prep Seton Hall	Montreal, QC
G	5	Will Richard	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	206 lb (93 kg)	Jr	Woodward Academy Belmont	Fairburn, GA
F	10	Thomas Haugh	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	Fr	Perkiomen School	New Oxford, PA
G	11	Denzel Aberdeen	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	So	Dr. Phillips HS	Orlando, FL
G	12	Alex Klatsky (W)	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	206 lb (93 kg)	RS Sr	Ranney School	Colts Neck, NJ
F	13	Aleks Szymczyk	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	250 lb (113 kg)	So	Gymnasium München Nord	Frankfurt, Germany
G	20	Jack May (W)	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	RS Jr	Saint Andrew's School	Boca Raton, FL
F/C	21	Alex Condon	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)	230 lb (104 kg)	Fr	NBA Global Academy	Perth, Australia
G	22	Bennett Andersen (W)	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Sr	Jesuit HS	Tampa, FL
G	23	Julian Rishwain	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	GS	Notre Dame HS San Francisco	Los Angeles, CA
G	30	Kajus Kublickas	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	171 lb (78 kg)	Fr	Zalgiris II	Kaunas, Lithuania
G	33	Cooper Josefsberg (W)	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Fr	Riviera Prep	Miami, FL

Head coach

Todd Golden (Saint Mary's)

Assistant coach(es)

Carlin Hartman (Tulane)
Kevin Hovde (Richmond)
Korey McCray (Mercer)

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
(W) Walk-on

Injured
Current redshirt

Roster
Last update: April 2, 2024

Schedule and results

Date time, TV	Rank^#	Opponent^#	Result	Record	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Site (attendance) city, state
Non-conference regular season
November 6, 2023* 8:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+		Loyola (MD)	W 93–73	1–0	23 – Kugel	8 – tied	5 – Clayton Jr.	O'Connell Center (7,023) Gainesville, FL
November 10, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ACCN		vs. Virginia Hall of Fame Series	L 70–73	1–1	16 – Richard	14 – Handlogten	5 – Clayton Jr.	Spectrum Center (6,783) Charlotte, NC
November 14, 2023* 7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+		Florida A&M	W 89–68	2–1	20 – Richard	8 – Samuel	5 – Clayton Jr.	O'Connell Center (6,675) Gainesville, FL
November 17, 2023* 7:00 p.m., SECN		Florida State Rivalry	W 89–68	3–1	19 – Clayton Jr.	10 – Haugh	5 – Clayton Jr.	O'Connell Center (10,031) Gainesville, FL
November 22, 2023* 9:30 p.m., ESPN2		vs. Pittsburgh NIT Season Tip-Off semifinals	W 86–71	4–1	28 – Clayton Jr.	10 – Samuel	8 – Pullin	Barclays Center (1,873) Brooklyn, NY
November 24, 2023* 5:30 p.m., ESPN		vs. No. 13 Baylor NIT Season Tip-Off championship	L 91–95	4–2	25 – Kugel	9 – Kugel	5 – Pullin	Barclays Center (1,620) Brooklyn, NY
November 29, 2023* 7:15 p.m., ESPNU		at Wake Forest ACC–SEC Challenge	L 71–82	4–3	24 – Kugel	8 – Samuel	5 – Pullin	LJVM Coliseum (8,165) Winston-Salem, NC
December 5, 2023* 7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+		Merrimack	W 77–57	5–3	26 – Clayton Jr.	16 – Condon	3 – tied	O'Connell Center (6,813) Gainesville, FL
December 9, 2023* 4:00 p.m., SECN		vs. Richmond Orange Bowl Classic	W 87–76	6–3	21 – Richard	14 – Samuel	6 – Clayton Jr.	Amerant Bank Arena (8,162) Sunrise, FL
December 14, 2023* 7:00 p.m., SECN		vs. East Carolina Florida Tipoff	W 70–65	7–3	22 – Clayton Jr.	12 – Condon	4 – tied	RP Funding Center (3,073) Lakeland, FL
December 19, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN		vs. Michigan Jumpman Invitational	W 106–101 ^2OT	8–3	22 – Pullin	11 – Samuel	5 – Pullin	Spectrum Center (7,027) Charlotte, NC
December 22, 2023* 4:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+		Grambling State	W 96–57	9–3	17 – Richard	10 – Samuel	6 – Pullin	O'Connell Center (8,023) Gainesville, FL
December 30, 2023* 1:00 p.m., ESPNU		Quinnipiac	W 97–72	10–3	22 – Richard	9 – tied	3 – tied	O'Connell Center (9,869) Gainesville, FL
SEC regular season
January 6, 2024 12:30 p.m., ESPN		No. 6 Kentucky Rivalry	L 85–87	10–4 (0–1)	23 – tied	12 – Handlogten	3 – tied	O'Connell Center (10,106) Gainesville, FL
January 10, 2024 9:00 p.m., SECN		at Ole Miss	L 85–103	10–5 (0–2)	23 – Clayton Jr.	15 – Condon	3 – tied	SJB Pavilion (7,570) Oxford, MS
January 13, 2024 4:00 p.m., ESPN		Arkansas	W 90–68	11–5 (1–2)	20 – Kugel	11 – Samuel	8 – Pullin	O'Connell Center (10,445) Gainesville, FL
January 16, 2024 5:00 p.m., ESPN2		at No. 6 Tennessee	L 66–85	11–6 (1–3)	16 – Clayton Jr.	11 – Samuel	4 – Pullin	Thompson–Boling Arena (17,332) Knoxville, TN
January 20, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPNU		at Missouri	W 79–67	12–6 (2–3)	17 – Samuel	12 – Handlogten	3 – tied	Mizzou Arena (11,489) Columbia, MO
January 24, 2024 8:30 p.m., SECN		Mississippi State	W 79–70	13–6 (3–3)	23 – Richard	9 – Richard	3 – Pullin	O'Connell Center (8,484) Gainesville, FL
January 27, 2024 12:00 p.m., ESPN2		Georgia	W 102–98 ^OT	14–6 (4–3)	23 – Handlogten	17 – Handlogten	8 – Pullin	O'Connell Center (10,045) Gainesville, FL
January 31, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPN		at No. 10 Kentucky Rivalry	W 94–91 ^OT	15–6 (5–3)	23 – Clayton Jr.	13 – Samuel	7 – Pullin	Rupp Arena (20,068) Lexington, KY
February 3, 2024 4:00 p.m., ESPN2		at Texas A&M	L 66–67	15–7 (5–4)	18 – Pullin	11 – Condon	8 – Pullin	Reed Arena (11,793) College Station, TX
February 10, 2024 3:30 p.m., SECN		No. 12 Auburn	W 81–65	16–7 (6–4)	22 – Kugel	9 – Handlogten	3 – Pullin	O'Connell Center (10,808) Gainesville, FL
February 13, 2024 8:00 p.m., SECN		LSU	W 82–80	17–7 (7–4)	21 – Clayton Jr.	7 – tied	3 – tied	O'Connell Center (9,007) Gainesville, FL
February 17, 2024 1:00 p.m., SECN		at Georgia	W 88–82	18–7 (8–4)	21 – Clayton Jr.	7 – tied	5 – Pullin	Stegeman Coliseum (10,523) Athens, GA
February 21, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN2	No. 24	at No. 13 Alabama	L 93–98 ^OT	18–8 (8–5)	27 – Clayton Jr.	13 – Handlogten	6 – Pullin	Coleman Coliseum (11,077) Tuscaloosa, AL
February 24, 2024 1:00 p.m., SECN	No. 24	Vanderbilt	W 77–64	19–8 (9–5)	21 – Richard	9 – Condon	6 – Pullin	O'Connell Center (10,358) Gainesville, FL
February 28, 2024 6:30 p.m., SECN	No. 24	Missouri	W 83–74	20–8 (10–5)	28 – Samuel	12 – Handlogten	5 – Clayton Jr.	O'Connell Center (9,072) Gainesville, FL
March 2, 2024 12:00 p.m., ESPN	No. 24	at No. 18 South Carolina	L 76–81	20–9 (10–6)	20 – Clayton Jr.	6 – Haugh	7 – Pullin	Colonial Life Arena (16,978) Columbia, SC
March 5, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN		No. 16 Alabama	W 105–87	21–9 (11–6)	23 – Richard	7 – Haugh	3 – tied	O'Connell Center (11,009) Gainesville, FL
March 9, 2024 4:30 p.m., SECN		at Vanderbilt	L 78–79	21–10 (11–7)	20 – Pullin	8 – Condon	8 – Pullin	Memorial Gymnasium (6,442) Nashville, TN
SEC tournament
March 14, 2024 9:30 p.m., SECN	(6)	vs. (11) Georgia Second round	W 85–80	22–10	22 – Clayton Jr.	15 – Samuel	8 – Pullin	Bridgestone Arena (13,771) Nashville, TN
March 15, 2024 9:30 p.m., SECN	(6)	vs. (3) No. 19 Alabama Quarterfinals	W 102–88	23–10	23 – Clayton Jr.	9 – Haugh	4 – Clayton Jr.	Bridgestone Arena (18,244) Nashville, TN
March 16, 2024 3:30 p.m., ESPN	(6)	vs. (7) Texas A&M Semifinals	W 95–90	24–10	20 – Aberdeen	9 – Condon	5 – tied	Bridgestone Arena (16,499) Nashville, TN
March 17, 2024 1:00 p.m., ESPN	(6)	vs. (4) No. 12 Auburn Championship	L 67–86	24–11	15 – Pullin	7 – tied	13 – Clayton Jr.	Bridgestone Arena (18,532) Nashville, TN
NCAA tournament
March 22, 2024 4:30 p.m., TBS	(7 S)	vs. (10 S) Colorado First round	L 100–102	24–12	33 – Clayton Jr.	9 – Aberdeen	6 – Condon	Gainbridge Fieldhouse (16,702) Indianapolis, IN
*Non-conference game. ^#Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. S=South region. All times are in Eastern.

Source:^[10]

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	Final
AP	RV	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	RV	RV	24	24	RV	RV	RV	RV
Coaches	RV	—	RV	RV	—	—	—	—	—	RV	—	—	—	RV	RV	RV	24	25	RV	23	RV

References

^ Harry, Chris (March 15, 2023). "Knights Rout Gators Out of NIT". Florida Gators. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
^ Flaherty, Kevin (April 14, 2023). "Florida basketball transfer CJ Felder signs with Will Wade, McNeese State". 247sports.com. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
^ @punkinUSN (April 20, 2023). "@GoMocsMBB @JGoldHoops @theflockcha @Cole_Winning" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^ Abolverdi, Zach (June 23, 2023). "Los Angeles Lakers signing Florida forward Alex Fudge". on3.com. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
^ Tresolini, Kevin (April 26, 2023). "For these basketball transfers, coming to Delaware provides a welcomed reunion". delawareonline.com. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
^ Peralta, Matt (July 12, 2023). "Colin Castleton Explains Why He Chose To Sign With Lakers As Undrafted Free Agent Over Getting Drafted". lakersnation.com. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
^ "Transfer Kowacie Reeves Signs Grant-In-Aid With Tech". ramblinwreck.com. April 18, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
^ @JasonJitoboh (April 9, 2023). "Watch this 🙏🏾 #GoTigers" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^ Parler, Denver (June 9, 2023). "Florida Inks Grad Transfer Julian Rishwain". floridagators.com. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
^ "2023-24 Men's Basketball Schedule". Florida Gators. Retrieved April 2, 2024.

[1] Harry, Chris (March 15, 2023). "Knights Rout Gators Out of NIT". Florida Gators. Retrieved October 8, 2024.

[2] Flaherty, Kevin (April 14, 2023). "Florida basketball transfer CJ Felder signs with Will Wade, McNeese State". 247sports.com. Retrieved July 14, 2023.

[3] @punkinUSN (April 20, 2023). "@GoMocsMBB @JGoldHoops @theflockcha @Cole_Winning" (Tweet) – via Twitter.

[4] Abolverdi, Zach (June 23, 2023). "Los Angeles Lakers signing Florida forward Alex Fudge". on3.com. Retrieved July 14, 2023.

[5] Tresolini, Kevin (April 26, 2023). "For these basketball transfers, coming to Delaware provides a welcomed reunion". delawareonline.com. Retrieved July 14, 2023.

[6] Peralta, Matt (July 12, 2023). "Colin Castleton Explains Why He Chose To Sign With Lakers As Undrafted Free Agent Over Getting Drafted". lakersnation.com. Retrieved July 14, 2023.

[7] "Transfer Kowacie Reeves Signs Grant-In-Aid With Tech". ramblinwreck.com. April 18, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2023.

[8] @JasonJitoboh (April 9, 2023). "Watch this 🙏🏾 #GoTigers" (Tweet) – via Twitter.

[9] Parler, Denver (June 9, 2023). "Florida Inks Grad Transfer Julian Rishwain". floridagators.com. Retrieved July 14, 2023.

[10] "2023-24 Men's Basketball Schedule". Florida Gators. Retrieved April 2, 2024.

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