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Florida Basketball: Who is the Gators’ most important player in 2017-18?

By Taylor Sturm

GAINESVILLE, FL - JANUARY 19: Head coach Mike White of the Florida Gators gestures during the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on January 19, 2016 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FL - JANUARY 19: Head coach Mike White of the Florida Gators gestures during the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on January 19, 2016 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images) /
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Florida Basketball heads into next season after a fantastic 2017 NCAA Tournament run, but who will be the key to the Gators’ 2017-18 campaign?

The Florida Gators flew under the radar last season but had massive success in the 2017 NCAA Tournament and head into the 2017-18 season ready to improve.

Several key players are gone which will hinder their chances of bettering their record from a season ago, but this is a solid NCAA Tournament team with the potential to win the SEC.

However, which player will be the most important for the Gators next season?

The key player for Florida is pretty obviously KeVaughn Allen.

A 6’2, 183-pound guard from Arkansas, Allen led the team-focused Gators in scoring at 14 points per game and should improve on that number drastically, as the second, third, and fourth scorers are no longer on the team.

Allen was ranked by DraftExpress as one of the top 10 NBA prospects for 2017. He remains a top 10 prospect in my opinion for 2018 even with the arrival of so many talented players on teams like Kentucky and Missouri. He could solidify a spot in the NBA Draft with a good showing this season, and I think he will do just that.

Allen will lead this team in scoring once again as Florida finishes close to the top of the SEC and makes it to the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

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While this team is not a National Championship contender on paper like the Gators’ team last season, Allen could legitimately carry this team to a deep run in March that could end up finishing somewhere in the Sweet 16 – or further.

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