Florida Basketball will revolve around Jalen Hudson in 2018-19 as they look to replace the irreplaceable Chris Chiozza.
Jalen Hudson has big shoes to fill.
Yes, Hudson finished last season as the Florida Gators’ leading scorer. That distinction alone suggests that he was the team’s most important player last year.
Limiting Chris Chiozza‘s impact on his ability to score is putting him in too tight a box, though.
He was the heart and soul of the Gators, the person who willed the team to victories, most memorably in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. He led the SEC in assist-to-turnover ratio during his senior season. The conference duly recognized him as worthy of First Team All-SEC honors.
Now, he’s gone.
Still, some would say the Gators fell short of expectations in 2017-18. They opened the season as a top ten outfit, but fell out of favor after a three-game losing streak, including a home loss to Loyola-Chicago (which doesn’t look so bad in retrospect).
Florida fell to Texas Tech in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament, unceremoniously ending their season.
With lower expectations in 2018-19, the Gators look poised to reclaim their narrative.
Second-leading scorer Egor Koulechov also saw his eligibility expire after the season. KeVaughn Allen, however, did not. He took a step back last year, averaging career-lows in points per game and field goal percentage. He’ll look to redeem himself during his senior year.
A strong recruiting class is also incoming. Combo guard Noah Locke should provide an instant threat on the perimeter, small forward Keyontae Johnson could contribute on both ends, and point guard Andrew Nembhard will earn the starting role, sooner rather than later.
Everything revolves around Hudson, though.
The NBA prospect
after entering his name to return for his senior season in Gainesville. His path to this year was circuitous after starting his collegiate career at Virginia Tech.
He was as good as advertised during his first season with Florida, though, and will push to be one of the top scorers in the conference.
Next: Breakdown of Florida's 2018 recruiting class
The Gators will need him to be that and more to contend for SEC glory.