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Florida Basketball: Gators find lead guard for 2022-23 in transfer Kyle Lofton

By Tristan Freeman

Nov 18, 2021; Charleston, South Carolina, USA; St. Bonaventure Bonnies guard Kyle Lofton (0) shoots the second of two technical foul shots against the Boise State Broncos at TD Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 18, 2021; Charleston, South Carolina, USA; St. Bonaventure Bonnies guard Kyle Lofton (0) shoots the second of two technical foul shots against the Boise State Broncos at TD Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports /
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New head coach Todd Golden and Florida Basketball got some more good news this offseason, landing quality point guard transfer Kyle Lofton.

After undergoing a coaching change that ended up with San Francisco head coach Todd Golden replacing Mike White, Florida Basketball has gone through almost a complete roster overhaul. The frontcourt was fine once All-SEC center Collin Castleton decided to come back for a 5th year, giving the team a go-to option on offense.

But the backcourt was what needed work. The team already was going to lose departing seniors,  Phlandrous Fleming and Brandon McKissic. Yet the departure of starting point guard Tyree Appleby to the transfer portal left a big hole at the lead guard spot.

The team did land a pair of mid-major transfer guards in Trey Bonham (13.6 ppg and 4.0 apg at VMI) and Will Richard (12.1 ppg and 6.0 rpg at Belmont) but still needed a ball-handled capable of leading an offense at the SEC level.

https://twitter.com/GatorsMBK/status/1525100339556491264

This latest pickup for the Gators is arguably their best yet in Kyle Lofton. He’s a rare four-year starter with 116 games started at Saint Bonaventure. The 6’3 playmaker was a double-digit scorer in each season with career averages of 13.9 ppg and 5.2 apg. Considering that he was part of a starting lineup with five double-digit scorers, Lofton’s scoring production should be viewed as impressive overall. He’s more than capable of going for 20+ points in any game and is one of the better passers among the top conferences in college basketball.

The Atlantic 10 is a smaller league than the SEC but Lofton will be more than capable of starting and producing at that level. He brings plenty of talent and experience to the Gators on a roster that’s ready to win now. And Lofton’s new team in Florida looks similar to the one he’s left at Saint Bonaventure, particularly with a star center in Castleton compared to Osun Osunniyi of the Bonnies.

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The market for quality point guards in the transfer portal was fairly steep this offseason so after losing Appleby, landing Lofton in May was a big move for Florida Basketball. What started as a potential rebuilding effort for the program over a month ago is now looking like a team that can compete for an NCAA Tournament berth. And assuming he transitions well to the SEC level, Kyle Lofton will be a big part of the team’s potential success.

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