Florida Basketball: 2023-24 season preview for the Gators

Season Outlook

Looking at the pieces assembled by Golden and this coaching staff gives us plenty of reason for optimism in Gainesville. Obviously things will be very different with Castelton gone, and there’s a lot of other talent that walked out the door at the end of last season. They didn’t sit on their hands and we’ve seen the names of the players that could turn things around for Florida.

The Gators have four legitimate starters in the backcourt, meaning a really talented player will always be available off the bench. Clayton and Pullin are two incredibly talented guards to add into this system and they’ll certainly do significant damage if they adjust to life in the SEC.

We’ve talked a lot about Castleton, but this is the final note. They’re filling the frontcourt with Samuel, who should thrive on both sides of the court, while Handlogten could become a menace on the defensive end, especially as a shot blocker.

We don’t know exactly what we’ll get from some of the freshmen and other young pieces and maybe that’s an issue for the Gators. However, they can win games with their six starter-quality players and see how the frontcourt develops, especially if someone like Rishwain turns in a productive campaign.

Expect sparks from Florida’s defense this year and an offense that will be much more productive than last season. We’re not saying the Gators are suddenly going to shoot the cover off the ball, but it’ll be a much better product than recent seasons. Florida could certainly compete with some of the top teams in the SEC this season if everything goes right; is a significant bounce back in order for a program that’s been floundering a bit for the last half decade?