Tuesday, September 28, 2021 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
Share:
By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Don't look now, but the 2021-22 college basketball season has quietly snuck up on us. Florida's season opener (a home date Nov. 9 against Elon) may be six weeks away, but the official start of preseason practice is here.
NCAA offseason rules limit on-court workouts to four hours per week, but Coach Mike Whiteand his revamped staff (new assistants Erik Pastrana and Akeem Miskdeen) and reconfigured roster (seven newcomers) go to full-go, two- and three-hour workouts six days a week, starting Tuesday.
UF returns two starters from a team that went 15-10 last season following the stunning loss of standout forward Keyontae Johnsonin December, and became the only team in the Southeastern Conference to reach a fourth straight NCAA Tournament, where the No. 6-seed Gators were upset in second-round play by 15th-seeded Oral Roberts.
The offseason brought the exit of six players, including guards Tre Mann (first-round pick by Oklahoma City) and Scottie Lewis (second round to Charlotte) heading to the NBA. Four other players, including three-year shooting guard/3-point specialist Noah Locke (Louisville) and backup center/forward Omar Payne (Illinois), opted to transfer. The Gators replaced those outgoing transfers by bringing a quartet of veteran transfers, each of whom boasts a solid resume of production at his previous venue. Put an emphasis on the word "veteran."
Fact: UF is expected to have at least three (maybe four) starters this season who turn 23 before the first game. Some NBA teams can't even say that.
How this altogether different mix of old and new blood — still without Johnson (not cleared to practice) and including a pair of freshmen and one junior-college transfer — meshes, crystalizes and builds culture in the coming weeks will go a long way toward determining the success of the program in Year 7 under White.
Senior forward Keyontae Johnson remains sidelined following his in-season collapse last December in Tallahassee, with all updates on his medical conditioning coming from his family.
Here's a breakdown of personnel based on observations from practice, individual instruction sessions and conditioning workouts, plus some input from staff.
[Disclaimer: All comments are subject to change, once the season starts and minutes are distributed. That's when the rubber soles hit the road, so to speak.]
Where would the Gators have been without the instant-impact production of Castleton last season following his transfer from Michigan? As a Wolverine, the 6-foot-11 post man didn't much, but it was clear from the time he arrived at UF that he was destined for serious minutes because, frankly, he just outworked Payne day in and day out. Castleton, who averaged around two points and two rebounds per game in the Big Ten, jumped to 12.4 points, 6.4 boards and 2.2 blocks (second in the SEC) per game, while shooting 59.7 percent from the floor and an outstanding 78.1 from the free-throw line on his way to second-team all-league honors. After going through the NBA underclassmen process in the offseason, Castleton returned with an understanding he needs to get stronger, quicker and move active inside, and also show the pros he can shoot from the outside after taking just one 3-pointer last season. There's a fine line between doing those things within the system and playing to impress the scouts and both the Gators and Castleton need to make sure they don't trip over that line. That said, the offense figures to run through their talented big man, with some add actions with Castleton working from the top of the key.
After sitting out the '19-20 season upon transferring from Cleveland State, Appleby found the going in the SEC a little different than what he faced in the Horizon League. No surprise there, but the 6-1 bug of a point guard will be the first to say he needs to do a lot of things better this season as UF's No. 1 floor general, what with Mann now in the NBA. First off: assist to turnover ratio. Appleby, whose 3.3 assists per game ranked 15th in the league, had 82 assists and 72 turnovers last season, with many of the latter occurring while trying to make things happen (dribbling through double teams, for example) when simpler plays were the better decision. He needs to be a less high-risk/high-reward and more about making the clean/correct play. In many ways, Appleby was a microcosm of last season's Florida team. The Gators, frankly, were a poor passing team (especially on the perimeter), finishing next to last in the SEC in assists, with 65 more turnovers than dimes. Appleby (11.3 points, 3.1 rebounds per game) has speed to make the offense go, assuming he gets the green light, and might need to be a little more selective when driving to the basket and trying to scorer on bigger defenders. He shot 41.3 percent for the season, including 34.9 from the 3-point line (versus 38.9 at CSU). His 29 makes from the arc ranked third on the team and are by far the most among returnees.
From the time he got on campus, McKissic, the fifth-year guard from Missouri-Kansas City, has had the look of a guy who not only will have a huge role in what the Gators do this season, but a significant voice as well (on the floor and off). At MKC, McKissic was the 2021 Summit League Defensive Player of the Year in a season he averaged 17.2 points (on 54.2 percent from the floor and nearly 43 percent from deep), 2.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He is neither a point guard nor a creator. He does have the power to get into the lane and make something happen and the strength to finish in traffic. On the other end, he is is a defensive menace who will create on-ball havoc the Gators hope can be converted into transition opportunities. At 6-3 and a sturdy 200 pounds, McKissic has the physique of free safety and will body ball-handlers up like one (within the rules, of course). Though slowed by a sore ankle the last couple weeks, McKissic will be cleared for the start of practice and intends to set an infectious defensive tone with his teammates.
This superlative, frankly, wasn't close. Jones led Penn State in scoring last season at 15.3 points per game (16.8 in conference play, which ranked eighth in the league) and brings sniper potential from distance. He shot 37.6 percent from the arc in his three seasons with the Nittany Lions, including a combined 39.8 percent on 291 attempts his last two in the rugged Big Ten, where he received honorable mention accolades in '20 and '21. The 6-3, 175-pounder is not a guy who's going to create his own shot or get particularly crafty with the ball, but he knows how to move without the ball and locate the open spots on the perimeter. Jones also knows how to find open teammates, especially in pick-and-roll situations, which should please Castleton, a very good cutter and finisher, to no one. Passing from the two-guard spot is something the Gators have struggled with of late, with Locke, for example, carding just 60 assists in 92 games the last three seasons. Jones should be another reason why the team's passing will be one of its most improvement elements this season.
With Lewis in NBA camp and Johnson still sidelined, there can be no more debate about the team's most athletic player. The 6-7, 210-pound Duruji is the runaway here, but the Gators need him to use that elite athleticism to make more basketball plays; and that doesn't necessarily mean baskets, obviously. When you can run and jump like Duruji, and do your thing around the basket, the ball tends to find you. That's what the Gators need from this fifth-year senior who during the offseason both graduated and got married. Duruji inherited the "4" spot made vacant last season by Johnson, which put a lot on his plate. There was no way he was going to provide Johnson-type productivity and might have put too much pressure on himself to do too much. Duruji went on to start 17 games, averaging 6.1 points and 4.4 rebounds. He shot just shy of 44 percent from the floor and just over 26 from deep. He also led the team in fouls, despite being fifth in minutes. The best thing that could happen for Duruji would be to have some early success doing what he does best, namely jumping over and around people, and finding his groove. As the Gators figure out roles during the preseason (and into the regular season), it's likely Duruji will find his way to the "5" position in some small-ball lineups that may come about when Castleton is in foul trouble or needs a rest.
Certainly one of the most intriguing newcomers on the roster. Fleming, the 6-5, 205-pound fifth-year wing, was a stat-stuffer in his four seasons at Charleston Southern and was the best player on some teams that either weren't very good or were decimated with injuries. At times, Fleming was one-man show — a volume shooter and ball-occupier — on his way to scoring 1,510 points, grabbing 645 rebounds and twice being named Defensive Player of the Year in the Big South. He was a two-time first-team All-Big South selection and last year averaged 20.1 points and 7.4 rebounds, while leading the team in steals (33). Fleming is not a pure outside shooter, but will attack the basket and give himself better looks (50.1 percent from 2 vs. 30.4 from 3 for his career), but those looks will be far different in the SEC against bigger bodies athletic as his. Fleming has a chance to start at the "3," but more likely looms as a first-off-the-bench energy guy who can impact the game on both ends (from two or three different spots), assuming he brings the kind of energy of which he's capable. There's a big difference for a player who averaged nearly 32 minutes during his four seasons at CSU. How will he handle it? The same question, of course, will apply to his three fellow-transfers, each of who can count on playng less minutes here. The Gators love Fleming's attitude and tenacity. And let's face it: If he can bring a similar defensive mentality (where defense — and rebounding down — turns into offense), he'll will be on the court aplenty.
The 6-7, 230-pound junior forward was the first to announce his transfer to UF, coming by way of Boston College, where he averaged 7.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks over 50 games the last two seasons. In '20-21, Felder finished second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in blocks per game in league play. He's long and strong down low, but not a classic "4" or "5" man relative to height. There's still some rawness to his game, but his athleticism and explosiveness off the floor (much like Duruji) will allow him to bounce around and mix it up inside. Offensively, his shot is not a strength, and Felder has put in the work to try and improve on his 26.7-career marksmanship from deep (31.4 last season). He will have his moments on that end, however, evidenced by a 24-point performance at Duke last season as well as a 17-point, 14-rebound line in a game against Wake Forest. For his career, Felder has 13 double-figure scoring games, three double-figure rebound games. In one game against Miami, he had 10 points, eight rebounds, five blocks, three assists and two steals. Who wouldn't take that?
He's done everything in his power to put himself in position not just to contribute this season, but to be a factor. We'll see exactly what that means for Jitoboh when the lights come on. That's because White and his staff have very little on tape to warrant a trust in the 6-11 center, so now it's a matter of taking a leap of faith. To backtrack, Jitoboh arrived at UF two years ago as a 330-pound freshman. He worked hard to get down around 290, but COVID hit and removed Jitoboh from his UF support system. He was around 340 last summer and then had to undergo foot surgery in October, so he basically was rendered useless for the season. Jitoboh stayed in town the entire offseason, worked out daily — he practiced more the last four months than the entire '20-21 season — and now is back around that 290 marker and doing things in conditioning (finishing sprints; not all, but more than ever before) and has put himself in position to be a viable backup to Castleton. Jitoboh possesses one of the highest basketball IQs on the team. He knows his job on each possession, as well everyone else's. After two seasons with combined averages of 1.1 point, 1.5 rebounds and 5.4 minutes (with 23 DNPs), there should be a role of Jitoboh in his junior year.
Let it be known that Lane, the long and lanky sophomore guard, put in the work during the offseason. He was one of three players (along with Jitoboh and Appleby) who stayed in town to train on the floor and in the weight room. In doing so, Lane has put himself in position to contribute more than the 15 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals he totaled in 14 games as a freshman last season (of those numbers, six points and five boards came in the win over Tennessee). What that means for this season remains to be seen, considering the Gators brought in three transfers with a combined 288 games of experience to play on the perimeter. When Lane does get his opportunity, can he be consistent beyond his doggedness on defense? Lane has made strides with his physique, not to mention terrific strides with his commitment to the program, and thus believes he warrants a serious look from his coaches.
Nobody has been in the gym to get up shots as much as Reeves, since he arrived on campus for Summer "B." No one -- and it's not even close (everyone in the building knows it, too). Reeves, the freshman wing from Macon, Ga., was considered a top-40 prospect and among the best half-dozen shooting guard prospects in the country. The lone freshman to sign early with UF, Reeves averaged 27.0 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, and was runner-up for Georgia "Mr. Basketball" honors. The 6-6, 185-pounder has had to reign in the volume-shooting approach that made him a prep star, but go ahead and put Reeves in the stack of perimeter players the Gators will have to keep happy relative to minutes. If Reeves, somehow, puts himself in position to play a lot he'll need to fight through some conditioning issues, but that is often part of the deal for a freshman.
Late roster additions Elijah Kennedy (top) and "Toun" Gatkek (bottom)
Development year. That should be the buzz phrase (and goal) attached to these two summer signees. Kennedy, the Class 5A Virginia Player of the Year, figured to be a much-sought guard for the Class of '22, but took a visit to UF and liked the situation so much he decided to reclassify to '21. Now he's a Gator at the age of 17. Kennedy is a 6-3, 185-pound lefty-shooting two-guard — he went for 37, with nine 3s in a state tournament game as a junior last spring — who will get most of his practice reps with the scout team this year. Ditto Gatkek, the transfer from Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College, where the 6-9 and railish-thin 172-pounder averaged 10 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks for a team that went 23-3 and reached the national junior college tournament. Gatkek, who goes by "Tuon" (pronounced "Toon") runs the floor like a greyhound and is pretty impressive moving laterally, as well. He is a longgggggggg way, however, from being ready for the physical low-post demands (in both the upper and lower body) of the SEC, meaning the Gators will have to make due with their limited size resources up front without expecting much help from their newest add-on. Repeat: Development year.
Both of these guys epitomize the character, context and understanding of how the consummate walk-on can help their team. Last year, White's frustrations with his defense in a game at Tennessee compelled him to insert Klatsky, the 6-4 guard with a nice shooting touch, on the road at Tennessee. In his one possession, Klatsky made a steal. May, a 6-4 wing, is the son of former UF associate head coach Dusty May, now head coach at Florida Atlantic. He's where he needs to be all the time.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Don't look now, but the 2021-22 college basketball season has quietly snuck up on us. Florida's season opener (a home date Nov. 9 against Elon) may be six weeks away, but the official start of preseason practice is here. 
