35. Ole Miss

36. USC Trojans

37. Grand Canyon Lopes

38. Providence Friars

39. Mississippi State Bulldogs

40. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

41. Memphis Tigers

42. McNeese Cowboys

43. Michigan State Spartans

44. Michigan Wolverines

45. VCU Rams

46. Dayton Flyers

47. St Mary’s Gaels

48. Washington Huskies

49. UCF Knights

50. Louisville Cardinals

51. Boise State Broncos

52. Clemson Tigers

53. New Mexico Lobos

54. Arizona State Sun Devils

55. Utah State Aggies

56. Colorado State Rams

57. Seton Hall Pirates

58. SMU Mustangs

59. South Carolina Gamecocks

60. Nevada Wolfpack

61. TCU Horned Frogs

62. Villanova Wildcats

63. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

64. Saint Louis Billikens

65. Syracuse Orange

66. Nebraska Cornhuskers

67. Pittsburgh Panthers

68. Iowa Hawkeyes

69. NC State Wolfpack

70. Butler Bulldogs

71. Princeton Tigers

72. Virginia Cavaliers

73. Saint Joseph’s Hawks

74. Oklahoma Sooners

75. West Virginia Mountaineers

76. Georgia Bulldogs

77. UAB Blazers

78: Wisconsin Badgers

79. San Diego State Aztecs

80. Missouri Tigers

81. Northwestern Wildcats

82. Loyola Chicago Ramblers

Here’s where each of our analysts have the Gators ranked:

Steven	Maxwell	Kam	Cody
27	44	17	40

This year could be an opportunity for Todd Golden’s Gators to take the next step on the journey back to NCAA glory. Golden got the monkey off his back last year after failing to qualify for the tournament in his first season at the helm. Still, the Gators were heartbreakingly ousted in the first round by a talented Colorado squad boasting 3 NBA draft picks. Tourney appearances haven’t been an issue for the Gators; instead, it’s been a lack of recent success, which plagued Golden’s predecessor Mike White, who failed to reach the Sweet 16 in 4 consecutive tournament appearances before departing for Georgia. The good news for Golden is that this roster can accomplish significantly more and has the talent and depth to cause real problems in both the SEC and the landscape of college basketball.

Let’s start with the returners: despite losing Riley Kugel to the transfer portal over the offseason, the Gators managed to keep their starting lineup mostly intact. Walter Clayton was phenomenal last year after making the jump from Iona. He returns to Florida coming off a season where he averaged 17.6 points per game and should have plenty of help, given the return of his backcourt mate and double-digit scorer, Will Richard. I expect Clayton and Richard to take another step forward as a backcourt duo and be instrumental in advancing the Gators’ development. Off the bench, some potential spot minutes could be up for grabs. Transfer Alijah Martin will likely take over a majority of the 3rd guard reps. Martin has been a Florida Atlantic standout for the past couple of seasons and played a key role on the squad that made a final four just two seasons ago. After Martin, it becomes a bit of a tossup. International recruits, such as sophomore Kajus Kublickas or freshman Urban Klavzar, are potential options, although Kublickas needs to take a leap to see rotation minutes. Denzel Aberdeen and Kevin Pazmino, the latter being a walk-on from Santa Fe College, are another pair of intriguing options should Golden see the need to go deep into his bench. 

While the top end of the backcourt is undoubtedly exciting, Golden has also done an excellent job rounding out the frontcourt with size and depth to pair with his talented, experienced guards. Although Marshall transfer Micah Handlogten may not have packed a scoring punch last season, his ability to dominate the boards on both ends at 7’1  and be a menace defensively on the interior pair perfectly with the high volume shooting in the backcourt. Add in former Washington State standout Ruben Chinyelu (6’10), Serbian freshman Viktor Mikic (6’11), and an absolute behemoth in 7’9 (yes, you read that right) Olivier Roux and the Gators are absolutely loaded at the center position. Given the current pedigree of Chinyelu and Handlogten, unless the Gators decide to run multiple centers at the same time, it’s unlikely we really see either of the other two at the position.

Rounding out the Gators roster is a pair of talented forwards. Alex Condon made his mark as a shot blocker and another great rebounder who, given his near 30% 3-point percentage during his freshman season, could potentially be paired alongside Handlogten or Chinyelu if he is able to progress in that area. Otherwise, he adds even more size to this massive Florida frontcourt, which is going to provide many opportunities for Clayton and Richard to get extra looks. Last but not least, there’s Sam Alexis, who will likely round out the rotation, potentially as a starter, depending on whether or not they decide to run three guards or if he beats out Condon. Alexis is a Chattanooga transfer who averaged a near double-double last season and will be able to provide some efficiency around the rim and even more rebounding.

This Gators team is for real. They have so many bodies in the frontcourt that they can continually run out of fresh legs to continue attacking the boards. They have some real experience they can rely on, including a player who has made a deep tourney run in the locker room with Martin. Most importantly, they boast one of the best-returning backcourts in the country. This combination of talent and continuity should get Golden and his Gators to the next level. It’s going to be a dogfight in the SEC this year, but Golden’s Gators are ready to make a splash.