Could the Florida Gators hoops team make a run this year?

With the arrival of Todd Golden, there is a new sense of energy and optimism around the Florida Gators basketball program.

With the addition of transfers like Kyle Lofton, Will Richard, and Trey Bonham, as well as the returning talent of Colin Castleton, Kowacie Reeves, and Niels Lane, the Gators have more than enough talent to be a force in the SEC, and make some noise when March rolls around.

Even though football season is close, it’s never a bad time to start speculating about basketball season.

So just how good can the Gators be this year?

Talent is not a question

Like I said earlier, the Florida Gators are stacked. Castleton is one of the premier big guys in the SEC, Reeves is an elite playmaker and shot maker, and Lofton and Bonham bring veteran guard experience to a team that desperately needed it. Will Richard has proven to be a consistent scorer as well, taking some pressure off of the stars to always perform.

UF has plenty of depth also. Myreon Jones and Niels Lane are guys that were here last year, and both have proven value coming off the bench: Jones as a shooter and Lane as a defender.

LSU transfer Alex Fudge is going to be a key piece off the bench. At 6’8”, he’s an awesome big man to back up Castleton. He only had limited minutes during his freshman year, but with more time to develop and Castleton to learn under, he’ll be a great asset in Gainesville.

The attitude is much better

In the past, under a certain head coach who will remain nameless, Gator fans knew what they had: a decent team who may win 1 or 2 big games a year, but was just not be able to take the next step.

That seems different under Golden. Sometimes all it takes for a team to get over the edge is for their fans to believe in them, which they will (or at least should) have this year.

The reports out of Gainesville thus far also point to Golden’s system being much more focused and high energy, which will undoubtedly lead to a better product on the court.

So, can they make a run?

Absolutely.

It’s college basketball. Anybody can pop out of nowhere and make a run, especially in March.

Do I think the Gators are going to come out and win the regular season SEC title? Not necessarily. But they could absolutely finish top 5, maybe even top 3 in the conference.

And in the SEC tournament, they could make a run at the title.

They also have the key that some talented teams lack when the season gets to March: Experience.

This mainly comes from the transfer guards mentioned earlier. But Colin Castleton has also been around the game for a long time, and Kowacie Reeves has already shown he’s not afraid of the big moment.

Remember when the Duke team with Zion, RJ Barrett, and Cam Reddish lost to Michigan St a few years back? Experience was the biggest difference between those 2, and the older Spartans came out on top despite Duke having more talent.

The experience combined with talent will make the Gators one of the better teams in the SEC, and maybe in the nation.

Not to mention Todd Golden’s analytical approach to the game, which will ensure that UF has their best guys on the court doing all the right things when it matters most.

Keep up with the Florida Gators here.