Since the turn of the century, Florida Basketball has been in a bit of a golden age. The Gators have gone to the Final Four five times, been to the national title game four times, and have won the national title three times, including this past season.
That makes choosing a roster of Florida's best players over the past 25 years a near impossible task and there are going to be some great players who don't make the cut.
With that in mind, here is the Quarter Century Team for the Florida Gators
Pick A Point Guard For The Gators Is Impossible
Starter: Nick Calathes (2007-2009) Career Averages: 16.3 points, 6.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals
Bench: Walter Clayton (2023-2025) Career Averages: 17.9 points, 3.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 1.1 steals
Honorable Mention: Taurean Green (2004-2007): Career Averages: 10.6 points, 3.6 assists, 2.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals
Talk about tough decisions. All three of these players did incredible things for the University of Florida. Green ran the show for Florida's back-to-back championship teams in the mid-2000's, Clayton put the Gators on his back during the 2025 NCAA Tournament run and Calathes was utterly unstoppable.
I give Calathes the nod due to the monstrous statistical output. He was ahead of his time, a 6-foot-6 triple-double threat playing the point and launching three-pointers. He was a 2x All-SEC selection as a freshman and a sophomore before heading to the NBA. He's now viewed as one of the best point guards in EuroLeague history. Clayton is one of two players on this team to be a consensus All-American -- he earned the honor last season after scoring a Florida-record 713 points on the year -- but I won't let recency bias influence this team. Clayton's great as a starting point guard, but imagine him as a flamethrower sixth man. Calathes' game is more well-rounded and is a better fit for this star-studded starting five.
Shooting Guard
Starter: Kenny Boynton (2009-2013): Career Averages: 14.0 points, 2.7 assists, 2.4 rebounds
Bench: Anthony Roberson (2002-2005): Career Averages: 15.8 points, 2.6 assists, 2.5 rebounds
Honorable Mention: Bradley Beal (2012): 14.8 points, 2.2 assists, 6.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals
I think we, as a society, are coming around to appreciate players who dedicate four full seasons to one program. It's for that reason I give Boynton the nod at the shooting guard spot. Boynton was a critical piece for the Gators from the moment he stepped on campus, starting in 142 of his 145 appearances over four years. A 3x All-SEC player who averaged 12 or more points in every season, Boynton deserves a spot with the ones. Roberson vs Beal was another tough call but, once again, I'll give the longer-tenured Gator the benefit of the doubt. Beal was a one-and-done, and Roberson gave Florida two exceptional seasons.
Small Forward
Starter: Corey Brewer (2005-2007) Career Averages: 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.6 steals
Bench: Matt Walsh (2002-2005) Career Averages: 14.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals
Honorable Mention: Keyontae Johnson (2018-2022) Career Averages: 11.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.1 steals
If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm focusing this list purely on individual achievements, otherwise I'd just have the 06/07 core start at each position. Yet, I'm gonna give the nod here to Corey Brewer. Brewer and Walsh had similar statistical outputs over their respective three-year careers, but Brewer did his in three fewer minutes per game. Plus, Brewers won 2007 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player after averaging 15.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game during the event.
Power Forward
Starter: Matt Bonner (1999-2003) Career Averages: 14.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 41.2 3Pt%
Bench: Al Horford (2004-2003) Career Averages: 10.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.7 blocks
Honorable Mention: David Lee (2001-2005) Career Averages 11.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists
I went back and forth on Horford and Bonner for a while, and it ultimately came down to one question: what do I value more, three-point shooting or rim protection. I leaned toward the three-point shooting four-man here. It's also worth noting Bonner's freshman year stats are dropped since they came in the 1999-2000 season. There is no wrong answer between these two legendary Gators, but I gotta go with Bonner.
Center
Starter: Joakim Noah (2004-2007) Career Averages: 10.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.7 blocks, 0.9 steals
Bench: Colin Castleton (2020-2023) Career Averages: 14.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 2.5 blocks
Honorable Mention: Udonis Haslam (1998-2002) Career Averages: 16.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 blocks
Noah's overall numbers are dragged down by his 3.5-point, 2.5-rebound averages as a reserve in his freshman season, He was a two-way force during both of Florida's championship runs and earned second-team All-America honors as a junior. He's a career 61.7 percent field goal shooter. Castleton may have exceeded Noah's defensive presence, but there's no replicating Noah's sheer dominance.