Todd Golden and the Florida Gators men's basketball program made its first roster move in nearly two months, filling its final scholarship slot with a high-upside guard from Sacramento State.
Alex Kovatchev, a Perth, Australia native, becomes the fourth backcourt portal addition by the Gators this offseason, joining Boogie Fland, Xaivian Lee, and AJ Brown.
Kovatchev played in just four games in 2024-25 after sustaining an undisclosed injury. He started in all four appearances, averaging 8.5 points and 5.0 rebounds across 25.2 minutes.
Considering he'll likely receive a medical redshirt for last season, Kovatchev should have three years of eligibility remaining.
He will reunite with Alex Condon, as the pair played together for Western Australia in the U20 Australian Junior National Championship, where they took first place.
Kovatchev averaged 14.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game during the U20 tournament. He scored 20 or more points three times in eight games at the event.
He's best suited to be an off-ball guard, and at 6-foot-5, he's an excellent positional rebounder. As a freshman, Kovatchev averaged 5.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists across 22.9 minutes per game. He made 12 starts in 33 appearances.
However, Kovatchev has some weaknesses that may prevent him from making a significant impact during his first season in Gainesville. He's a career 28.6 percent three-point shooter and over half of his field goal attempts with the Hornets came from beyond the arc. While his jump shot shouldn't need a full rework, Kovatchev's 55.2 percent free-throw percentage doesn't inspire much confidence that his three-point numbers will improve.
He also had more turnovers than assists with Sacramento State.
Considered more of a project piece than an instant contributor, Kovatchev's physical traits and positional size make him an intriguing long-term option -- and one that Florida could need soon, considering Lee is in his final year of eligibility and Fland could declare for the 2026 NBA Draft.