Florida basketball: Statistical surprises for the Gators through 13 games
By Will Thomas
![Dec 30, 2023; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators forward Tyrese Samuel (4) attempts a dunk Dec 30, 2023; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators forward Tyrese Samuel (4) attempts a dunk](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3499,h_1968,x_0,y_110/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/213/01hk5e41enw45gfmketv.jpg)
Florida basketball is 10-3 through 13 games and is among the "Last Four In" in many early season bracket projections as they get ready for conference play.
Todd Golden seems to have a legit team on his hands, and they're playing at a higher level than we've seen from the Gators over the past few seasons.
As Florida gets ready for their SEC schedule, we take a look at some of the statistical surprises that we've seen from the Gators so far.
Florida basketball: Tyrese Samuel's offensive production
When Samuel transferred in from Seton Hall this offseason, he was figured to be a defensive presense, while fellow forward transfer EJ Jarvis from Yale would be a scorer.
But then Jarvis had to retire from basketball, leaving Tyrese to try and fill both offensive and defensive roles down low in the 4.
And to the delight of Todd Golden and Gator fans, he has done exceptionally well on both sides. There were never doubts about his defense, but the way he's scored has been a pleasant surprise.
Samual is putting up 14.3 points per game, which is second on the team, on 64.6% from the field. His consistent scoring while playing 27.5 minutes per game has been impressive, and something that the Gators will need to continue if they want to make a push in the SEC.