The transfer portal season is well underway and while the Gators were able to get some quality pieces early they still have scholarships available and holes to fill on their roster. Key pieces like Riley Kugel, Walter Clayton, and Will Richard are in place and Florida might not need another marquee starter, but there are still roles to fill–mainly on the perimeter.
With the remaining scholarships it’s likely that the Gators will focus on backcourt players as they could use some depth when it comes to ball handlers. Riley Kugel will have the ball in his hands a ton and wants to showcase passing and playmaking ability, and Walter Clayton is capable of playing point guard–though he’s best away from the ball where he can be lethal as a floor spacer. For that reason it’s ball handling that is at the top of Florida’s list, especially since the frontcourt is pretty well established.
In order to see who the Gators could pursue, here is a list of some of the best guards and wings that remain in the transfer portal. The list will not be exhaustive, and it’s possible the Gators already have contacted several of the players on the list, with some showing interest and some already saying no–though you never know when players could change their minds as the landscape shifts.
RayJ Dennis
Toledo
RayJ Dennis is an electric 6’2” guard who averaged 19.6 points per game last season in the MAC, making him one of the most sought-after targets in the portal. It’s unknown if the Gators were one of the teams to make a run at him, but they have never been mentioned as in the mix. Illinois was said to be the heavy favorite, though that has changed recently meaning he could be open to a new option. In addition to his 19.6 points per game he also posted 5.8 assists, making him the all-around productive point guard that any team in the country would love.
Zyon Pullin
UC Riverside
In a lot of ways, Pullin is exactly what the Gators are looking for. The high usage 6’4″ guard averaged 18.3 points and 4.2 assists as a lead guard who could play both on and off the ball–using dribble combinations in isolation to get to the hoop or a 39% three-point stroke to knock down shots off the catch. The Big West isn’t a league that has done well when it comes to producing transfers that work in the top leagues in the country, but Pullin looks different. He’s got translatable skills, size, and length, and he should be a top target of the Gators if they haven’t already been recruiting him.
Tyrin Lawrence
Vanderbilt
This will be a familiar name to Florida fans after he put up a smooth 13 points and 7 rebounds while the Commodores blasted the Gators this past season. The 6’4”, 200 pound guard averaged 13.1 points per game last season and while he wouldn’t be considered a point guard he’s a proven commodity in the SEC who is looking for a bigger stage. Lawrence entered the NBA Draft while maintaining his eligibility in order to see if any teams are interested but he is expected to return to college. Since entering the portal, Lawrence has been one of the most sought-after targets.
Caleb Love
North Carolina
Known as a boom or bust scorer there were times that Love was considered one of the most dangerous offensive players in the country–as well as times that he was the punchline of jokes related to his shot selection. While he wasn’t always efficient he did score 16.7 points per game at North Carolina and it’s not often you see that kind of proven high major production in the portal. Love did commit to Michigan but had to decommit due to academic issues which could likely disqualify him from Florida consideration if the Gators were interested.
David Jones
St. John’s
Speaking of proven high major production, Jones put up 13.2 points and 1.6 assists for St. John’s last season as a long 6’6” wing. Florida would likely rather grab a player with some ball handling ability but you can never have enough length on the perimeter–though it could be difficult to sell Jones on a backup role. Jones’ career 28% from the three-point line also won’t be something that excites Florida fans coming off a year where they struggled mightily to hit the three and are hoping to improve.
Kruz Perrott-Hunt
South Dakota
In the search to improve their three-point shooting the Gators have likely looked at Kruz Perrott-Hunt who hit 42% from three last season at South Dakota. The 6’3” New Zealand native might be known mostly for his three-point shooting but he also provides some juice off the dribble scoring in a number of ways to get to 14.3 points per game. There would be defensive questions about his translation to the high major level and Summit League transfers don’t have a great track record when it comes to moving up to the highest level of the sport but the Gators wouldn’t want Perrott-Hunt to over extend himself–he’d be a pure scoring option off the bench.
D’Marco Dunn
North Carolina
At this point of the transfer portal cycle there aren’t a ton of established players that are proven slam dunks at the high major level so some teams will look to take a gamble on players like D’Marco Dunn. Dunn was the 90th ranked player in the class of 2021 and was known as a big time athlete at 6’4” who could dominate on the defensive end. Unfortunately for Dunn the fit at North Carolina hasn’t been great and he played just 10 minutes per game last season bringing physicality and perimeter defense, but being limited by an offensive game that is yet to develop. Given the different targets available there is a chance that the Gators look for former quality recruits that are in need of a change of scenery, and it’s possible they could talk themselves into a wing like Dunn.
Jaylen Murray
St. Peter’s
This is the one player on the list that has confirmed interest from Florida, and Murray has booked an official visit to Florida for the end of the month. Murray is a 5’11” point guard who came off the bench for most of the season for the Peacocks but played a big role offensively averaging 12.5 points per game, much of which came out of pick and roll and isolation. Murray played the sixth man role in the style of Jamal Crawford or Lou Williams, coming into games and immediately changing the tempo with his relentless pursuit of scoring. Despite taking a lot of tough shots Murray was able to put up a 36% three-point mark, and he brings the kind of high usage that the Gators have been looking for.
As you can see, there aren’t a lot of big names available that the Gators can make runs at. One of their only official visits upcoming will be Jaylen Murray, a player who came off the bench for much of the season for a team that finished 308th in the country in KenPom. Without a lot of projected difference makers out there, look for the Gators to look for some under-the-radar targets they believe in, as well as possibly dip into the international market once again.