Non-conference basketball is an opportunity for teams to build an NCAA Tournament resume and build confidence going into league play, but it’s also a great opportunity for fans to see some new teams and players that they aren’t necessarily used to seeing.
In advance of Florida basketball’s season, here is a list of the best players the Gators will go against in non-conference play so you know what to expect and who to look out for.
Kobe Knox
South Florida
South Florida is coming off an excellent season in year one under Amir Abdur-Rahim, but the issue with such a great season at the American Athletic Conference level is that some of the top players headed to the transfer portal. They were able to retain a key player in Kobe Knox, a 6’5” wing with the size to hang with high major athletes. Knox averaged 8.4 points and 2.9 assists per game last season as a sophomore, and he’ll be looking to make a leap now in year three at South Florida and become a primary scorer. Knox is primarily a downhill guard and when he gets the ball in the paint he can finish through contact, shooting 55% from the field on largely two-point field goals. Where he’s at his best is on the defensive end where he can match up with the opposing team’s best guard while also contributing as a help defender where he is excellent at blocking shots for someone just 6’5”.
Robert McCray V
Jacksonville
With some mid-major opponents it can be difficult to figure out who the best player will be but that’s not the case with Jacksonville and their scoring machine Robert McCray V. McCray started his collegiate career at Wake Forest but after struggling to get on the floor transferred to Jacksonville which looks now like the perfect decision as he averaged 18.4 points and 2.9 assists per game as one of the best players in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Impressively, former Florida assistant and current Jacksonville head coach Jordan Mincy was able to keep McCray from transferring, and considering last year was his first season getting real minutes–he might even have more to give. McCray has nice length at 6’4” and loves to get downhill and operate in the paint finishing with a variety of floaters and layups. He’s not a lethal three-point shooter but at 36% he’s definitely someone that you need to be aware of from behind the arc. Look for McCray to not only be one of the best players Florida sees in non-conference play, but one of the top scorers at the mid-major level this season.
Antwan Burnett
Grambling State
Antwan Burnett is the kind of player that you often see from the SWAC–a big, physical, hard-playing wing that can play up and down the lineup. Averaging 10 points and 5.9 rebounds per game he’s someone who contributes in a number of ways for Grambling State and at 6’5” but muscular he can play the power forward spot and create mismatches with his speed. Last year Burnett had 14 points and 3 rebounds against the Gators in a game where he recently came off of an injury–so he has already shown he can be effective and he plays a style of game the Gators had difficulty with a season ago.
Jamir Watkins
Florida State
When Florida State’s Jamir Watkins entered the transfer portal this offseason he was considered one of the biggest names available as it’s not often you see high major 6’7” wings that averaged 15.6 points and 6.0 rebounds available. With Florida State coming off a number of rough seasons and an outlook for 2024-25 that doesn’t look much more positive it wasn’t expected that he’d return but for whatever reason he did–and the Seminoles now have a clear leader. Watkins combines physicality, athleticism, and skill, and while he might not have the offensive instincts and explosiveness for the NBA level he grades out extremely well for the college level and should be a top player in the ACC this year. Watkins didn’t have his best game against the Gators last season but still mustered 13 points which tells you just how impactful he is as a player. He will be at the top of Florida’s scouting report.
Jordan Chatman
Florida A&M
With all kinds of turnover all around the Florida A&M program it’s hard to nail down exactly who will be their leader, but sources say 6’5” Jordan Chatman will be the player to watch. He’s been largely tasked with being a lockdown wing defender to start his college career, but FAMU is hoping he can add some offensive production this year to help lead the way.
Elijah Elliott
Southern Illinois
Small, slithery guards have given the Gators issues in recent years so they’ll have to be concerned with 6’0” Elijah Elliott who averaged 16.6 points and 3.0 assists at Rio Grande Valley a year ago. While Florida’s inability to handle undersized mid-major guards never fully bit them last year in a way that led to an upset loss it was a constant frustration and that could be the case once again with Elliott. A walking paint touch, Elliott is constantly able to knife his way towards the rim and draw contact or have his defender fly by so he can finish with a layup. A dreadful shooter, you’d think teams would be able to sag off him and dare him to shoot but even then Elliott is able to get a running start that allows him to get to the rim and finish. Look for Elliott to be Southern Illinois’ leading scorer in this one.
Hunter Sallis
Wake Forest
The Wake Forest game was one of Florida’s most frustrating losses of the season last year and a large reason why they lost was the game of Hunter Sallis who had 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. Well, the Gators will see Sallis once again, and they’ll hope this time around they can do a much better job of containing him. Sallis is a dynamic player who stands at about 6’5” but is really a point guard who can handle, pass, or make plays one on one. Paired with an excellent offensive coach in Steve Forbes, Sallis is a weapon on the offensive end and after showing the Gators his dominance already, they’ll have to be on high alert when they see him again.
Isaac McKneely
Virginia
Another repeat opponent, Virginia’s Isaac McKneely had a solid game against the Gators last season with 9 points and 6 assists but what he contributes most is defensive intensity. McKneely was hounding Florida’s ball handlers all game and using his quick hands to come up with steals and deflections and he played a huge role in Virginia finding a way to win that game. Will he ever be an elite offensive player? Perhaps not–but he knows his role and that’s as a catch and shoot sniper. Last season he shot 45% from three as one of the top long ball shooters in the country and while he might never be an isolation scorer or pick and roll ball handler, he’s always going to be effective due to that jump shot.
Adam Miller
Arizona State
Adam Miller is a streaky scorer that isn’t always known for his efficiency, but he can heat up in a hurry and you’ve got to watch out if you’re on the wrong side of one of those hot streaks. Last year at Arizona State Miller averaged 12.0 points and 3.6 rebounds a game, but his averages don’t really tell the story of a player that can go for 25 or 5 points on any given night. A 6’3” guard, Miller loves to get to the rim and hunt contact but he can also fall in love with the jumper that sometimes does him well and sometimes betrays him. When the Gators see Miller he might go for 8 points or he could go for 28, and how well they’re able to contain him could tell the story of the game.
RJ Davis
North Carolina
When it comes to the best players that Florida will see in non-conference play it couldn’t be easier to know who it will be on North Carolina as RJ Davis isn’t just the best player on the Tar Heels–he might be the best player in the country. Keep an eye on preseason All-American picks as you’ll see Davis on nearly every single one of them. Davis is entering his fifth and final season of college basketball, coming off a 2023-24 campaign where he averaged 21.2 points and 3.5 assists per game, producing as one of the best players in the sport. At just 6’0” tall Davis isn’t gifted with great size which is the reason why he hasn’t made the leap to the professional level, and while the lack of size might hurt him at some point–it certainly hasn’t yet. Davis is the kind of player that uses his compact frame to his advantage as his speed and dexterity allows him to navigate through the tightest of windows. Unlike some of the other small guards the Gators will see that can’t shoot, Davis was one of the best three-point guards in the country last season shooting 40% from deep on an astonishing 7.7 attempts per game. Florida’s staff will have some late nights trying to figure out how to slow Davis down.
Ametri Moss
North Florida
North Florida has always produced a lot of talented scoring guards and 6’0” Ametri Moss is next in that line. After a productive junior college career he came to North Florida and was instantly effective, chipping in 10.8 points and 3.0 assists per game, and he’ll look to make another step in year four.
Abramo Canka
Stetson
With the last team Florida will see in non-conference play we’re going with a sleeper pick. Canka started his career at UCLA as a highly-rated international player from Italy, though he struggled to see the floor in a tumultuous season for the UCLA program. He then transferred to Wake Forest, where he once again struggled to see the floor. For that reason there isn’t much sample size to go after, and while the 6’7” wing has probably proven he’s not high major material he may have found the perfect level for his game and with his level of upside he could be a top contributor by the time the Gators see Stetson near the end of December.