Florida’s search for a veteran point guard in the transfer portal continues and this time they reached out to a very interesting target, Oklahoma’s Umoja Gibson.
The Gators already have a commitment from VMI’s Trey Bonham, and while there is excitement for his playmaking and crafty finishing he is still a young player with growing to do. Incoming freshman Denzel Aberdeen is also a possibility to contribute right away, but banking on freshman, particularly at a position as demanding at point guard, hasn’t been a recipe for success in recent college basketball history.
What the Gators are looking for is some experience at that position and that is something that Umoja Gibson absolutely provides. Gibson, a 6’1”, 170 pound Waco, Texas native just completed his fifth season of college basketball (he redshirted his first year) and will be 24 years old next season, so experience is something he has plenty of. To this point he has logged 3789 minutes in his career. As a reference, Phlandrous Fleming just completed his fifth season of active play and he finished with 4116 minutes played. So, with the Gators looking for experience, they could definitely find it with Gibson.
Starting his career at North Texas, Gibson redshirted and played two years before transferring to Oklahoma. With this path, Gibson has played for some incredible basketball coaches which have made him an even more intelligent player. North Texas coach Grant McCasland is known as a defensive mastermind, instilling defensive IQ and grittiness that Gibson has carried throughout his career. His first year at Oklahoma he played for Lon Kruger, and then last year he played for Porter Moser who is one of the savviest schematic coaches in all of college basketball. Boatloads of experience at point guard for three elite coaches is all you could ever want for a graduate transfer and he’ll be a steadying presence for wherever he goes.
Last year Gibson averaged 13.3 points, 1.5 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals.
I have been describing Gibson as a point guard, but that may be a bit disingenuous. Gibson played the point for much of his time at North Texas, but at Oklahoma he was largely used off the ball with a separate guard being the primary ball handler and initiator. Gibson definitely had his opportunities to distribute and operate in the pick and roll, but he was far from a traditional point guard.
Why was he used off the ball a considerable amount for both Lon Kruger and Porter Moser?
Well, it’s because Gibson has been one of the best three-point shooters in college basketball over the last couple of years.
Gibson is a career 40% three-point shooter, and that number is for real because he has done it on heavy volume–nearly 7 attempts per game. No matter the team, the coach, or the players around him, he has been able to drill shots at a high rate. Here are his three-point percentages by season:
2022: 39%
2021: 41%
2020: 39%
2019: 39%
His consistency has been simply incredible, and part of the reason why he’s been able to hit threes in any situation is that he’s comfortable shooting off the dribble, or playing off the ball and catching and shooting. Out of the pick and roll he stresses defenses with the threat of pulling up behind the screen, and when they overplay he’s able to hit an open teammate and allow them to play out of the advantage.
Something else worth noting about Gibson is that his turnover rate in the past two years at Oklahoma has been extremely impressive, and he only averaged 1.4 turnovers per game last season and 0.7 the year before. He’s a responsible ball handler who doesn’t take risks, which means his assist numbers are never particularly high, but he values the ball and doesn’t throw it away or allow himself to get picked.
Within Florida’s offense it’s easy to see him as someone who could bring the ball up the floor before entering it to Castleton in the high post and then spacing the floor. Florida’s offense under Todd Golden is expected to be a five-out, Princeton inspired offense which means a traditional point guard isn’t as important in the half court, and Gibson’s non-traditional point guard skills could work well in that setting.
Florida is in the race for Gibson’s services with Miami, Mississippi State, Memphis, Texas A&M, and others, and he is yet to set up any visits.