With Todd Golden being a defense-first coach, he wasn’t particularly pleased with the Gators finishing 94th in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency metric in 2023-24 and he made it a focus in the offseason to bring in players that he thought could guard. Their three incoming players with division one experience all have one thing in common–they are defensive stoppers. Florida Atlantic’s Alijah Martin was known as one of the best on-ball defenders in the country, Chattanooga’s Sam Alexis was known for his quick feet for a big man, and Washington State’s Rueben Chinyelu had shot blocking numbers that suggest he could be one of the best rim protectors in the country. Make no mistake–these players were all brought in for their ability to guard first and foremost. The tradeoff is that these three players aren’t the most dynamic on the offensive end outside of Martin who has the ability to knock down catch and shoot threes at an efficient clip.
This is a massive change in Florida’s identity–and clamping down defensively is going to be the clear focus.
However–picking up players based primarily on their defensive prowess has some downside. The roster is missing some notable firepower offensively and while the team will be built around frustrating their opponent’s attempts to score, at some point putting the ball in the hoop could be a concern.
This is where point guard Urban Klavzar comes in.
While the 6’1” product of Slovenia will be in his first year of eligibility, calling him a freshman is like calling a komodo dragon a lizard–it’s, well, technically correct–but it doesn’t come close to painting the whole picture and sets improper expectations.
Klavzar is someone who comes to the Gators after spending the last three years in the Spanish professional system, known as the best domestic league system outside of the NBA in the world. He played 33 games last season in the LEB Oro, Spain’s second division, a league that is full of former high-major players now in their late 20’s playing as seasoned veterans. His professional debut came all the way back in December of 2021 when he played in a Euroleague game (the second best league in the world after the NBA) for Real Madrid.
Just how long ago was that? Florida played one night prior against Stony Brook, and their starting lineup was Tyree Appleby, Brandon McKissic, Phlandrous Fleming, Anthony Duruji, and Colin Castleton. That probably feels like an eternity ago, and that shows just how long Klavzar has been playing at a high level in Europe.
For that reason Klavzar should be looked at more like a transfer than a recruit, which changes expectations from someone who might be able to contribute in the future to someone who is a legit talent right now. Why does this matter for Florida? Because Klavzar is someone who can address some of the team’s biggest needs in shot creation and shooting efficiency.
Throughout his career, Klavzar has been known as a one on one scorer who can create his own shot out of nowhere–particularly with the step back jumper. Klavzar shot a remarkable 42% on off the dribble threes last year with Estela (his Spanish team) which is no easy feat considering how he was being guarded by elite grown men. He was even more lethal on catch and shoot attempts at 44%, making him one of, if not the most lethal shooters on Florida’s roster.
Gator Country’s Nick Marcinko has been at practices recently and has noted Klavzar’s shooting efficiency which has come through particularly when his team has needed a bucket. Klavzar has largely been placed with Florida’s bench unit taking on the starter group that’s loaded with defensive stoppers and when things stall out offensively–Klavzar has been there to make a huge play and knock down a shot.
Last season the Gators looked good from an overall offensive efficiency standpoint, but that was largely propped up with the offensive rebound. In terms of raw offensive efficiency the Gators were 107th in the country in half court points per possession, and when it came to “late clock” offense the Gators were 300th. That was with a roster that had a lot more offensive weapons than this year’s roster, and that means the team could be desperate for scoring at times off the bench and that’s where Klavzar fits perfectly.
The major challenge that would keep Klavzar from playing a large role is his defense. Looking at the film from Spain and talking to coaches from that league, Klavzar is someone who struggles mightily on that end. In one on one situations he had issues keeping just about anyone in front of him, and as a help defender he was not good at tagging rolls or sprinting out to shooters when he’d have to help and recover. Klavzar played 18.3 minutes per game in Spain last year and would have played a lot more if not for his defense, and that’s an issue that could continue into his time at Florida. Golden is someone determined to have a team that can guard at a high level, and Klavzar does not fit in that mold. Reports are that Klavzar’s defense has predictably struggled in practice so far, and it’s something he’ll need to figure out to further his career at Florida and beyond. Standing at just 6’1” and without great quickness or strength Klavzar is going to need to develop into an extremely sharp thinker who plays defense with savvy, and right now that isn’t the case and he’s simply someone who struggles to keep his chest in front of the ball.
For Klavzar, this season could go one of two ways. On one hand, he is someone who enters college with extreme polish offensively and someone that could put up points in a hurry. With the Gators possibly in need of some offensive juice, Klavzar could be the boost off the bench that’s needed. On the other hand–defense is paramount to Golden’s identity, and if Klavzar is going to be a liability on that end it could be difficult for him to get on the floor, particularly with a stellar guard defender in Denzel Aberdeen also on the bench. Whatever ends up happening for Klavzar this year, the Gators have a unique guard on their roster who at all times will be a threat to come into games and score.