With over 1,000 players in the the NCAA Transfer Portal every school in America will look different in 2021, perhaps none as much as the Gators.
Florida has already seen Noah Locke, Omar Payne, and Ques Glover enter the transfer portal, while Scottie Lewis and Tre Mann have entered the 2021 NBA Draft and have obtained agents. Colin Castleton is dipping his toe into the NBA Draft water but is expected to return after getting feedback from the league.
Mike White has taken residence in the portal and continues to pull in commitments. Here's where the Gators stand right now
Mann to ReevesÂ
Tre Mann is the biggest loss for the Gators' program. Mann averaged 32.4 minutes a game, 16 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. Mann was the engine that made the Gators go and there's no easy way to replace him.
Florida is bringing in a five-star prospect in Kowacie Reeves. The 6-6 wing player is fast and athletic, a good fit for Mike White's system. Reeves can fill in the basket in a number of ways. He has a good mid-range jumper, can get by defenders with his size and speed, and is always in an attack mode on the court. He needs to develop and add a three-pointer to his arsenal but Reeves looks to be a player that can and will step right in for the Gators in 2021-22.
Locke to McKissicÂ
Locke wanted to play more as a point guard and be featured in that way. He wasn't going to get that opportunity at Florida so there was a mutual parting of ways there. Locke was a deadly three-point shooter, but essentially just a stand and shoot sniper.
University of Missouri-Kansas City guard Brandon McKissic is a guy that could play either point or shooting guard and he can handle the ball better than Locke, although turnovers were an issue for him at UMKC. Where McKissic is really an upgrade is on the defensive end. He was an All-Summit League defensive player last year and brings the kind of intensity and energy Florida needs on the defensive end of the floor.
Payne to Felder
Payne made some big contributions while at Florida but leaves on a sour note, getting ejected on a flagrant two after sending a couple of elbows at Tennessee forward John Fulkerson, who suffered a facial fracture. Payne only averaged 15.7 minutes a game last year, scoring 3.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
Felder was one of the more promising young players on a bad Boston College team last season. The 6-7 forward averaged nearly 10 points a game on .459 a shooting percentage. Felder continues to improve his outside game and will be an interesting addition to the Gators' front court.
Glover to JonesÂ
Glover compiled just 3.6 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in an average of 10.8 minutes per game with the Gators in 51 career appearances. Unhappy with his usage, he informed the coaching staff of his intentions to transfer prior to the SEC Tournament and didn't play the last four games of the season.
Losing Mann and Locke means the Gators lost a lot of scoring. That's where Florida hopes Jones can step in. Playing in a conference like the Big Ten is tough and competitive and Jones was able to score 15.3 points, 2.0 assists, and 2.7 rebounds last season. Jones is a 77% career free throw shooter. He also brings experience to the backcourt, which will have two players in their fifth seasons, while Jones plays his fourth.