Fall is here, and school is back in session, which means the good times are almost here – the start of college basketball season! To get you ready for this upcoming season, The Hoops Manifesto presents to you its preseason top 25 team rankings, based on the input from our esteemed voting panel. Next up #19: Florida Gators
Big thanks to our voting panel: Jeff Fox (@HoopsManifesto) from The Hoops Manifesto, Perry Missner (@PerryMissner) from RotoWire, Ray Bala (@CanBallReport) who writes The Can Ball Report on Raptors HQ, Adam Francis (@RaptorsHQ) from Raptors HQ, and Ian (@SoxAndDawgs) from SOX & Dawgs.
#19 – Florida Gators
2011/12: 26-11, lost NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
Key Returning Players:
Kenny Boynton – Shooting Guard – Senior
15.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.7 apg, 110-270 3Pts
Patric Young – Power Forward/Center – Junior
10.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.1 apg
Erik Murphy – Power Forward/Center – Senior
10.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.1 bpg, 59-140 3Pts
Will Yeguete – Power Forward – Junior
4.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.2 spg
Key Newcomers:
Braxton Ogbueze – Shooting Guard – #78 ranked recruit, Rivals.com
Michael Fraser – Shooting Guard – #88 ranked recruit, Rivals.com
DeVon Walker – Small Forward – #142 ranked recruit, Rivals.com
Top NBA Prospect:
Patric Young – projected mid first round to early second round pick in 2013
Outlook:
The Gators had quite the season last year, making it within a win of the Final Four. While they lost a lot of firepower from last year, the drop off this season shouldn’t be too severe. Kenny Boynton returns to anchor the backcourt, which has been injected with a highly touted freshman class full of three wing players rated among the best 150 players in their high school class. And while the team the past few years have been backcourt oriented, this year’s team has a returning trio of experienced, productive big men that should help change that. All in all, this is a very talented, very deep, very balanced team that should make some noise in the NCAA Tournament once more.
Preseason Top 25
#20 – Kansas State Wildcats
#21 – San Diego State Aztecs
#22 – Saint Louis Billikens
#23 – Memphis Tigers
#24 – Notre Dame Fighting Irish
#25 – Texas Wildcats
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