Gainesville, Florida – It would be difficult to overcome the month when Florida Todd Golden has enjoyed since he won the National Championship.
Golden and Los Gators visited the White House on WednesdayA trip that included an invitation to the Oval office. Landed One of the main guards on the transfer portal, Boogie Fland in Arkansas. He He released the first launch in a Chicago puppies game. He received the Wing Award at the New York Athletic Club – Together with a one -year membership for the famous golf club. And the He signed a six -year contract extension and $ 40.5 million.
“It was great,” Golden said Thursday. “It has been really incredible to have many of these rewards and opportunities because we won. We want to take advantage of it. There is no guarantee that you ever have this opportunity again. We are very much in mind, how difficult it is.”
The whirlwind began when Florida recovered from a 12-point deficit in the second half to surprise Houston 65-63 in San Antonio April 7. Golden quickly began to restructure Florida’s list to replace his entire initial rear track: Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard.
Landed Lee Xaivian de PrinceonA native of Toronto of 6 feet 4 inches that averaged 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.5 helps a game last season. He added Aj Brown of the University of Ohio a week later.
But the greatest addition occurred on Tuesday, when Fland signed the paperwork to play for the Gators. Fland essentially replaces Denzel Aberdeen, who was expected to enter an initial role, but left Florida for Kentucky.
Fland averaged 13.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 robberies for razorbs last season. New York’s first year student averaged almost 32 minutes per game.
Now, Lee and Fland will combine in an offensive that could be even more diverse than the one that established the two best score brands in school history for the last two years behind Clayton.
“I see that it works very, very well,” Golden said. “When you have two points of points that are making plays, I think it makes your offensive really dynamic. So we are excited … both will have the ball in their hands a ton, to be able to play outside the ball screen, to be able to boost the transition, the weapons that the teams will have to account.”
With most of the Florida front court, Golden is “cautiously optimistic,” Alex Condon will return after passing through the process prior to the NBA Draft, the Gators should be a popular choice to repeat as champions.
“Once we gather this new group, we will obviously maintain the success of last season in the equation because we want to try to continue our program at that level,” Golden said. “But this new group will have a lot to live up to it.”
The Gators will meet in Gainesville for summer training as of June 9.
His White House trip was the final meeting for the group. Florida flew players, coaches and staff in a letter from 30 people to Washington, DC, and agreed that everyone else met them in the capital of the nation.
Clayton traveled from California. Olivier Rioux, The highest teenager in the world at 7 feet, 9 inchesHe made the trip from Canada. Both types that transferred, Aberdeen and Sam Alexis de Indiana, also joined the team along with former assistant coaches Kevin Hovde (now coach Chief of Columbia) and John Andrzejek (now Campbell chief coach). Each of them took a photo with President Trump.
“That was something, again, that these guys will have the rest of their lives,” Golden said.
Golden, 39, probably will not be in Gainesville for the rest of his career, but made it clear that he has no plans to go to the NBA “soon” despite his new contract, including a much lower purchase if he leaves for professionals.
“I think it’s more to maintain that potentially available opportunity in the future,” he said. “These contracts are like things of real life, so you must make sure you give yourself a little opportunity.
“In terms of the university game, I am here in Florida for a long time. It’s all I need, everything my family needs.”
___
Get alerts of surveys and updates at the Top 25 AP throughout the season. Register here. AP University Basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-ocalge-basketball-pol and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
