Gator Basketball Basketball Offseason Thread: 7'7" Olivier Rioux, "World's Tallest Teenager", commits to Florida

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MidwestChomp

MidwestChomp

Fun was the goal and we hit the bullseye
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Double Gator Dad said:
I spent the better part of 35 years driving round trip from either Jacksonville or Tampa for gator basketball games.
Granted, I am a diehard gator basketball fan but if the product is good enough, people will drive to games during the week.

The problem is the administration’s approach to basketball.

While Billy was taking the program to places we never dreamed, he expressed concern for the poor arena we played in versus the teams he was competing with every day. This was one of many challenges but one with a potential solution.
Foley agreed that this was a definite need that was justified by the program’s success so he proceeded to take 3-4 years to plan and try to fund a renovation that was already overdue (Gee, sounds kinda like the football facility) and eventually Billy became convinced that it wasn’t going to happen so he took off.

After his departure Foley did two things:
1. He continued moving forward with a $66 million renovation that now seemed unnecessary.
2. He confirmed that UF is NOT a basketball school by pursuing training wheels coaches for a top 10-15 program.

The renovations included a purge of all of the longtime season ticket holders, like yours truly, in favor of the Johnny Come Lately’ big money boosters wanting to get into a sport they ignored for 40 years.
Now it’s very difficult to find any resemblance to the program we had less than a decade ago.

- The big money boys rarely show up half the time.
- The students are incentivized to attend the games and do so with no real enthusiasm.
- In an attempt to minimize the morgue-like atmosphere they moved the TV camera to show the students but they aren’t really engaged.
- The renovation also killed the entire’House of Horrors’ atmosphere by moving the seat’s away from the court nearly 10 feet.

The end result is that the program that Greg Sankey used as the template to convince others to invest in basketball (like TAMU, Missouri, Alabama, Arkansas, and Tennessee) is now a bottom feeder and all the laggards have blown past us.
Sankey is basking in the success of 8 of 14 schools in the tournament.
Do you think he ever thought that the SEC would become the top basketball conference?
Do you think he ever thought that the 8 schools wouldn’t include UF?

When I became a season ticket holder in 1981 I never dreamed that UF would become a top basketball program.
When I was watching the great teams of 06 and 07 I never dreamed that the program would deteriorate into a mediocre program again.
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UF athletic directors:

randy marsh GIF by South Park
 
maheo30

maheo30

WiLLLLLLLie! WiLLLLLLLie!
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I guess this is him. If the highlights really tell his game, why only 11ppg? I’d think it would be higher.

 
t-gator

t-gator

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I like this pick up too. He played the 5 at Yale. He'll play the 4 for us but he'll be able to play some small ball 5. Gives us some flexibility. Solid rotational player. Will most likely be our starting 4 man.
 
GatorJ

GatorJ

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247sports.com

Coveted transfer center set to officially visit Florida

Coveted transfer center set to officially visit Florida
247sports.com 247sports.com

Former Marshall center Micah Handlogten, who was arguably one of the most promising true freshmen at his position last season, is set to officially visit Florida from April 6-8.

The 7-foot-1, 227-pounder earned Sun Belt Freshman of the Year honors in 2022-23 after averaging 7.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game in 32 appearances (all starts) in just 25.3 minutes per game.
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MidwestChomp

MidwestChomp

Fun was the goal and we hit the bullseye
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t-gator said:
Another good player off the bench. Definitely not a quality starting sec center. I watched a good bit of his tape.
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Hopefully turns around like Castleton. I completely trashed that pick up and he turned out great. The staff can for sure use Castleton example as a crootin tool for Micah. I thought this was Castleton's best season until he got hurt.
 
GatorJ

GatorJ

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www.on3.com

Josh Cohen to visit Florida

The Florida Gators are set to host St. Francis (PA) graduate transfer forward center Josh Cohen over the weekend.
www.on3.com www.on3.com

This past season, Cohen averaged 21.8 points on 58.5% shooting from the field, 8.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists. His efforts earned him the honors of Northeastern Conference player of the year.[\quote]
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