While there is currently uncertainty surrounding the eligibility of 5th year players as the courts continue to wade through the various legalities of the NCAA’s new eligibility model, it appears that there are suddenly a ton more players on the market. This gives teams a rare opportunity to bolster their talent even if they didn’t originally plan on adding anyone this late.
Florida has already spent a ton of money on their roster and technically has a full team from a scholarship standpoint, but in the modern age of NIL–you can always find more money and more space to acquire talent.
It’s unknown whether the Gators will be looking to add to their already stacked roster, but if they were to try and look at that possibility here are some of the top names available.
Jason Edwards
Edwards was a big time scorer two years ago at Vanderbilt before leaving to Providence for what was reportedly one of the biggest NIL deals handed out that spring. The Friars didn’t win a lot, but Edwards averaged 16.5 points and 3.0 assists per game and is a proven scorer at the guard spot.
Keyshawn Hall
Another major scorer at a place that didn’t win a lot was Keyshawn Hall who Gator fans will remember well from the time he went nuclear in the first half of their meeting. A forward averaging 19.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, he is destined to put up numbers wherever he goes next.
Dug McDaniel
With three straight productive seasons at Michigan, Kansas State, and Memphis there will be some interesting discussions around the 5’10” point guard who can shoulder a lot of usage but has struggled with consistency.
Darrion Williams
Though the Gators probably wouldn’t add another forward, the 6’6” Darrion Williams belongs on the list of top players available. His season at NC State wasn’t glowing, but his work at Texas Tech the two seasons prior was inspiring.
Jalen Washington
Washington is already reportedly going to Texas after being one of the few players with size in Vanderbilt’s rotation last season. He’ll remain on this list so that you can keep tabs on what’s going on in the SEC.
Mark Mitchell
Speaking of SEC players, Mitchell could be available after two years at Missouri where he was one of the league’s top centers. It’s hard to get size these days in college basketball, and it’s even harder to get size that averaged 18.3 points and 5.2 rebounds.
Jordan Pope
A gunning guard who Florida once had interest in, Pope’s 13.1 points per game at Texas will have plenty of teams interested–though he has always struggled with efficiency.
Donovan Dent
Dent previously announced his retirement from basketball when he realized he didn’t have a shot at the NBA, but it sounds like he would return to college for another payday. Averaging 13.3 points and 7.6 assists per game he is a true distributing point guard that you don’t see as much in the game these days.
Skyy Clark
Another UCLA player, Clark averaged 11.5 points per game while shooting 43% from three–the kind of complimentary floor spacer that could fit in just about any setting.
Cade Tyson
Tyson was a revelation at Minnesota where he averaged 19.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a 6’7” multi-positional forward, and at 41% from three he might end up having the most interest of anyone that remains available.
Javon Bennett
A 5’11” point guard who finished up his career at Dayton, the Orlando native Bennett is a crafty scorer and tenacious defender who averaged 15.8 points and 1.5 steals. His size might be an issue for some high-major teams, but he’s proven his competitiveness time and time again in the Atlantic Ten.
Moe Odum
Keeping with the diminutive point guard theme, Moe Odum is another smaller ball handler who plays tough. Averaging 16.4 points and 5.7 assists at Arizona State, there should be a lot of teams that could see him working in a winning situation.
Riley Kugel
I had to say it. Kugel just had his best season as a senior at UCF averaging 14.4 points, though he still struggles with some poor shot selection and defensive effort.
Tre Holloman
A serviceable starting point guard at Michigan State and NC State the last two years, Holloman’s game isn’t flashy, but he can give responsible, low-risk ball handling minutes for a competing team.
Elijah Mahi
Playing at Santa Clara Mahi might not get the level of attention he deserves with all these players getting eligible, but he’s a big-time versatile wing. The 6’7” Toronto native averaged 14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while hitting 34% of his threes, and he could clearly contribute at the high-major level.