The Florida Gators men’s basketball team is gearing up for a demanding 2024-25 season, highlighted by a non-conference schedule featuring both conference champions and prominent matchups. Head coach Todd Golden, now in his third year, will lead the Gators through a slate that includes top national programs and last season’s conference winners.
Key games include a matchup against Grambling State, the Southwestern Athletic Conference champions, and a highly anticipated contest with the North Carolina Tar Heels in mid-December. The Tar Heels, who boasted a strong 29-8 overall record and 17-3 in the ACC last season, will pose a significant challenge for Florida at a neutral venue.
The schedule also features in-state rival Florida State, Virginia in the SEC-ACC Challenge, and Arizona State in Atlanta. Additionally, Florida will participate in the ESPN Events Invitational, where they might face off against Minnesota, Wake Forest, or Wichita State.
The Gators will play 13 non-conference games, including seven at home, four at neutral sites, and two on the road. They will open the season against the USF Bulls, who had a dominant 25-8 record last season with a 16-2 conference performance.
Walter Clayton will lead the Gators as point guard in 2024-25. Clayton, who joined the team before the 2023-24 season, has shown potential but also faced challenges with ball-handling. Last season, with Clayton at the point during SEC games and the NCAA Tournament game against Colorado, the Gators had a +5 net rating. Offensively, they were strong, averaging 1.23 points per possession, though defensively they allowed 1.18 points per possession.
Clayton’s pick-and-roll play last season was mixed. He performed well in scoring situations (86th percentile nationally) but struggled with passing, resulting in only 0.74 points per possession and a high 25% turnover rate when passing out of pick-and-roll scenarios.