Florida Gators Basketball 2022-23 Player Profile: Forward CJ Felder
There's an uncharacteristic buzz surrounding Florida basketball in the preseason. It may not be a national buzz, but those close to the program can feel something is different.
Seeing drastic turnover occur from top to bottom — with head coach Mike White, his assistants and four starters departing from Gainesville — the University of Florida brought in San Francisco head coach Todd Golden to take over at the helm.
While a mass exodus usually indicates that significant time is needed to rebuild, all the right pieces have fallen into the right places. The changing of the guard at the top of the program can serve as the pivotal turning point needed to surge back from the distressing state of mediocrity experienced as of late.
In an effort to reconstruct the program to its former status of consistency and excellence achieved under Billy Donovan, Golden made it a focus to draw in talented transfers to fill the bevy of holes the roster presented.
Adding on to the promising members retained from 2021-22, the Gators have compiled a more-than-capable unit to take the floor next season.
The mixture of new and familiar faces slates them to reconcile the program sooner rather than later under the new leadership.
In anticipation of Golden's first season in charge, All Gators plans to profile the 12 scholarship players occupying spots on the roster as they look to accomplish that mission in the upcoming season.
We've already analyzed Kyle Lofton, Trey Bonham, Denzel Aberdeen, Myreon Jones, Niels Lane, Will Richard, Riley Kugel and Alex Fudge. Power forward CJ Felder is next up on the list.
Player History
Ranked as the fourth-best player in South Carolina as a prep player, Felder received 14 offers, with the likes of Auburn, Mississippi State, Georgia Tech and Boston College showing interest in the all-around forward prospect.
Lured in by Scott Spinelli, Felder decided to head north to become the Eagles' No. 11 highest-ranked recruit of all time. He had decent success in Massachusetts, where he averaged 7.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots in 50 appearances and 35 starts.
Felder transferred from Boston College following his sophomore year as he searched for an upgrade at the power five level. Then Florida head coach Mike White reeled in the forward as he attempted to reconstruct the roster after seven departures following the 2020-21 season.
Felder joined Brandon McKissic, Phlandrous Fleming Jr. and Myreon Jones as the four main transfer additions to the roster a season ago. However, like the team, he struggled to find a rhythm with Florida in year one, mainly due to an injury he played with for a considerable portion of the year.
His usage rate declined by 15.7 minutes per game compared to the time he saw at BC as a result, becoming an afterthought in the Gators' rotation.
When Golden arrived and began to sift through the makings of the roster, Felder occupied a four spot that was in dire need of talent and depth following former starting PF Anthony Duruji's departure. He treated Felder similarly to Jones in looking at his production at his previous institution and entrusting both to bounce back.
Felder's up for the challenge. His decision to stay at Florida through the coaching transition exemplifies that.
2022-23 Season Role/Projection
Every great team needs an energizer bunny willing to do the dirty work on the floor.
The Gators have theirs in CJ Felder.
Following his junior season, where a hernia in his hip plagued him, Felder has seemingly returned to the form he displayed during his stint with the Eagles at Boston College.
He may not stuff the stat sheet to earn glory for his contributions, but the 6-foot-7, 240-pound forward makes an impact as a rebounder, defender and overall vocal leader. Accounting for nearly six rebounds, 2.2 blocks and one steal per game in his final season at Boston College, Felder proved to be a borderline elite defender with a knack for ending opponent's possessions.
That will be his job, first and foremost, for Florida this season. It's one that he's shown he can accomplish with flying colors when working — and winning respectable reps — against starter Fudge this offseason.
His teammates also feed off his energetic and high-effort nature.
Offensively, he may not be the most dynamic scorer, but that doesn't mean he's poor on that end of the floor. In fact, there's a lot of upside for him in the new system that tailors better to his skillset.
Felder at full health presents a different offensive prowess than the version of himself who commendably worked through a gruesome injury to serve in relief of Duruji in 2021-22.
To this point, the Sumter (S.C.) native takes on a heightened scoring role during his five-on-five work in the preseason practice. His uptick in explosiveness at and around the basket and power to work through contact makes him another asset for a unit that will look to incorporate everyone in their scoring attack frequently.
However, he's not limited to the interior.
Like Fudge, whom we covered on Sunday, Felder's skillset gives him the versatility to play the pick-and-roll game in the Princeton offense of assistant Kevin Hovde. His three-ball adds picks and pop potential to his resume, forcing the opposition to respect him when he catches the ball beyond the arc.
Felder's flashed as a shooter, on the right wing in particular, in scrimmage portions of practice this fall, showcasing his ability to stretch the floor for Florida.
With two fours that can play both inside and out, the Gators are in a prime position of depth at the four spot despite the lack of quantity compared to the other positions — although Niels Lane could occupy the spot in a bind.
Overall, Felder's comfortability under the new staff and status of full health slates him to assume a major rotational role in Golden's first year.
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