Analyzing the Future of the Florida Gators' Backcourt After Departures
Following their loss to Oral Roberts in the second round of the NCAA tournament, the Gators were slated to undergo a change in some form going into next season.
With questions marks surrounding the future of the basketball program, the backcourt madness began to unravel on Wednesday morning and carried into Thursday afternoon.
Tre Mann — expectedly — declared for the NBA Draft following a drastically improved sophomore campaign that saw him post 16 points and 3.5 assists per game to lead the Gators in both categories on the year.
Meanwhile, more personnel movement occurred in the backcourt in a capacity that creates significant concern for the depth of the unit going forward.
Seeing starting shooting guard Noah Locke and Ques Glover enter the transfer portal just hours apart, the Florida backcourt is set to undergo a near-complete makeover going into next season.
As a result, let’s look at the production set to be lost by the departures and how the guard position shapes up next season.
What Florida loses
To put it in simple terms, Florida is losing a chunk of offensive production.
Specifically, 35 percent of the Gators scoring production walks out the door with the losses of Mann and Locke. With each providing the Gators dangerous threats from outside the three-point line, the Gators backcourt duo combined for over 26 points per game on 44.2 percent from the field last season.
The jump in production that Mann had from 2019-20 to 2020-21 following Andrew Nembhard’s transfer to Gonzaga put the Gators in a position to win almost any game all season.
Accompanying a smooth shooting stroke with his incredible size for his position, the newly-turned 20-year-old guard showcased a high-level talent that bodes well for his chances to be selected in the upcoming NBA Draft.
While the loss of Mann is immense, it was expected following the season's conclusion.
The loss that possibly hurts more comes from the Gators off-ball guard in Locke. Being a mainstay in the Florida lineup since his freshman year, Locke has been the epitome of consistency.
Despite hot and cold shooting nights as every sharpshooter goes through, the Baltimore (Md.) native added 10 points per game to the scoreboard in each of his three seasons, repping the orange and blue.
Shooting above 40 percent from three-point land in those years, Locke’s offensive skill set as a scorer predominantly consisted of his catch and shoot ability from the perimeter.
However, throughout the season's closing stretch, Locke added an ability to put the ball on the hardwood, penetrating through defenses to find pull-up jump-shot opportunities from midrange.
Adding that tool to his repertoire, Locke added another dimension to his game and the Florida offense, creating an unpredictability that forced opposing defenses to be ready to guard him off the dribble. While many believed he would carry that into next season, Locke’s curveball leaves the backcourt in disarray, having to replace not just one but two starters.
Unfortunately for the Gators, the list on departures at guard fails to stop there.
In 2021-22, UF will be moving forward without upcoming the third-year reserve guard in Glover, who played sparingly in the 2020-21 season due to the abundance of talented guards lining the Florida roster.
Seeing 10 minutes per game, Glover provided relief to Mann, Appleby and Locke throughout the year but never scratched the surface as anything more than a depth piece.
While the loss of Glover does not compare to the other two departures, the lack of direct availability that he provided will during his two years in Gainesville will be sorely missed next season.
Guard outlook in 2021-22
Just two days after the NCAA tournament came to a close for the Gators, starting point guard Tyree Appleby took to Twitter to announce his return to the University of Florida for his senior season.
Transferring to Gainesville from Cleveland State last season, Appleby began the season on the bench in favor of Mann and Locke anchoring the guard spots.
However, once Florida forward Keyontae Johnson when down for the year with an undisclosed confusion, the shuffling of the lineup thrust Appleby into a starting role.
On the court for the opening tip-off in 17 of 25 games for the Gators, Appleby provided high intensity in all 28.5 minutes he saw per game.
Averaging for 11.3 points on 41.3 percent from the floor, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals, Appleby heavily contributed in all facets of the game.
However, playing out of control at times, the guard from Jacksonville (Ark.) hurt the Gators with turnovers (nearly three per game), a plaguing factor of the team's long-term success last season.
As the Gators lone recruit of the 2021 cycle, combo guard Kowacie Reeves Jr. steps directly into the fold to make an immediate impact next season. Standing at 6-foot-6, 170-pounds, the shooting guard from Macon, Ga. provides length and sharpshooting ability to complement the unconventional and high-energy playstyle of Appleby at the two-spot.
Starting at Westside High School, Reeves averaged a near double-double in his senior year, recording 27 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Also, adding 2.5 assists and steals, as well as 1.6 blocks per contest, Reeves consistently founds ways to fill the stat sheet and keep the Westside Seminoles in the mix of most contests.
Equipped with a quick trigger and the ability to create shots off the dribble, Reeves presents a raw but talented skill set that will be tested via a plethora of in-game minutes from day one.
Committing to Florida in April of 2020, the Gators held on to the talented shooter until November 11, when he would put pen to paper on his letter of intent.
While the mistakes are set to occur at a high frequency with Reeves' inexperience and the oft-out of control nature of Appleby, the new look Gators backcourt provides excitement and athleticism going into Mike White's seventh season as head coach at the University of Florida.
Meanwhile, the number of bodies behind those two is slim. The lack of depth will lead to fatigue down the stretch, ultimately losing more lost games than Florida should have.
Looking to the transfer portal worked for the Gators in the last few years, bringing in Kerry Blackshear Jr., Colin Castleton, Anthony Duruji and Appleby. Taking a chance to acquire an experienced guard to provide depth to a thin and overall young unit will pay dividends when basketball rolls around again.