Gators Forward Tyrese Samuel Named to AP All-SEC Second Team
Photo: Florida Gators forward Tyrese Samuel; Credit: Zach Goodall
On the heels of their first 20-plus win season since the 2017-18 campaign, the Gators are seeing several key contributors earn SEC honors in reverence for their regular season display.
Forward Tyrese Samuel is the latest Florida athlete to be commended for his performance this year. On Tuesday, he was named to the AP All-SEC second team.
He joins Zyon Pullin, Walter Clayton Jr. and Alex Condon, who took home first-team, second-team and All-Freshman honors, respectively, on the Coaches' All-SEC team announced Monday.
Transferring to the University of Florida following a four-year stint at Seton Hall, the fifth-year senior was expected to bolster the talent and depth in the Gators frontcourt after it lacked considerably during the 2022-23 campaign. He lived up to the billing, accounting for 13.8 points and a team-leading 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
His production on both ends of the floor proved valuable for the Gators en route to a 21-10 record. Starting every contest for the Gators this season, primarily from the four spot, Samuel heavily contributed to the drastic upswing of success realized in head coach Todd Golden's second year at the program's helm.
The 6-foot-10 forward finished the season leading the SEC in field goal percentage (57.3%) while ranking third in offensive rebounds (2.97), fourth in rebounds (7.52), ninth in defensive rebounds (4.55) and 11th in blocked shots (1.06) per game.
Samuel, along with the aforementioned trio of SEC honorees, will be vital to the Gators' effort to compile wins this postseason.
Florida, earning the six-seed by finishing 11-7 against league opponents, will retake the hardwood for the second round of the SEC Tournament against the winner of No. 14 Missouri vs. No. 11 Georgia.
The contest, set for 20 minutes after the end of the 7 p.m. ET matchup, is expected to commence around 9:30 p.m. ET inside Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, Tenn.) on Thursday.
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