After losing in the Elite Eight each of the past two seasons, the Gators are looking to get over the hump and reach the Final Four in 2012-13. But to do so, they’ll have to find two new starters.
Point guard Erving Walker graduated as UF’s all-time assists leader at the end of last season, while small forward Brad Beal left Florida following his freshman year and was selected by the Washington Wizards with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.
“This is a new team with a new identity,” coach Billy Donovan said. “Some other guys have to step up.”
Kenny Boynton could be one of the players asked to assume a larger role.
Boynton averaged a team-best 15.9 points per game last season on 40.7 percent 3-point shooting, but the 6-foot-2 senior knows he needs to prove himself at point guard to have a shot in the NBA.
“At my size, I have to play point guard at the next level,” Boynton said.
Boynton said he spent his summer in Las Vegas working with other top-flight college players. In their five-on-five games, Boynton insisted on playing point guard. “It helped me, coming in every day and working with guys like that,” Boynton said.
Junior Scottie Wilbekin is also expected to see time at point guard after playing 15.2 minutes per game last season.
Boynton and Wilbekin said they expect to share time at the point with Braxton Ogbueze, a freshman from Charlotte, N.C., United Faith Christian Academy who Rivals rated as a four-star prospect.
“My mindset hasn’t even been focused on that,” Ogbueze said of getting early playing time. “I’m just here to take in coach Donovan’s teachings, get better as a player and just keep working hard.”
Casey Prather figures to be in the mix at small forward after flashing potential late last season. Prather said he was excited by the possibility, but hasn’t given much thought to what his role will be.
Power forward Will Yeguete could also fill the small-forward void after working on his shooting and ball handling during the offseason. The defensive specialist missed the final month of the 2011-12 season due to a broken left foot, but, like most of the Gators, he isn’t focused on what his role might be in the upcoming season.
“I wasn’t really worrying about whether I was going to replace Brad or anything like that,” Yeguete said. “I was just trying to improve.”
-Redshirt sophomore forward Cody Larson will not be under scholarship for the 2012-13 season. Larson and senior Erik Murphy were arrested in April 2011 on charges of third-degree felony burglary. Previously, Larson received two years of probation after sharing hydrocodone pills with a high school teammate in February 2010. Donovan said the decision was related not to those incidents, but to Larson’s overall “level of responsibility.” Larson was given the option to transfer but opted to return to UF.
-Junior center Patric Young was out for three weeks after catching mono in late August, but he made a full recovery and passed the team’s final conditioning test on Tuesday.
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