Yet another star player has opted out of next year’s basketball season for the Florida Gators, as Noah Locke entered the transfer portal on Thursday afternoon. The junior guard averaged 10.6 PPG with Florida in the 2020-21 season, going 42.5% from the field and 77.8% on free throws.
On the Gators, Locke quickly dominated from the get-go, breaking a school record for the most made three-pointers in his freshman year. His sophomore and junior seasons proved to qualify as no different, as he shot over 40% from downtown. The junior started for Florida in 51 of their last 52 games, establishing himself as the fifth-highest scorer on the team.
On his Twitter page, Noah Locke posted a message thanking Gator Nation for their support in his college basketball journey.
https://twitter.com/_NoahLocke/status/1375217570681389058
The Future at the Guard Position
Unfortunately for Gator Nation, Locke’s departure from Gainesville will not leave the team unscathed. With the recent news of Ques Glover transferring and Tre Mann declaring for the NBA Draft, the Gators now possess a serious lack of depth in their backcourt. Tyree Appleby may qualify as a clear-cut starter for the blue and orange, but after that comes a pool of uncertainty at the guard position. Scottie Lewis comes to mind as one of the possible replacements for Locke, but even he has not played to the best of his abilities. The current sophomore averaged a mediocre 7.9 PPG in his 2020-21 campaign. His numbers are by no means bad, but they do not show the potential needed to be a starter for the Gators in the near future.
What’s Next?
So, what approach do HC Mike White and company take from here? It’s hard to say, especially with the overwhelming amount of changes that have come in the past week. The Gators will likely figure their situation out, especially considering how the off-season is just getting started.