Position Preview: UF upgrades with 'true point guard' in Kyle Lofton

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida men’s basketball program has lacked consistency at the point guard position in recent years, particularly last season with Tyree Appleby starting. Appleby has since transferred to Wake Forest, and the Gators will have a new set of faces running their offense in the 2022-23 season.

First-year UF coach Todd Golden and his staff hit the transfer portal and recruiting trail hard during the offseason, bringing in new blood at point guard. Florida landed St. Bonaventure transfer point guard Kyle Lofton, VMI transfer guard Trey Bonham and three-star combo guard Denzel Aberdeen.

Lofton, who recently returned to practice after suffering a groin injury, has just about solidified himself as a starter, according to Golden. He’s looking forward to playing in a new offensive scheme.

“It’s another reason I came here,” Kyle Lofton said. “My old school, we played slow, less possessions. Now we’re going to speed the tempo up, get more possessions, I think that’s going to be better for me.

“I’m really comfortable playing with two great big guys, setting screens. That’s really my game, pick and roll. Just playing with Colin [Castleton] and Jason [Jitoboh], having shooters built around me, that’s all I really need.”

Heading into his fifth and final season of eligibility, Lofton averaged 13.9 points on 42.1 percent shooting with 5.2 assists per game in his four years with the Bonnies.

The stats don’t lie: Lofton is a true point guard. He ranked No. 10 nationally in assists last season and his passing ability will be a huge asset to Florida’s offense. 

“I think the first piece is he’s a true point guard, meaning like, he’s an organizer,” UF assistant coach Kevin Hovde said of Kyle Lofton. “He has a very good understanding of what we’re trying to do offensively and defensively, so essentially like another coach on the floor.”

Hovde even went on to compare Lofton to NBA veteran point guard Chris Paul. He added that Lofton, who has 16 career 20-point games, is a threat to score as well.

A native of Hillsdale, N.J., Lofton helped St. Bonaventure to an NCAA Tournament bid in 2021, leading the Bonnies with 23 points in the Atlantic 10 championship game vs. VCU.

“He’s done a good job probing or getting to the rim,” Hovde said. “They played really slow as well. And we’ll look to push more, so there’s gonna be more possessions. So, he should get more opportunities, but for his career, he’s been an efficient player.

“He’s been over 100 offensive rating, pretty good usage. I think he has a few more weapons around him now, so hopefully that usage with go down a little bit. He’s a really, really good player and a luxury to have.”

Trey Bonham ‘wired to score’

With Kyle Lofton nursing his groin injury, Bonham was able to work with the first team at the one-spot for more than two weeks of preseason camp.

There’s no question that Bonham will see the floor and produce this season. However, he has plenty to work on when it comes to being a point guard.

“He’s a little wired to score, which is a good thing,” Hovde said of Bonham. “It’s a really good thing, but he could be a little better as far as an organizer. That’s where Kyle’s elite.”

Bonham’s itch and quickness to the basket is what will get him on the floor, but that could be anywhere in the backcourt. Throughout preseason camp, Bonham has also showed he’s a confident shooter from beyond the arc.

In his two seasons with VMI, he shot 48.7 percent from the field. He saw significant a significant increase statistically from his freshman to sophomore season, averaging 13.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.0 assists last year.

“I hated seeing him out,” Bonham said of Lofton’s injury, “but it meant more reps at the point guard. When he first was out, that first day of practice, I was kind of confused, because I was playing the one and the two.

“Some plays, I didn’t know the one-spot. Some plays I didn’t know the two-spot. But with him being out, eventually I got a better understanding of everything. It definitely helped me a lot.”

Being behind two players with multiple years of collegiate experience will make it difficult for Aberdeen to see the floor as a true freshman.

But competing with Lofton and Bonham on a daily basis will help set up Aberdeen for success in the future, and perhaps this season.

“I’m definitely having a lot of learning experiences,” he said. “I’m taking it on very good. I’m listening to what my coaches say. I’m listening to Kyle, listening to guards, listening to Taurean Green and what they’ve been telling me.

“So, I just take it on in and build it up for next practice, next film session. If I continue doing that, then what’s going to happen for the season will determine what I do now. I’m just learning, learning from the best and happy I’m here.” 

Although this year’s point guard spot seems to belong to Lofton, the position boasts depth that Florida hasn’t had in some time.