Gators Basketball Team Hungry For Success, Will Richard Says

With fall practices getting underway Monday, all eyes are on Gators basketball. Junior guard Will Richard is looking to help a hungry Gators squad compete when they take the court later this year.

Balling Through Battles

In order to help his team exceed expectations, Richard understands the importance of keeping his body in fine tune in order to win. The guard started his collegiate career with the Belmont Bruins in 2021, but transferred to the University of Florida following a productive freshman campaign. Since then, Richard has earned his keep for the Gators, despite struggling under first year head coach Todd Golden.

Starting From Scratch

Despite an underwhelming team record of 16-17, Richard has high hopes for the Gators this year. He is one of a few remaining players that made it past this year’s overhaul. The Gators are hoping to shake things up especially on offense, stemming from a lack of life that saw UF at 139^th in the nation in offensive efficiency, including 235^th in effective field-goal percentage.

Fresh Faces, New Places

The Gators first practice on Monday premiered nine new scholarship players, with six coming via the transfer portal and three other true freshmen. Golden was very involved with the recruitment process, building a roster that resembled his historic run during his time at the University of San Francisco, where he’d just guided that program to its first NCAA Tournament berth in 24 years. A hopeful sign of things to come, Richard hopes his new squad can help take his game to new heights.

He finished his ’23 campaign with 10.3 points per game, shooting 49.4%. With these new lineup changes, the Gators hope to cater more towards Richard’s game, and help bring new life to Florida basketball. With the season over a month away, the Gators hope their trip to the drawing board will prove successful, as they set eyes on the season opener against Loyola Maryland on Nov. 6.