Florida basketball recruiting: Four-star G Alex Lloyd, a top-50 prospect, commits to Gators

Basketball

0

Florida Gators basketball is starting to bear the fruit of its success in Year 2 under head coach Todd Golden on the recruiting trail. That elevation continued Wednesday as four-star guard Alex Lloyd (Fort Lauderdale, FL) committed to the Gators.

Lloyd (6-foot-3, 165 pounds), who is listed as the No. 45 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite, is one of the fastest-rising players in the nation. He is also the highest-rated high school prospect to commit to Golden since he took over the program prior to the 2022-23 season.

⁠”I just feel comfortable with the staff and I believe in Coach Golden and he believes in me,” Lloyd, the first member of UF’s Class of 2025, told 247Sports. “I wanted a program that fit my style of play and a coach that believes in me, and Florida fit that for me.”

Florida last week added its first incoming transfer of the offseason in Chattanooga forward Sam Alexis (Apopka, FL), a soon-to-be junior who averaged 10.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks last season for the Mocs, his first as a starter with the program.

The Gators will be returning most of their roster from last season, though they await a decision from starting G Walter Clayton Jr., who after a breakout campaign entered his name in the 2024 NBA Draft with an option to return. He said he will only come back to college to play at Florida if he chooses not to pursue a professional career immediately. At this time, the expectation is that Clayton will likely return to the Gators for one final season, though his draft evaluation could certainly change that outcome.

Departing the program due to graduation are F Tyrese Samuel and point guard Zyon Pullin. Starting center Micah Handlogten, who will be a junior next season, is expected to be iffy to start the year after suffering a significant leg injury during the 2024 SEC Tournament.