Mike White Looks to Rebuild Through Transfer Portal

After the crushing loss to Oral Roberts in the NCAA Tournament, the Gators a left with a deprived roster. Players like Tre Mann, Noah Locke, Ques Glover and Osayi Osifo will not be on the team next year. These are massive holes on a roster that needs to be fixed. Head coach Mike White is using the transfer portal to patch some of these holes.

Who they got

So far, Florida has added two productive players to the roster via the portal.

Brandon McKissic: University of Missouri Kansas City

Grad-Transfer Brandon Mckissic has committed to Florida. Mckissic averaged 17.2 points in his senior year at UMKC. https://t.co/t3YQZCvsp9

— Sara Cardona (@Sara_Cardonaa) April 2, 2021

At six-foot-three, McKissic put up solid numbers during his time in Kansas City. Last season, the senior guard put up 17.2 points per game. McKissic presence immediately softens the blow to Mann’s departure. However, this is a short-term fix. McKissic is transferring as a graduate student, meaning his time on this team will only be for one season.

CJ Felder: Boston College

#Gators with another big get in the transfer portal as CJ Felder commits https://t.co/1dTIWbTFAD

— Graham Hall (@GrahamHall_) April 3, 2021

Felder is a power forward that can also play center. He is six-foot-seven and will make his presence known by getting rebounds. Last season he averaged 5.9 rebounds a game this season. With Keyontae Johnson’s future uncertain, adding a forward with Felder’s talent instantly improves this roster. Next year, Felder will be a junior.

Who’s next?

With the holes left on this roster, White and his team should not stop pursuing transfer players. The Gators are reportedly in the running to land a couple more players

Jayden Gardner: East Carolina

A last minute addition today for East Carolina transfer Jayden Gardner. He tells @Stockrisers he will zoom with Rutgers’ Steve Pikiell, in addition to LSU and Oklahoma State. https://t.co/sYyi8Tq2Ha

— Jake (@jakeweingarten) April 5, 2021

Another big forward that Florida could potentially add would be huge for coach White’s team. Gardner, another six-foot-seven forward, averaged 18.3 ppg and 8.3 rebounds. According to Gators Wire, Florida has reached out to Gardner. However, so have many other teams. He has already met with some teams on Zoom. Florida is not one of those. Coach White will need to get in touch with him soon if the Gators want to land him.

Myreon Jones: Penn State

Florida could be landing another productive guard very soon. Jones has reportedly narrowed his choice down to four schools. Florida is one of them. As a junior this season, Jones averaged 15.3 points per game. He would provide more experience to this team by playing as a senior if he decides to come to Gainesville.

With the addition of McKissic and Felder, the Gators are off to a strong start to rebuilding their team. Adding Gardner and Jones would be a huge accomplishment for coach White and his staff.