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Florida guard Urban Klavzar (7) fires a 3-pointer against South Carolina on Feb.15, 2025 at the O'Connell Center. [Matthew Lewis/WRUF]

Urban Klavzar Set to Step Up for Gators Men’s Basketball

By

October 8, 2025

With the Florida men’s basketball team losing its top four guards in Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard, Alijah Martin and Denzel Aberdeen, back court minutes are up for the taking.

Aberdeen, the first guard off the bench last year, had impactful starts when Martin and Clayton went down due to injury. He transferred to Kentucky in the offseason. With the addition of Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland, last season’s starters have been replaced. The biggest question mark for the 2025-26 campaign is who is going to play those 10 to 15 minutes where Fland and Lee need to rest.

Slovenian guard Urban Klavzar saw limited minutes last season as a freshman. Against No. 1 Auburn, he hit three huge 3-point shots in 17 minutes of action to fuel the upset without Martin. Despite some standout performances, he never had a comfortable role.

Klavzar is no stranger to the big stage, playing professionally for Slovenia in FIBA. With a year to adjust to SEC physicality, Klavzar is in a position for more minutes in year two.

“It would be really nice if I got consistent minutes this year, because it is not easy the minutes that I was getting last year,” Klavzar said. “You don’t really know when you’re going in to the game, but that doesn’t really matter. You always gotta be ready to compete. So, Yeah, it would be nice.”

Defensive Concerns

There is no doubt that Klavzar can shoot the rock. A possession that ends in a Klavzar 3 is a high-percentage outcome. What can prohibit Klavzar from a consistent role off the bench are his defensive shortcomings.

At only 6 foot 1, Klavzar is undersized compared to SEC foes. He also struggled with agility, often getting beat off the dribble by shifty first steps from guards like Tahaad Pettiford and Jeremiah Fears. Opposing coaches attacked Klavzar with isolations when he entered the game, putting pressure on Florida coach Todd Golden to put in the 3-point specialist in close games.

The addition of two physical and quick guards in Fland and Lee is only helping Klavzar address his defensive concerns by going toe-to-toe with them at practice.

“They’re (Fland and Lee) really fast. I think they’re one of the fastest I’ve guarded or played against,” Klavzar said. “They’re really shifty. So, it pushes me to be a better defender, of course, so I can also get quicker guarding.”

Other Back Court Additions

Klavzar is not the only guard fighting for these new opportunities. Freshman guard Alex Lloyd has really been turning heads at practice with his scoring ability. He has been going head-to-head with experienced four-year guards like Lee, unafraid to attack them and get buckets.

Lloyd has the ability to hit contested jumpers that Klavzar does not possess. While Klavzar is lethal in the corner, Lloyd has the ability to create his own shot. Because Lee will play point guard while Fland is out of the game, Lloyd has the opportunity to play off the ball, where he thrived in high school.

It will most likely be Klavzar to fill the shoes of first guard off the bench to start the season, the freshman could continue to gain traction as the season goes on if Klavzar continues to struggle defensively.

Regardless of who receives the minutes, both guards are committed to maintaining the excellence that came with last year’s Florida back court.

“Obviously there’s big steps to fill,” Lloyd said. “People are expecting a lot more and we got to give a lot more than people expect. I feel like we have to be able to not only meet that, but excel.”

The Gators begin the regular season Nov. 3 in Las Vegas against Arizona.

Category: Basketball, College Basketball, Feature Sports News, Gators Men's Basketball, NCAA

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