Florida basketball lands transfer PG Kyle Lofton, who led nation in minutes per game
Florida men’s basketball coach Todd Golden’s success in the NCAA’s transfer portal continued Friday morning with the addition of St. Bonaventure transfer point guard Kyle Lofton.
The 6-foot-3 Lofton averaged 13.9 points and 5.2 assists per game during his four-year career at St. Bonaventure.
From the moment the Hillsdale, New Jersey, native stepped on campus, Lofton became a consistent presence in the starting lineup for the Bonnies, with 116 starts during his time with the program. With one season of collegiate eligibility remaining, Lofton will now complete his career in the Southeastern Conference with the Gators.
“We are excited to bring Kyle into our program here at Florida,” Golden said. “Kyle has experienced a lot of success both from a team and individual standpoint during his time at St. Bonaventure. He’s a proven winner and leader. He makes others around him better and cares only about one thing: winning.”
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Addition of Kyle Lofton gives Gators third point guard
While shooting 42.1 percent from the field, Lofton earned All-Atlantic 10 honors in each of the past three seasons. Lofton has scored 20 or more points in 16 contests during his career, including a career-high 32 points on two occasions during the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season.
He entered the transfer portal as one of the top targets available after accruing 1,613 points and 604 assists with the Bonnies. While not a prolific shooter from beyond the arc, Lofton is considered to be an intelligent ball-handler who limits mistakes and contributes at both ends of the court.
His role at Florida may be uncertain, but Lofton also is accustomed to a heavy workload. Lofton’s average of 38.1 minutes-per-game over the past four seasons is the highest usage by any player in Division I men’s college basketball.
The addition of Lofton gives the Gators a third point guard behind signee Denzel Aberdeen and fellow transfer Trey Bonham, though UF isn’t finished filling out the roster. Florida has two scholarships remaining, and the perception is UF continues to push for a signature from Aberdeen’s teammate in the backcourt at Dr. Phillips High, four-star shooting guard Riley Kugel.