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Gators Basketball Freshmen Duo Making Early Noise

Originally posted on Florida Gators on SI
By Kyle Lander  |  Last updated Oct 1, 2025 1:12 PM ET

Todd Golden signed his two highest-ranked recruits as the Florida Gators head coach in the 2025 cycle. CJ Ingram finished as 247Sports’ No. 19 overall prospect in the 2025 class, while Alex Lloyd ended as the No. 41 overall prospect.

It was a clear evolution for Golden, who has heavily relied upon the transfer portal to construct his team. 

This slight adjustment from Golden is starting to look like a beneficial one for the Gators, as well. Both Ingram and Lloyd have been impressing their coaches and teammates since their arrivals, with one of them giving his peers confidence that he could make an early impact this season. 

“I love their confidence,” center Micah Handlogten said. “I mean, you have CJ, who’s just a physically dominant player, and then Alex is so shifty, so quick, and can get to his shot in every way, shape or form, he really wants to.”

Ingram, a 6-foot-6, 200-pound wing, played in 27 games as a senior for high school basketball powerhouse Montverde Academy (Fla.), averaging 12.6 points per game, 6.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals. 

Although the numbers look good on paper, he struggled from the outside, connecting on just 22 percent of his 3-point attempts, and from the free-throw line, making only 61 percent of his free-throw attempts. 

Inside the arc, though, he is showing flashes of what he can be. From the Gators' latest practice, Ingram showcased a tough fadeaway jumper over the outstretched arms of transfer AJ Brown. 

He projects to make an early impact defensively with much more room to grow on the offensive end of the court. 

Meanwhile, Lloyd's three-level scoring that got him to campus. 

Across four years with Westminster Academy (Fla.), the 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard scored 22.3 points per game on 51/42/83 shooting splits. His best year came in the final one with the high school program. During his senior season, he averaged 27.9 points per game in 27 games played on 50/42/87 shooting splits. 

Taking that next step up to college is not always easy for freshmen, though, especially for ones who have a slighter frame like Lloyd. However, his size has not deterred him from impressing his head coach. 

“He's practiced really, really well. I'm not sure what exactly his role is going to be, but he's given us confidence that he can help us a little bit,” Golden said. “Alex coming in, being a little slight and just never been at this level before, you wonder how long, especially for a guard, it's going to take him to adjust. But he's played with a lot more poise and calmness than we thought he would.”

Additionally, Lloyd has benefited from the addition of Boogie Fland, who he plays across in practice. While Fland is primarily known for his playmaking talents on the offensive end, he also packs a punch on the defensive end, giving the freshman a challenge each day. 

“Boogie has shown to be one of the better on-ball defenders we've been around in a while,” Golden said. “Just for Alex to have to go against that every day in practice, and he's hanging on to his guts, and he's competing the right way. We think he has a chance."

The roles for these two might be small in the early goings, but the talent is clearly there. If they make a noticeable impact in their time on the court, then it is easy to see a pathway to more minutes as the season progresses.

This article first appeared on Florida Gators on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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