Photo: Kyle Lofton; Credit: Zach Goodall
Former Gators guard Kyle Lofton inked a deal with Kouvot in the Korisliiga Finnish Basketball League for the next step of his basketball career on Friday.
"It's on," Lofton said in a post to Twitter, confirming the move.
Lofton began his collegiate run at St. Bonaventurequickly, starting at point guard in all 34 games as a true freshman. The high-level usage continued in the ensuing years, never seeing action as a nonstarter for the Bonnies to record 13.9 points, three rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game in 116 outings.
He stood atop college basketball in minutes played since the 18-19 season, commanding 38.1 minutesper game during his time with the Atlantic 10 program.
Following the four-year stint in Olean (N.Y.), Lofton entered the transfer portal looking to increase his level of competition in his final year of collegiate eligibility.
Florida — searching for a true point guard to operate newly minted head coach Todd Golden's offense in his inaugural season with the team — lured Lofton to campus in May 2022 alongside his former Bonnies teammates, forward Osun Osunniyi, for an official visit.
Lofton's initial intentions as a transfer were to stay in the northeast near his hometown, Hillside, N.J. However, the trek to Gainesville helped the Gators lock down a vital backcourt piece to Golden's puzzle in the 2022-23 campaign.
He served as a starter in all but one of the 31 games he appeared in, averaging 8.7 points on 41.4% shooting from the field, 3.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals per contest. Lofton saw his ups and downs in year one, but fulfilled the projected role as a steady hand in the backcourt to operate Florida's system. His facilitation efforts aided the Gators to the limited success in 2022-23.
Now, after a one-season stay at the University of Florida, the 6-foot-3, 186-pound floor general will head to Finland to begin what he hopes will be a prosperous international pro career.
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