Florida Gators get Urban Klavzar clearance after eligibility issues
11/14/2024 04:35 PM
The Florida basketball program is off to a 3-0 start this season despite an ongoing investigation into head coach Todd Golden, which is proof that these Gators, while playing an admittedly soft schedule out of the gate, may be resilient enough to find success in a crowded SEC this season.
Though the Florida State Seminoles are not the program they once were under head coach Leonard Hamilton, they do represent the toughest test that Florida has faced in the opening weeks of the season. On Friday night, the Gators will head across state to Tallahassee to take on the Noles, and they’ll be getting a boost from what is expected to be the debut of Slovenian guard Urban Klavzar, who has been ruled eligible by the NCAA and cleared for action, according to Golden (h/t Jacob Rudner of 247 Sports).
The 20-year-old Klavzar has missed the first three games of the season due to an eligibility battle stemming from his pro status in Europe over the last three seasons. Last year, Klavzar played in the second division of the Spanish basketball league system, and spent the summer playing for the Slovenian National Team at the Under-20 European Championship. However, with the NIL allowing for players to be paid by schools and boosters, there’s really no reason why a player like Klavzar should have to sit.
The Gators are hopeful that Klavzar, who was the 211th-ranked player in the Class of 2024, will be able to provide a boost to their three-point shooting. In the opening three games of the season, Florida is shooting just 26 percent from deep. In the U20 European Championship, Klavzar shot 39 percent from three-point range. He should settle in nicely as a secondary ball-handler behind All-SEC performer Walter Clayton Jr.
Clayton was a 37 percent shooter from three-point range in his first season with the Gators last year. Prior to arriving in Gainesville, Clayton shot 41 percent from downtown in two seasons at Iona. The other two members of the Florida Gators backcourt, Will Richard and FAU transfer Alijah Martin, have started the season a combined 8-for-33 from distance.
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