Gators Urban Klavzar to Bring Further International Experience to Team

The Florida Gators love their international talent, and this slovenian point guard is no exception with his experience

The Florida Gators' should expect point guard Urban Klavzar to being solid experience to the team / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden has constantly opted for international prospects during his time as a head coach. So, it was no surprise when he signed a trio of new players who began their basketball journey outside of the United States this past offseason. 

And while the most important of the three might be transfer center Rueben Chinyelu, don’t count out point guard Urban Klavzar just yet.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Jonathan Givony, Klavzar is the eighth-best international newcomer for the NCAA men’s basketball 2024-25 season. Moreover, one of them loves the offensive game he brings to the team. 

“The 20-year-old has polished scoring instincts and dynamic shot-making prowess,” Givony said. “(Klavzar) is also capable of creating shots for himself and others.” 

What’s also interesting about him is that he is a 20-year-old freshman. But despite being a freshman, he will still be one of the most experienced first-years out there. 

Klavzar comes to Gainesville with a ton of experience already under his belt having made his Euroleague debut at the age of 17 with top Spanish side Real Madrid. In his debut game with Real Madrid, he scored 10 points in 23 minutes of action. 

The guard has also made appearances for his national team on many occasions. 

He competed in the 2024 Under-20 Eurobasket tournament for his home country, Slovenia, and earned All-Tournament honors. At this tournament, he averaged 16.1 points per game and shot a respectable 38.3 percent from behind the arc. Additionally, Klavzar made competitive appearances with the Slovenian senior national team in the 2023 World Cup European Qualifying games. 

This is a lot of professional experience for someone who will be beginning their first college year on the Gators bench. His background would also make the minutes where Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin are on the bench a little bit more comfortable for Golden knowing he’s not throwing a relatively inexperienced player on the court to run an offense. 

However, the one downside this summer for Klavzar is that he hasn’t been able to participate in the scrimmages the Gators have had with other schools. 

According to Gators senior writer Chris Harry, “he has not been cleared for participation by the NCAA.”

Either way, if and when he does get cleared to play for the Gators, they will be getting a great scoring guard that helps bolster the depth of an already very talented guard unit.