Report: Gators get Transfer, While Forward Enters Portal

Florida Gators basketball was busy over the weekend with a player entering the portal while his possible replacement commits.

Former Chattanooga Mocs forward Sam Alexis / Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

The Florida Gators Orange and Blue game may have dominated the headlines in Gainesville over the weekend, but Gators basketball was making news as well.

On Friday, Jacob Rudner of 247Sports reported forward Aleks Szymczyk was entering the transfer portal. Originally from Germany, Szymczyk signed with the Gators with the Class of 2022. The 6'10 power forward saw action in 14 games as a freshman and averaged 2.1 points per game and 1.3 rebounds per game.

A preseason broken foot cost Szymczyk the entire 2023/24 season.

Maybe not coincidentally, news broke on Saturday that the Gators were getting a transfer from former Apopka High star Sam Alexis. On3's Joe Tipton had the news.

"Chattanooga transfer forward Sam Alexis is returning to his home state and has committed to Florida, he tells On3Sports," wrote Tipton on X. "The 6-9 high-upside sophomore averaged 10.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game this season."

Alexis played in 32 games for the Mocs as a freshman. He came off the bench his first season, but he started 32 of 33 games for Chattanooga last year. He shot a healthy 55% from the field last season including 62% inside the arc.

Alexis was originally unrated by both Rivals and 247 out of high school. However, Rivals lists him as a 4-star transfer commitment for the Gators.

SI's Draft Digest had this to say about Alexis in a recent scouting report:

He has good size at 6-foot-9, but is also equipped with a solid frame. From that standpoint, he’s NBA ready. What’s most impressive about Alexis is his efficiency inside the arc. He takes quality shots and scores the ball very effectively near the rim. With that in mind, his jumper does need some work if he’s going to really round out his offensive game. He was solid as a freshman from beyond the arc on very limited attempts, but his ability to convert has fallen off with an increase in volume as a sophomore. - Draft Digest

If there's an achilles heel for Alexis, it would be his free throw shooting. He was just 48% last season.

Outside of simply scoring the ball, Alexis is a solid connector for his size. On any given night, he has the passing upside to lead his team in assists. He is also an excellent rebounder and a consistent double-double threat because of that. - Draft Digest