Two SEC backcourts got stronger today

A day after Tennessee strengthened its frontcourt with a five-star power forward, two of Kentucky’s other in-conference basketball rivals filled point guard openings in their respective backcourts.

At LSU, new head coach Matt McMahon convinced Adam Miller to step away from the transfer portal and return to Baton Rouge. Miller is the twelfth player McMahon has added/returned since LSU’s entire roster was dismantled upon Will Wade’s firing earlier this spring.

Then in Gainesville, Florida hit the portal for point guard help with the addition of Kyle Lofton, a graduate transfer out of St. Bonaventure. Lofton joins VMI transfer Trey Bonham as the Gators’ new PG options for Tyree Appleby in 2022-23.

Florida adds three-time All-Atlantic 10 point guard

Before his Friday commitment to Florida, Kyle Lofton was named All-Atlantic 10 three years in a row as the primary ballhandler and distributor for 2021 A-10 champion St. Bonaventure. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 38.1 minutes per game in four seasons for the Bonnies with averages of 13.9 points and 5.2 assists per game for his entire career.

Lofton is the Gators’ fourth offseason acquisition by way of the transfer portal, in addition to his aforementioned point guard competition, Bonham from VMI.

Adam Miller’s return to LSU

A familiar name to Kentucky fans, Adam Miller didn’t see what he liked in the portal and on Friday announced he will return to LSU for a second season. Kentucky’s connection to Miller is through his first trip to the portal in the spring after his freshman season at Illinois, where he was coached by both Orlando Antigua and Chin Coleman. Through that relationship, Miller was at one time a candidate to fill a need in Kentucky’s backcourt a year ago, but he ultimately landed at LSU instead.

Once he got to LSU, Miller suffered a torn ACL that cost him the entire 2021-22 season. Before the injury, he was a four-star high school prospect who started in 31 games for Illinois in his true freshman season.

Miller, if healthy, will be one of LSU’s better players. He and fellow guards Justice Williams and Mwani Wilkinson are the only three Tigers back from last year’s LSU team, although all three visited the portal.