- Jun 10, 2014
- 20,159
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Founding Member
Best recruiter I've ever seen. If a competent coach had that much talent he'd be winning at the level Wooden did.
An offseason basketball thread
- Thread starter InstiGATOR1
- Start date
- Mar 27, 2016
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I have been as impressed with his coaching as with his recruiting. Every year he has to take a bunch of AAU children and make them play enough defense to win at the high D1 level. For the most part he has done that. The flaw in his strategy is any place but UK a revolving door of players you do not get to see and become attached to for a few years undermines support for the program. I think even at UK that has happened to some extent.
- Jun 13, 2014
- 2,964
- 2,540
Founding Member
Basketball season still keeps my interest, sparks contender enthusiasm and focus on the Tourney Season... so Coach White seems to be doing what it takes for recognition in the League and Nationally. Go Gators!
- Sep 8, 2014
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http://www.gatorcountry.com/florida...max-recruiting-for-florida-gators-basketball/
Updating Lomax recruiting
for Florida Gators basketball
Alex Lomax is one of the most balanced players in the 2018 recruiting class. The 6’0 185lb guard from East High in Memphis, is a player who can get the job done in various ways. Lomax will serve as a well-balanced guard for whatever team lands him in the 2018 class. Lomax recently caught up with GatorCountry.com to talk about his game and his recruiting process.
Lomax plays with extreme toughness and will do whatever it takes to help his team perform at a high level. His defensive ability is one thing that really sticks out when watching him play.
“I’m a tough guard, playmaker, and defender,” Lomax said. “I look to do all I can for my team. Some things I want to improve on are my leadership skills, ball handling, and passing.”
Lomax plays in the EYBL circuit for Team Penny. Team Penny has a record of 5-3 and is currently in third place in Division D. Lomax has been solid so far in EYBL play. He has averaged 11 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. Lomax has been an effective floor general for the talented Team Penny squad.
“The First two sessions have been decent,” he said. “We can do better and I can do better as well. We have a talented team. Ryan Boyce and DJ Jeffries and great players to play with and are very athletic and great overall players. I felt that I played solid defense and made plays on the offensive end.”
Lomax is being patient on the recruiting front at the moment, but says that there is a group of six teams that are recruiting him the hardest. Three of the teams being in the SEC.
“Ole miss, Memphis, Florida, Cincinnati, Vandy, and Temple are showing strong interest,” Lomax said. “All schools are the same at this moment. After this summer I will cut my list and focus more on recruiting.”
Florida has offered several players from the Memphis area. The gators staff has done a good job recruiting that area and has built solid relationships with the area recruits, including Lomax. Lomax has been impressed with Florida and is intrigued by the family atmosphere in Gainesville.
“I love Florida they are a great program and are one big family,” he said. “Coach White and coach [Jordan] Mincy are my main recruiters. They mainly keep telling me that I’m a great kid and that I would be a great fit to the Florida program. I would fit great with Florida. They play my type of style. I pride myself on defense and so does Florida. Florida is just a great program and has a great atmosphere.”
Some key factors for his college decision will be the opportunity for a great education, a winning program, and a family oriented atmosphere. Lomax and Team Penny will be back in action May12th-14th in Atlanta for EYBL session 3.
Updating Lomax recruiting
for Florida Gators basketball
Alex Lomax is one of the most balanced players in the 2018 recruiting class. The 6’0 185lb guard from East High in Memphis, is a player who can get the job done in various ways. Lomax will serve as a well-balanced guard for whatever team lands him in the 2018 class. Lomax recently caught up with GatorCountry.com to talk about his game and his recruiting process.
Lomax plays with extreme toughness and will do whatever it takes to help his team perform at a high level. His defensive ability is one thing that really sticks out when watching him play.
“I’m a tough guard, playmaker, and defender,” Lomax said. “I look to do all I can for my team. Some things I want to improve on are my leadership skills, ball handling, and passing.”
Lomax plays in the EYBL circuit for Team Penny. Team Penny has a record of 5-3 and is currently in third place in Division D. Lomax has been solid so far in EYBL play. He has averaged 11 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. Lomax has been an effective floor general for the talented Team Penny squad.
“The First two sessions have been decent,” he said. “We can do better and I can do better as well. We have a talented team. Ryan Boyce and DJ Jeffries and great players to play with and are very athletic and great overall players. I felt that I played solid defense and made plays on the offensive end.”
Lomax is being patient on the recruiting front at the moment, but says that there is a group of six teams that are recruiting him the hardest. Three of the teams being in the SEC.
“Ole miss, Memphis, Florida, Cincinnati, Vandy, and Temple are showing strong interest,” Lomax said. “All schools are the same at this moment. After this summer I will cut my list and focus more on recruiting.”
Florida has offered several players from the Memphis area. The gators staff has done a good job recruiting that area and has built solid relationships with the area recruits, including Lomax. Lomax has been impressed with Florida and is intrigued by the family atmosphere in Gainesville.
“I love Florida they are a great program and are one big family,” he said. “Coach White and coach [Jordan] Mincy are my main recruiters. They mainly keep telling me that I’m a great kid and that I would be a great fit to the Florida program. I would fit great with Florida. They play my type of style. I pride myself on defense and so does Florida. Florida is just a great program and has a great atmosphere.”
Some key factors for his college decision will be the opportunity for a great education, a winning program, and a family oriented atmosphere. Lomax and Team Penny will be back in action May12th-14th in Atlanta for EYBL session 3.
- Jun 14, 2014
- 5,126
- 4,524
Founding Member
Calipari has a strategy in place that he believes can be successful. He uses the regular season as a way to groom his team of freshmen for the tourney. He has had good success getting to the Final Four and some title games, but only has won one title. The question is... would he be better off with a better strategy? If he recruited some 4* guys that might stay around for 2 or 3 years and gain maturity to play with the freshmen could he win more?
- Jun 24, 2014
- 10,107
- 7,389
Founding Member
How do you say no to all those five stars? I kinda get what you are saying but if you can get 6 of the top 25-30 kids not only are you getting them but someone else IS NOT.
- Jun 14, 2014
- 5,126
- 4,524
Founding Member
I get your point, but your focus should be on building a winning team... sometimes going after guys that can be depth and add leadership will be more valuable and help your team win... that is a coaches job... not to just throw talent together, but to build a winning team... I think that is where he has failed the most.
- Mar 27, 2016
- 4,890
- 3,201
Of course the UF commitment, Alexander, he stole this year is a 4* in the 247 composite ranking (5* in their own rankings) as is one other UK signees this year.
http://247sports.com/Season/2017-Basketball/CompositeTeamRankings
- Mar 27, 2016
- 4,890
- 3,201
Team Penny lists him at 6'1" 180 lbs. In his 8 EYBL games he has not started. His per game and shooting stats through 8 EYBL games are:
22.1 minutes, 11.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.0 turnovers, shooting 37.7% from inside the arc, 41.7% from outside the arc and 69.8% from the FT line.
I am a bit surprised that White is going after a guard this small, but I am glad he seems to understand UF needs a true PG. Lomax only takes about 1.5 3s a game so he is not a prolific shooter from the arc, but unlike Hill he is a threat. His shooting inside the arc is a bit Hill like, but I am not willing to draw any conclusions not having seen him play.
Last edited:
- Jun 13, 2014
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- Nov 9, 2015
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- Sep 8, 2014
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Good article on incoming freshman DeAundrae Ballard:
http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20170508/ARTICLES/170509952/1136
Recruit gets early start on getting better
ATLANTA — Each dawn, incoming 2017 Florida basketball signee DeAundrae Ballard drives 15 minutes from his house to the Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy gym.
Sometimes, Ballard works out alone. Other times, a high school teammate or two will join him.
The 5 a.m. workouts have become part of the 6-foot-6 Ballard’s routine as he prepares for his upcoming freshman season at Florida. Often, the workouts last until 7:30 a.m., then school, then more basketball in the afternoon.
“For me to work out, it had to be early in the morning, because I have a lot of things to do throughout the day,” Ballard said.
The early-rising Ballard could rise to an important contributing role for the Gators next season. A four-star prospect coming out of high school, Ballard’s all-around game has drawn some heady comparisons. Last month, Florida coach Mike White said Ballard’s play reminded him of South Carolina guard and SEC player of the year Sindarius Thornwell. White said he doesn’t expect Ballard to play at Thornwell’s level right away, but given time, he said the Atlanta native could have that kind of impact on both ends of the floor.
“That’s a great comparison,” Ballard said. “I watched him play. I watched him in the Elite Eight. How great he was, strong, physical, he can run the court, has a motor. He doesn’t stop. There are some similarities.”
Growing up, Ballard first thought football or baseball would be his calling. But after sprouting to 6-2 as a sixth-grader and being named most outstanding player at Dwight Howard’s summer basketball camp in Atlanta in seventh grade, Ballard developed a love for basketball.
“I told his mother then that he had potential to be a pro basketball player,” said Dwight Howard Sr., the athletic director at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy and father of the star Atlanta Hawks center. “He always had that drive to get better, to work on his shot, his ballhandling, his defense.”
Ballard averaged 27.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.4 steals in his senior season at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, helping lead the Eagles to the Class A private school state finals.
“I learned a lot,” Ballard said. “I had to take the leadership position, had to lead my team through will, lead them to wins and take them to state. It was hard, rough, we faced a lot of adversity but we pushed through it.”
Ballard committed to Florida in April of 2016 and signed the following November. He took joy in watching UF’s breakthrough second season under White as the Gators reached the Elite Eight in March for the ninth time in school history.
“I was screaming, every game, cheering them on, as if I was there,” Ballard said.
White and his staff made Ballard’s recruitment a priority when they first arrived at UF in 2015. The letters that came from UF, Ballard said, were hand-written. Ballard developed a bond in conversations with Florida assistant coach Jordan Mincy.
“Really it was about life,” Ballard said, “It wasn’t even about basketball, it was off the court because the game is but for so long, after a while, the ball will go flat so you have the other part of life to live.”
Given his size and skillset, Ballard said he feels he’ll be capable of playing multiple positions in college. At 180 pounds, Ballard said he knew he needed to get stronger after visiting with UF’s current players.
“As I observed, I knew I had to work on my body,” Ballard said. “Those guys are strong. Very strong. They stay in the weight room.”
Ballard said he’s also prepared to adapt to White’s defense-first mentality when it comes to earning playing time.
“I love defense,” Ballard said. “Defense shows your character, how much you want it.”
Ballard said his main goal is to be a great teammate in his freshman season and is looking forward to arriving on UF’s campus in late June for the start of the second summer session.
“I’ve been waiting for this all of my life,” Ballard said. “I knew it was the right school when I chose it. I thought about it and everything and took my time and I was patient.”
http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20170508/ARTICLES/170509952/1136
Recruit gets early start on getting better
ATLANTA — Each dawn, incoming 2017 Florida basketball signee DeAundrae Ballard drives 15 minutes from his house to the Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy gym.
Sometimes, Ballard works out alone. Other times, a high school teammate or two will join him.
The 5 a.m. workouts have become part of the 6-foot-6 Ballard’s routine as he prepares for his upcoming freshman season at Florida. Often, the workouts last until 7:30 a.m., then school, then more basketball in the afternoon.
“For me to work out, it had to be early in the morning, because I have a lot of things to do throughout the day,” Ballard said.
The early-rising Ballard could rise to an important contributing role for the Gators next season. A four-star prospect coming out of high school, Ballard’s all-around game has drawn some heady comparisons. Last month, Florida coach Mike White said Ballard’s play reminded him of South Carolina guard and SEC player of the year Sindarius Thornwell. White said he doesn’t expect Ballard to play at Thornwell’s level right away, but given time, he said the Atlanta native could have that kind of impact on both ends of the floor.
“That’s a great comparison,” Ballard said. “I watched him play. I watched him in the Elite Eight. How great he was, strong, physical, he can run the court, has a motor. He doesn’t stop. There are some similarities.”
Growing up, Ballard first thought football or baseball would be his calling. But after sprouting to 6-2 as a sixth-grader and being named most outstanding player at Dwight Howard’s summer basketball camp in Atlanta in seventh grade, Ballard developed a love for basketball.
“I told his mother then that he had potential to be a pro basketball player,” said Dwight Howard Sr., the athletic director at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy and father of the star Atlanta Hawks center. “He always had that drive to get better, to work on his shot, his ballhandling, his defense.”
Ballard averaged 27.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.4 steals in his senior season at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, helping lead the Eagles to the Class A private school state finals.
“I learned a lot,” Ballard said. “I had to take the leadership position, had to lead my team through will, lead them to wins and take them to state. It was hard, rough, we faced a lot of adversity but we pushed through it.”
Ballard committed to Florida in April of 2016 and signed the following November. He took joy in watching UF’s breakthrough second season under White as the Gators reached the Elite Eight in March for the ninth time in school history.
“I was screaming, every game, cheering them on, as if I was there,” Ballard said.
White and his staff made Ballard’s recruitment a priority when they first arrived at UF in 2015. The letters that came from UF, Ballard said, were hand-written. Ballard developed a bond in conversations with Florida assistant coach Jordan Mincy.
“Really it was about life,” Ballard said, “It wasn’t even about basketball, it was off the court because the game is but for so long, after a while, the ball will go flat so you have the other part of life to live.”
Given his size and skillset, Ballard said he feels he’ll be capable of playing multiple positions in college. At 180 pounds, Ballard said he knew he needed to get stronger after visiting with UF’s current players.
“As I observed, I knew I had to work on my body,” Ballard said. “Those guys are strong. Very strong. They stay in the weight room.”
Ballard said he’s also prepared to adapt to White’s defense-first mentality when it comes to earning playing time.
“I love defense,” Ballard said. “Defense shows your character, how much you want it.”
Ballard said his main goal is to be a great teammate in his freshman season and is looking forward to arriving on UF’s campus in late June for the start of the second summer session.
“I’ve been waiting for this all of my life,” Ballard said. “I knew it was the right school when I chose it. I thought about it and everything and took my time and I was patient.”
- Sep 15, 2014
- 10,297
- 14,030
It will be interesting to see where Ballard will/can pick up minutes. Allen, Hudson, and Egor (I'm not attempting his last name) should rotate nicely. Ballard is a bit thin to play the SF forward position, so 10-12 minutes a game at SG would be a great start.
gators4224
Well-Known Member
- Apr 30, 2016
- 636
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- Sep 8, 2014
- 25,447
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Johnson could eventually emerge as a stretch four for UF
Florida signed a forward who could eventually emerge as a legitimate threat from the perimeter in Huntington Prep's Chase Johnson.
http://florida.247sports.com/Bolt/Johnson-could-eventually-emerge-as-a-stretch-four-for-UF-52640359
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida is fresh off an Elite Eight run in coach Mike White's second season, and the Gators will have a few key components to replace.
Forward Devin Robinson is off to the NBA Draft, where he's projected as a potential second-rounder. Replacing his 11.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game won't be easy, but the Gators feel good about some of their options.
"Chase Johnson is a quick-footed, bouncy, versatile athlete that's extending his range," coach Mike White said. "In time can be more of a pure stretch four than what he is now. He's developing his offensive game."
A 2017 signee, Johnson is a 6-foot-8, 205-pound prospect. He projects in a similar role as Robinson, though he may not quite be the same shooter from outside right now.
That's something White and the Gators hope to add to his repertoire as he continues to develop.
Rated a four-star prospect by the 247Composite, an industry-generated recruiting ranking, Johnson committed to White back in October.
He'll be part of a four-man class that should help shore up the roster moving forward.
"Another guy with good intangibles," White said. "Another culture guy. Good kid. I like his toughness as well. Plays hard, got a good motor."
Florida signed a forward who could eventually emerge as a legitimate threat from the perimeter in Huntington Prep's Chase Johnson.
http://florida.247sports.com/Bolt/Johnson-could-eventually-emerge-as-a-stretch-four-for-UF-52640359
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida is fresh off an Elite Eight run in coach Mike White's second season, and the Gators will have a few key components to replace.
Forward Devin Robinson is off to the NBA Draft, where he's projected as a potential second-rounder. Replacing his 11.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game won't be easy, but the Gators feel good about some of their options.
"Chase Johnson is a quick-footed, bouncy, versatile athlete that's extending his range," coach Mike White said. "In time can be more of a pure stretch four than what he is now. He's developing his offensive game."
A 2017 signee, Johnson is a 6-foot-8, 205-pound prospect. He projects in a similar role as Robinson, though he may not quite be the same shooter from outside right now.
That's something White and the Gators hope to add to his repertoire as he continues to develop.
Rated a four-star prospect by the 247Composite, an industry-generated recruiting ranking, Johnson committed to White back in October.
He'll be part of a four-man class that should help shore up the roster moving forward.
"Another guy with good intangibles," White said. "Another culture guy. Good kid. I like his toughness as well. Plays hard, got a good motor."
- Sep 15, 2014
- 10,297
- 14,030
Get Johnson up to about 220 and that is a good size.
- Mar 27, 2016
- 4,890
- 3,201
I see mop up minutes only for him this season, but I would be happy to be wrong. I see him as a SG and the comparison to Thornwell is that to a SG. I see the frosh this year by position as:
PG: Okauru
SG: Ballard
SF: Johnson
PF: Bassett
C: Stokes
That is really a nice well rounded group where each of them can get the attention they need. I do not like when a recruiting class is doubled up in one position because quickly one guy gets ahead and the other guy is looking to transfer.
- Sep 15, 2014
- 10,297
- 14,030
Stokes is a bit short for center I think. Gak and Hayes will share minutes there.
