Recruiting is a sticky subject. Some stay away from it completely while others become obsessed with it. It’s easy to get excited over the commitment of a big name. Just as easy as it is to want to hurl your computer out the window when you find out someone has changed his mind and committed to a rival. The whole process is a roller coaster for those who follow it and one that cannot truly satisfy until a prospect has signed his letter of intent.
On Wednesday, Florida accomplished the ultimate goal of receiving Bradley Beal’s signed LOI. Beal is Rivals’ #7 overall player and their #2 shooting guard in the 2011 recruiting class. Although he had committed to the Gators a year ago, there is never a guarantee until the player signs his name on the line. Now that Beal has done so, Florida fans can relax and look forward to the future.
The 6’3” guard from St. Louis (Chaminade College Prep School) also considered Duke and Kansas during the recruiting process. Beal has been described as the perfect fit for the Gators and chose Florida in part due to his great desire to play for head coach Billy Donovan. He’s a good shooter with excellent range who should provide the Gators with a dynamic scorer during his time there.
With Beal’s signing, images of recent star guards come to mind. Some who signed with Florida and excelled on the court for the Gators and some who ended up elsewhere:
Nick Calathes, 2007, #14 Overall, #3 Point Guard
Jai Lucas, 2007, #43 Overall, #7 Point Guard
Erving Walker, 2008, #102 Overall, #19 Point Guard
Kenny Boynton, 2009, #12 Overall, #5 Shooting Guard
Brandon Knight, 2010, #6 Overall, #3 Point Guard
Austin Rivers, 2011, #1 Overall, #1 Shooting Guard
* Rankings from Rivals.com.
Nick Calathes came to Florida with high expectations as one of the nation’s premier guards. Although he led the team for his two years as a Gator, his time will always be marked as the NIT years. Calathes had a natural ability to score and was an above-average passer, but never seemed to fully grasp his role in the offense. At times he looked like a distributor and at others he attempted to take over. In close games, Calathes could help Florida as much as he could hurt them. Unhappy with not experience the success he expected, Calathes left the Gators after only two years, but not for the NBA. He went oversees to play in Greece where he hoped to receive more playing time and more money.
Calathes’ time at Florida isn’t remembered positively among Gator fans. Although a player that could take over a game as, more often than not, the most talented player on the court, Calathes had a tendency to force things in tight contests. During many close games, he took ill-advised shots and forced passes that shouldn’t have been made. He was far from a recruiting bust and was the best player on a team in transition, but Calathes’ tenure didn’t quite reach the potential it could have.
Along with Calathes came another point guard as part of the 2007 recruiting class. Jai Lucas looked like he would be another star and eventually could play the point while Calathes developed into a scorer from the shooting guard position. Unfortunately for Lucas, the opposite occurred. As Calathes took over the point guard spot early, Lucas was moved to shooting guard. Unable to fully showcase his abilities as a floor-leader and passer, Lucas lasted only a short time with the Gators. Despite starting every game during his freshman year, Lucas left Florida to be closer to home at Texas.
The year after Calathes and Lucas became Gators, Florida added a pint-sized point guard ranked just outside of the Rivals100. Erving Walker wasn’t a highly-ranked as the others on this list, but was still expected to be a big contributor and get plenty of time as an alternative to Calathes. With Lucas leaving, Walker had a chance to see significant minutes during his first year as a Gator.
During his two seasons at Florida, Walker has been an up-and-down player. At times, he looks like he could lead the team to new heights, and at others turnovers and inconsistent shooting do him in. Entering his junior year, Walker will be expected to solidify the backcourt along with Kenny Boynton and at times the offense will run through him. Walker can be a good player, but needs to be less streaky.
In 2009, the Gators added one of the nation’s top prospects. Boynton came to Florida after receiving offers from just about every big program in the country. He didn’t disappoint as he averaged 14.0 points during his first season. Primarily a scorer, Boynton will be expected to lead the Gators in that area in the 2010-2011 season. He’ll be the player with the ball in his hands late in tight games. If someone is going to take the final shot, it will be Boynton.
Boynton had a good, but rocky first season at Florida. Nothing bad, but what you would typically expect from a freshman playing significant minutes from the start. He may have saved his best for last. In the first-round NCAA Tournament loss to BYU, Boynton scored 27 points, carrying the Gators late. That performance alone has fans looking forward to his future.
After adding Boynton to the mix, Donovan wanted nothing more than to bring his friend and sometimes nemesis Brandon Knight to Gainesville as well. Although a year behind Boynton, Knight could play the point while Boynton took shooting guard duties, giving Florida one of that country’s best one-two combinations.
Knight heavily considered becoming a Gator and would have been a big boost to an already solid 2010 recruiting class, but in the end the lure of playing for John Calipari was just too much. After seeing Calipari send Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, and John Wall to the NBA, Knight wanted to play at Kentucky for the man that seemed destined to make him a top draft pick.
Moving on to this recruiting cycle, the Gators are smiling with the addition of Beal. When he arrives at Florida, he will play immediately and provide a spark as a scorer. While signing Beal is great news, it could have only been topped by holding on to Austin Rivers.
Rivers, the nation’s top prospect, was committed for Donovan and the Gators for a time. He wanted to come to Florida and Florida definitely wanted him. Over time, there was talk that Rivers wasn’t 100% sure of his decision. He wanted to look around and eventually dropped the Gators entirely. Despite looking elsewhere, Rivers still mentioned Florida among his finalists for a time, but that too would fade. In the end, Rivers decided on Duke over Kansas and UNC.
Even before the National Championships, the Gators were able to bring in top prospects. The desire to play at Florida will always be there and it’s good to see the Gators in it with some of the nation’s top recruits year after year. Of course, it’s even better when they sign.