Florida Basketball: How does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's de-commitment impact the Gators?
Florida basketball now has only two commitments in the class of 2017.
Beyond the Kentucky Wildcats, the SEC is looking like a glorified mid-major in 2016-17. There is no clear cut second NCAA Tournament team in the league, as programs like Texas A&M, South Carolina and Vanderbilt lost key pieces to the puzzle.
Back when Billy Donovan was in the fold, the Florida Gators were that second team. They challenged Kentucky, were a perennial NCAA Tournament team and featured star players like Bradley Beal.
In order for the Gators to get back to their old ways under second-year head coach Michael White, they must reel in high quality four and five-star recruits.
The Gators had three four-star recruits locked up in the class of 2017, however, White lost his most elite prospect on Monday. Four-star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander de-committed from Florida, re-opening his recruitment before the 2016-17 season.
The 6’5″, 175 pound Tennessee native is ranked 44th in ESPN’s top 100 for the class of 2017 and is labeled as the 10th best point guard in the class.
Florida will remain an option for Gilgeous-Alexander, but there will surely be multiple major schools across the country that are expected to express interest in his services. Gilgeous-Alexander has excellent size and length for a lead guard. He knows how to find his way into the lane because of his craftiness, quickness and ability to finish over length.
While Gilgeous-Alexander is a capable scorer, he is also a very unselfish playmaker who maintains solid vision and good instincts for the game. Even though he isn’t consistent from long range, tends to turn the ball over in bunches and is lacking strength, he is a high-major guard who should play a strong role for a team immediately in 2017.
With Kasey Hill and Canyon Barry having only one year of eligibility remaining, the Gators were hoping that Gilgeous-Alexander could become the future of their backcourt. KeVaughn Allen and Chris Chiozza will still be in the fold next year, while Virginia Tech transfer Jalen Hudson will become eligible, but none of those players are true point guards.
Now, White and company will have to search for another lead guard, whether it’s on the recruiting trail or the transfer market. Four-star shooting guard DeAundre Ballard and four-star power forward Chase Johnson are the lone players remaining in Florida’s 2017 recruiting class. But again neither Ballard or Johnson are top-50 prospects who have the ability to be one of the faces of the program for years to come.
To count out Florida as a team that could potentially challenge Kentucky in years to come because they lost Gilgeous-Alexander would be unfair. But White has some work to do to catch up with Auburn and Mississippi State, who look like stronger future options.
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