Florida Gators
Michigan
Pat Young coming back, reports say
Friday, March 16, 2012 | Men's Basketball, Women's Swimming & Diving, Chris Harry
OMAHA, Neb. -- Word has it Florida sophomore center Patric Young is returning for his junior season.
Young, the 6-foot-9, 255-pounder from Jacksonville, apparently told reporters at the NCAA West Region Thursday that he no longer is considering leaving UF early for the NBA.
A handful of Twitter items went out after Florida's locker room session with the news about Young, but without any remarks from Young. He was not quoted by any media outlet.
Young put this on his Twitter account -- @BigPatYoung4 -- later in the afternoon:
Not answering any more questions about next year we're focused on the present and playing virginia tomorrow.
Though no one in the basketball program considered the development a surprise -- Young has been leaning toward returning for the better part of the season -- the development was welcomed by UF coach Billy Donovan.
“That's the first that I heard that, so that's always great news,” Donovan said. “I think Patric has learned a lot this year. I don't think this year was as easy for him as he thought it was going to be.”
Over the course of the last several months, Young's name has consistently appeared in mock drafts all over the Internet, with his stock ball-parked anywhere from the mid-teens early in the season, mid- to late-20s later in the season, and now out of the first round altogether is some mocks.
Young is averaging 10.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while shooting 60.8 percent from the floor for the season. Earlier in the season, Young fought through a sprained ankle and some knee tendinitis, but has played some of his best basketball of late, including a 21-point, 9-rebound game in UF's regular-season finale against top-ranked Kentucky.
He'll have a huge challenge today when the 25th-ranked and seventh-seeded Gators (23-10) take on Virginia and their talented forward Mike Scott, the Atlantic Coast Conference runner-up Player of the Year.
“I think Patric realized he's here in college to grow and he's much better today than he was a year ago,” Donovan said. “And I think next year he would be better than he is this season, so I think it's a process for frontcourt guys.”
