Florida Gators
Furman Invitational
Summer Hoops Notes: White's freshmen join the fold
Wednesday, July 1, 2015 | Men's Basketball, Cross Country, Chris Harry
>>> UPDATED <<<
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- When little-known forward Justin Leon signed with Florida last month, the Kansas junior college prospect was hailed as the first Gators recruit of the Michael White era. Technically, that was accurate.
But when White replaced Billy Donovan two months ago, one of his first orders of business was re-recruiting Donovan's incoming recruits; the four incoming freshmen who actually inked to play for Florida thinking were coming to play for the future Hall-of-Famer.
White went 3-for-4 on that endeavor, landing the three players that best fit how the new Gators coach want\s to play. That trio -- guard KeVaughn Allen (right), center Kevarrius Hayes and forward Keith Stone -- reported for the Summer B session last week, began classes this week and tipped off the start of preseason workouts with White and his staff Monday.
All three will have a chance to contribute in some capacity this season, with Leon, the 6-foot-8, 200-pounder from Shawnee Community College where he averaged 21.5 points and 10 rebounds per game, due to arrive for the start of fall semester classes in August.
One of these guys looks like an instant-impact type.
“I think I'm a good player,” said Allen, a soft-spoken kid with a very loud game that twice earned him Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Arkansas. “I play fast, I play hard on offense and defense, and I like to get my teammates involved.”
The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Allen averaged 25.2 points, 6.2 rebounds 4.7 assists in leading North Little Rock to three consecutive Class 7A state titles. He has long arms, a 38 1/2-inch vertical jump, good range from distance and the ability to get his own shot. Candidly, he looks like the Gators' best all-around guard prospect since Bradley Beal arrived in 2011, but this is only individual instruction season (and, no, no one is comparing him to Beal).
Allen, though, is armed with the “quick twitch” athleticism White looks for. His being here, trusting in the new coach and the vision put forth, is a big plus.
"I'm excited," Allen said. "I just want to come to the gym, work as hard as I can and prove to them that I'm here to work and help the team anyway possible."
When Donovan bolted for the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder in April, there were plenty of media outlets reporting Allen would ask out of his national letter-of-intent and throw his name back in the recruiting pool. That's when White went to work.
Like he did with his other incomings, White paid all of them in-person visits, showed them tape of the way his up-tempo, pressing teams played the last four seasons at Louisiana Tech, and went for the hard sell.
“The things he was telling me about the program he runs, the way he would do things, I believed in him. I believed in the system and I thought I would do well,” Allen said. “He talked about how he allows his players to play, get up and down the court, have some freedom. I just felt it would fit me.” 
That pitch worked for Hayes and Stone, also.
“I was a little hesitant at first, but once I got to meet Coach White I saw he was a good guy who had some really good intentions for Florida basketball,” said Hayes (left), the 6-9, 190-pounder who averaged nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds per game at nearby Live Oak (Fla.) Suwannee High. “His plans for me pretty much matched up with Billy D's plans, as far as me being a front-court runner who could pressure the ball. And he said he liked my motor and knew I could run and keep up with his fast-paced offense. Those were things I wanted to hear.”
The 6-8, 240-pound Stone was something of a late-bloomer on the recruiting circuit. He did not sign early, but committed to UF last fall anticipaing scholarship would be there for him in April. It was, but ultimately the coach he committed to was not. 
“Coach White said he would use me similarly to how Coach Donovan was going to use me,” said Stone (right), out of Deerfield Beach, Fla. “I can play inside-out, I can handle the ball and I've got a nice shooting touch. Now, I'm just excited to be here and to finally take the next step.”
That means on-court drills, but also indoctrination into strength and conditioning coordinator Preston Greene's program.
Allen already has a college body (heck, he may even have a defensive back's body) and it will only become more impressive. Hayes needs upper body strength, while Stone has some toning up to do. Their bodies will look much different come October.
Their overall games, too.
“I'm just excited to watch them,” White said. “The first week or so will be more of sitting back and obviously pushing them to work very, very hard, but more than anything else evaluating exactly who they are as players.” 
FREE THROWS: The Gators, of course, went 16-17 last season, marking the program's first losing record since 1998. In 2015-16, in addition to a new coaching staff, Florida will roll out seven players who are either new or did not play a minute on last year's team. Clearly, the new look Gators will extend well beyond White. ... Guard Brandone Francis is one of those new guys. He sat out last fall due to academic reasons and when he was cleared to join the team (for practice only) in December he was around 223 pounds. He's 203 now. He's also 6-5 (with some moxie) and figures to bring a physical presence at the position that's not been seen here in some time. He can also play point guard at that size and last year during practices flashed some spectacular no-look dishes. ... The big men's workout session is a 3-man class of all new guys: Sophomore John Egbunu, the transfer from South Florida who sat out last season, sophomore Schuyler Rimmer, who transferred from Stanford in midseason who turns eligible after the first semester, and Hayes. Egbunu, at 6-11, 250 pounds, is a toy the likes of which White never got to play with at LA Tech. White is intrigued at the prospect of having a big-time post presence in his system. Egbunu averaged 7.4 and 6.5 rebounds as a freshman at USF in '13-14. ... Fourth-year junior swingman DeVon Walker tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last July, so the one-year anniversary of that injury is approaching. Walker, who averaged 2.4 points and 1.2 rebounds off the bench for UF's Final Four team two seasons ago, got a medical redshirt last season. Trainer David “Duke” Werner is pleased with Walker's progress, but is being cautious as far as full-go clearance over the summer. No rush. The focus is full-go come fall. said Wednesday that Walker has been cleared for full-contact activities, including pick-up basketball with teammates. Note: Those who recall the skinny sophomore Walker will be surprised when the new, more filled-out version unveils himself. ... The basketball facility's $1.2 million weight room renovation that began in April is on schedule for completion (above). The area will nearly double its lifting space (with room for additional equipment), plus add a nutrition bar and expanded office space for the strength staff.
