Jumpin' Johnson!
Monday, July 9, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
Freshman hits 41.5 inches on vertical jump.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — When he signed with Florida last fall, Keyonte Johnson was billed as one of the elite athletes in his recruiting class, and was armed with a reputation as a high-flyer to match.
The freshman forward reported to the Gators as advertised.
Johnson, the 6-foot-5, 209-pounder from Norfolk, Va., went through his orientation assessment — height, weight, body composition, etc. — with the strength and conditioning staff Sunday and got everyone's attention when he popped a 41.5-inch vertical jump that rated among the best UF coordinator Preston Greene had ever seen. The next-closest performance Greene could recall that resembled the leap Johnson executed came when he was an assistant at Arizona in 2000.
"Richard Jefferson," Greene said.
Before anyone starts comparing Johnson to a former lottery pick and 18-year NBA veteran, slow the roll. Greene, who is not one to dabble in hyperbole, was referencing a past experience as an example of the rarity of such a jump. That's a good thing, and a really cool thing, but not much more than that.
Or as UF assistant coach Darris Nichols put it, "Means he can jump high."
Here's how it went down: Gators assistant strength coach Ryan Hornstra set the tabs on the Vertec stand. The highest it extended was 12 feet. Johnson, with a one-step approach, skied and slapped the top tab. For context, that equated to six inches above the marked square on a backboard.
Johnson maxed out, with some room to spare.
And as long as we're talking assessment numbers, Johnson was measured with a 7-foot wingspan. His arm length, obviously contributed to that vertical jump. I'm sure this will be referenced again (ideally, by Mike White), but Johnson looks really, really good in a defensive stance.
Now, about that jump ... check it out below.
SENIOR UF (AND SEC) LEADER
A month after opting to return for his senior season, swingman Jalen Hudson just took on more responsibility for his senior season.
Hudson joined swimmer Abigail Howell, football players Fred Johnson and Jeremiah Moon, plus women's basketball player Corey Staples during last week's Southeastern Conference Student-Athlete Leadership Council and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee meetings in Birmingham, Ala. Leadership councils for the sports of football and men's and women's basketball, along with the league's longstanding advisory committee, provide opportunities to engage with campus leaders and conference office staff.
Last year, it was center Kevarrius Hayes, along with women's basketball standout Haley Lorenzen, who repped the hoop teams. In addition to leading the Gators in scoring last season at 15.5 points per game, Hudson figures to be a strong presence in the locker room alongside his two fellow seniors, Hayes and KeVaughn Allen.
