Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – "Mad Max" is back atop the Florida all-time scoring chart.
 

Vernon Maxwell, the electrifying guard whose UF career was defined by on-court stardom and off-court controversy, has had his final two seasons of individual statistics restored by the University Athletic Association and now ranks as the No. 1 scorer in Gators' basketball history, as well as the No. 3 all-time scorer in the Southeastern Conference. 
 
"It's time," Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said.

Maxwell, a local phenom out of Gainesville Buchholz High, totaled 2,450 points during his four seasons at Florida (1985-89) – averaging 18.8 per game – and was the catalyst in leading the program to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in its history, including a run to the Sweet 16 during the Gators' inaugural tournament berth in 1987. The 6-foot-4, 180-pounder was a two-time, first-team All-SEC selection. 
 
In his post-UF career, however, Maxwell became a key figure during an NCAA investigation that ultimately placed the Gators' on unsanctioned probation. Florida was forced to vacate three NCAA Tournament victories (two in '87, one in '88) that Maxwell participated in. 
 
But UF's athletic director at the time, Bill Arnsparger, took the extra and unique step of stripping Maxwell – and only Maxwell – of all his individual statistics during those two years, including 1,404 points over 67 games. Among the multitude of NCAA probation cases over the years, Maxwell became the rare player singled out by their respective institution to have their individual stats wiped from the books. 
 
Thirty-five years later, Maxwell's numbers have been reinstated at the urging of Stricklin.
 

"Vernon Maxwell is one of the greatest players ever to wear a Gator uniform. You could not write the history of Florida basketball without him," Stricklin said. "What happened with the program and the NCAA did not change what Vernon accomplished on the court in helping put the Gators on the national basketball map. He earned those points."
 
Maxwell, now 60, got a phone call Tuesday night from UF associate athletics director and basketball administrator Dave Werner informing him the records were being reinstated. Then came a follow-up call Wednesday from Gators coach Todd Golden welcoming the re-crowned scoring champ back into the fold. 
 
"I fell on the floor. I was ecstatic," said Maxwell, who will celebrate the news with former teammates, friends and family (including his 82-year-old mother) in Gainesville when UF players from the past seven decades gather for a reunion this weekend. "Man, I am just so happy. This is a blessing for me and my family. Honestly, I never, ever thought this was going to happen."

At the conclusion of Florida's 2024-25 national-championship season, Maxwell ranked 55th on the program's all-time scoring list with 1,046 points, even without his junior and senior season totals. 
 
Now, the updated record book heading into the '25-26 campaign shows Maxwell – who went on to a 12-year career in the NBA and won two world championships with the Houston Rockets – atop the chart, passing Ronnie Williams (2,090 points from 1980-84) and Kenny Boynton (2,033 from 2009-13) as the only players in program history to score at least 2,000 points. 
 
As for the SEC chart, only LSU's "Pistol" Pete Maravich (3,667 from 1967-70) and Tennessee's Allan Houston (2,801 from 1990-93) have more points than Maxwell, who now sits in the league's all-time top five with Ole Miss' John Stroud (2,328 from 1977-80) and Auburn's Chuck Person (2,311 from 1983-86). 
 
Maxwell's 738 points over 33 games during '86-87 is back at No. 1 on the single-season scoring list, eclipsing the 714 scored over 40 games by Walter Clayton Jr. during the '24-25 NCAA-championship season. Maxwell's 18.8 per-game career scoring average is sixth-highest in program history. 
 

Other key career statistics where Maxwell now shows up in the top five: field goals made (1^st with 921) and attempted (1^st with 1,995); free throws made (4^th/505) and attempted (3^rd/706); steals (1^st/206) and steals per game (5^th/1.58); and points in SEC play (1^st/1,362). 

Maxwell looks back at his college days with mixed emotions – "Ups and downs, man" – but over the years has gained perspective and wisdom. Asked what advice 60-year-old Vernon would give 20-year-old Vernon," Maxwell was candid. And contrite.
 
"I'd tell him, 'Whatever you're doing, do the opposite.' "

CHARTING THE GATORS: UF's updated all-time top 10

Rank	Player	Years	Points
1	Vernon Maxwell	1984-88	2,450
2	Ronnie Williams	1980-84	2,090
3	Kenny Boynton	2009-13	2,033
4	Andrew Moten	1983-87	1,930
5	Udonis Haslem	1998-2002	1,781
6	Erving Walker	2008-12	1,777
7	KeVaughn Allen	2015-19	1,723
8	Stacey Poole	1989-93	1,678
9	Dwayne Schintzius	1986-90	1,624
10	Neal Walk	1966-69	1,600

Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu