Florida basketball lands star transfer Kerry Blackshear Jr., eligible for 2019-20 season

By Adam Silverstein
June 26, 2019
Florida basketball lands star transfer Kerry Blackshear Jr., eligible for 2019-20 season
Basketball

Image Credit: ESPN Images

After months of hand-wringing and decision making, star Virginia Tech graduate transfer Kerry Blackshear Jr. has decided to continue his collegiate basketball career with the Florida Gators. A former four-star prospect from Orlando, Florida, the power forward will return to the Sunshine State to suit up for the Gators for whom he will utilize his final year of eligibility, OnlyGators.com has confirmed.

Blackshear, who later announced his formal decision, chose Florida over Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas A&M. He also reportedly considered returning to Virginia Tech for the 2019-20 season after entering but pulling his name out of the 2019 NBA Draft.

“My next chapter will begin in Gainesville, Florida. #GoGators,” he wrote on Instagram.

Now at 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds, Blackshear was ranked the 121st overall prospect in the Class of 2015 and certainly lived up to the hype during his time with the Hokies. He averaged about 15 points, 7.5 rebounds and a block in 30 minutes per game last season, posting nine double-doubles on the campaign.

And if a Virginia Tech star transferring to Florida sounds familiar, that’s because it has happened frequently in just the last few years. Blackshear follows Dorian Finney-Smith and Jalen Hudson in highly sought after transfers who ultimately chose to continue their careers at UF.

In joining the Gators, Blackshear will enter the program alongside an influx of top-tier talent, including five-stars forward Scottie Lewis (No. 7 nationally) and point guard Tre Mann (No. 20), not to mention four-star center Omar Payne (No. 43). Florida will also have three-stars C Jason Jitoboh, PG Ques Glover and transfer SF Anthony Duruji jumping aboard.

That group will not be operating on its own, either, as it joins a star-studded returning sophomore class — PG Andrew Nembhard, guard Noah Locke and F Keyontae Johnson — along with some returning upperclassmen expected to improve in their final year or two with the program.

Blackshear’s decision was first reported by Stadium’s Jeff Goodman and CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish.

One Comment

Leave a Reply to Michael J. Duggar Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Top
WordPress Appliance - Powered by TurnKey Linux