BREAKING NEWS: Five-star SG Bradley Beal commits to Florida Gators basketball

By Adam Silverstein
November 30, 2009

Five-star shooting guard Bradley Beal (St. Louis, MO), the No. 7 overall recruit in the nation according to Rivals, announced Monday afternoon that he has decided to attend the University of Florida and commit to play college basketball for the Florida Gators in 2011. Beal (6’3”, 180 lbs.) chose the Gators over the Kansas Jayhawks, Duke Blue Devils, Missouri Tigers, Illinois Illini, Ohio State Buckeyes and St. Louis University.

Averaging 23.5 points per game during his sophomore season, Beal shined as he led the U.S. under-16 team to a gold medal in the FIBA Americas Championship in Argentina last summer. He joins a 2011 recruiting class that already includes fellow five-star SG Austin Rivers (Winter Park, FL) and three-star point guard De’Ante Saunders (Deland, FL).

“Really, it’s the whole coaching staff from Coach [Billy] Donovan to Coach [Rob] Lanier to Coach [Richard] Pitino and Coach [Larry] Shyatt that makes Florida so attractive,” Beal said. “They have a real passion for winning and I like the way they work hard together. They really wanted me and want me to be a key factor to the team in the future. I really like the way Coach Donovan brings out the best in you. I think he really wants you to succeed and I think he really cares about his players.”

Beal’s ability to play up-tempo basketball and get open in transition makes him an attractive addition to the 2011 class. Donovan got an early look at Beal after the shooter attended his Elite Camp last year. If nothing changes, Beal will sign his National Letter of Intent with the Gators in November 2010.

Join The
Discussion

Your email address will not be published.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

Top
WordPress Appliance - Powered by TurnKey Linux