Basketball commit Austin Rivers not wavering

By Adam Silverstein
October 2, 2009

Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Florida Gators basketball’s prize 2011 commitment, 5-star combo guard Austin Rivers, was having second thoughts about wearing the Orange & Blue in two seasons.

In an interview with [adjective deleted] columnist Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe, Rivers’ father Doc (who also happens to be the NBA Championship-winning head coach of the Boston Celtics) cleared up the matter.

“I just thought he should look [at other schools], just to make sure,’’ Doc told Ryan. “But [Florida is] where he wants to go. He’s going to Florida. There’s no doubt about that. He’s committed there. He’s a Florida kid.’’

Nevertheless, Austin made a recent visit to Duke, meeting with head coach Mike Krzyzewski – who surely gave him his university’s best pitch. And why wouldn’t Coach K want to pitch a player widely considered to be the best senior guard in the country?

The key now is for Gators’ coach Billy Donovan to keep Rivers interested in Florida over the next year. While Billy D is surely in no danger of losing his job, fans have begun to express displeasure following UF’s two straight NIT appearances. Still, Donovan landed 5-star shooting guard Kenny Boynton and 4-star power forward Erik Murphy in his 2009 recruiting class; both will join the team as freshman this season along with point guard Nimrod Tishman from Israel who was signed after the Gators were shut out by some of the nation’s top point guards. For 2010, Florida lists recently committed 4-star small forward Casey Prather and 4-star center Patric Young as its acquisitions.

2 Comments

  1. Daniel M. says:

    Reload Billy!

    Rivers looks like a middle schooler in that pic. You have to love the pedigree though.

    Sadly I’m looking forward to a fresh start with a non-Calathes team.

    I’ve always found Ryan to be the most palatable of the Sports Reporters Douchecrew. It’s probably only because I hear him Speak much more candidly on LeBatard’s radio show. NO, I don’t watch the Sports Reporters.

  2. I can promise you “palatable” was not the [adjective deleted] in the previous post.

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