Kerry Blackshear
In a move that is sure to shake up the landscape of the SEC next season, the Florida Gators have landed Virginia Tech transfer Kerry Blackshear Jr.
Blackshear, the #1 ranked graduate transfer recruit according to ESPN, announced on his Instagram account Wednesday his decision. On Instagram, Blackshear said, “My next chapter will begin in Gainesville, Florida.”
Besides Florida, Blackshear also was considering Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky. Blackshear was also considering a potential return to Virginia Tech.
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Blackshear had entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal back in April. At the same time, Blackshear also entered his name in the NBA Draft. The feelers that Blackshear put out did not return results that satisfied Blackshear, prompting him to return to college basketball next season. It seems like a longshot, however, that no team in either round would not have elected to draft Blackshear at some point. Blackshear, according to sources, was expected to keep his name in the draft but withdrew it just hours before the deadline in May.
A 6’10” power forward, Blackshear averaged 14.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last season for the Hokies. In Virginia Tech’s Sweet 16 loss against the Duke Blue Devils, Blackshear finished with 18 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Blackshear is immediately eligible to play for the Gators, stemming from being medically redshirt during the 2016-2017 season because of a leg injury. Blackshear played the first three seasons of his collegiate career for Virginia Tech.
Blackshear is surprisingly the third Virginia Tech player to transfer to Florida in recent years, following the footsteps of Dorian Finnley-Smith and Jalen Hudson. At Florida, Blackshear joins an elite class recruited by head coach Mike White consisting of Scottie Lewis, Tre Mann, and Omar Payne. For a Gators team who struggled last season after somewhat of a rebirth under White the prior season, happy times look once again to be returning to Gainesville.
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