Former Gators Basketball PF Kerry Blackshear Jr. Signs Pro Deal in Israel
While Florida Gators basketball has been relatively quiet lately, former Gators players have been in the news quite a bit during the offseason. Yesterday former power forward Kerry Blackshear Jr. announced via social media that he will be signing with the Hapoel Gilboa Galil, a professional basketball club located in north-east Israel.
At 6-foot-10, 241 pounds, Blackshear was one of the leaders on the Gators frontcourt and was only with the team for one year as a graduate transfer from Virginia Tech. Last season, Blackshear averaged 12.8 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds, tallying eight double-doubles and seven 20-point games.
The Gators will work hard to replace his talents, but in the meantime, Blackshear will be spending his time playing at the professional level, expecting to play a career in the Euro league that has produced several star NBA players in the past.
Blackshear isn't the only former Gators basketball player to sign with the Israelian basketball club. Last month, the club announced that Patric Young would be signing with the club along with other players, adding to their expected roster.
While Blackshear leaving will change the Gators' approach, head coach Mike White feels as though the team will continue to improve, becoming more athletic, pressing more and playing fast.
"It will be as athletic as a team as I’ve ever had the opportunity to coach, as I’ve ever had a team as we’ve had here at Florida in a while," White said in July
"Also, this time of year you always think you’re going to be really deep and you hope you’re saying the same thing midseason. I think this team at least has a chance to be really deep and interchangeable. I'm convicted to press more. We're going to do that, especially early on and evaluate from there."
