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The Florida Gators have made a lot of headway on the recruiting trail under Mike White — and while those successes have made for expectations that White’s program hasn’t always met on the court, they have also begotten little other than more success in recruiting, something seen again on Thursday, as top-50 2021 wing Kowacie Reeves announced his commitment to the Gators on Twitter.
All GLORY to GOD, #committed!
— Kowacie Reeves, Jr. (@wacie_wacie) April 30, 2020
Thanks to all the coaches that recruited me and to everyone that has helped me throughout this process. Your time and interest in my future is much appreciated. This is just the beginning, see you soon. I love you all! pic.twitter.com/F2GmHxfH8Z
Reeves, who sits at No. 67 in the 247Sports Composite rankings for the class of 2021, has reputations as both a high-level athlete and an elite shooter. And while his highlights aren’t exactly going to be winning awards for editing, they do show easy bounce from the lanky Reeves on his dunks, and a sweet, quick shot.
Florida nabbed Reeves’s commitment over finalists Georgia Tech and Stanford; Reeves, who attends Westside High School in Macon, Georgia, also drew interest from the in-state Bulldogs, Alabama, Arkansas, Seton Hall, and Tennessee.
Reeves will absolutely need to bulk up before playing big-time college basketball — he’s Devin Robinson-level skinny — but has the height and length to play the wing and could guard either guards or smaller forwards, depending on his development.
He’s Florida’s first commitment in the 2021 class — one which could either end up being massive or tiny, based on what happens for the Gators this year. (More on that tomorrow.) In terms of fit, Reeves would seem to be a possible replacement for some of the things that Scottie Lewis and Tre Mann brought to the floor in 2019-20.
But in terms of what wooed Reeves to Gainesville, it’s clear: Florida’s staff identifying him as a target early enough to issue his first offer — one that he tweeted out in 2018 and had pinned to the top of his Twitter account prior to the drop of his commitment video — and staying on him throughout the recruiting process made the difference.
If those same coaches can find a way to effectively apply that same persistence and care to developing the Gators in their program into a consistent and excellent team, Florida should start reaching for its high ceiling as a men’s basketball program again soon.
That, though, is clearly an open question at present.