This is disgusting to me. I am sick of this NIL crap, one year here next year gone. The money now is way too big. Way to big to pass up. There is no loyalty to a college....but the real question is based on the money, should there be? People leave from job to job based today, mostly on pay. $200,000, get $250k offer, bye, stay 2 years, get $325k offer, adios. The college amateur, for the most part, system worked for years. Today it does NOT work at all. Virtually ALL college football, basketball, and to a small degree baseball players are merely one year free agents. So be it.
Here I ws thinking that even if Lee wasn't a great defender, at least we had a 6'-5" 2-guard who was an elite defender, could score at the rim and could shoot the three. Although there is plenty of time to pick up a another guard in the portal, if we couldn't afford to keep him, then how could we afford to get anyone else that is just as good? Wouldn't they command the same amount of money? Going to have to hope Brown steps up and becomes a big time player at the 2, but guard depth definitely took a hit.
This is the type of situation that will cause TG to leave college soon rather than later, if the opportunity presents itself.
That's why I think this is Golden's opportunity to make very clear how he wants to run his program. He has earned the right to do it his way. Take kids who want to be here, don't overpay, and take a lump or two next year. Commit to retaining and developing the kids you have, hit the prep recruiting trail, and target international kids who want the opportunity. Don't compete in an inflated transfer market. We should still be a competitive team. If we are fortunate enough to get Condon, Chinyelu, and Haugh (assuming he tests the waters) back, then those guys plus Lee, Klavzar, the Brown brothers, and Handlogten is actually a pretty solid start. You still have Ingram and Lloyd, in the event one or both can compete for minutes. That's 6 returning players, 2 portal kids, and 2 talented freshmen (makes for 2 seniors, 5 juniors, 1 sophomore, and 2 frosh), which is a terrific foundation in this day and age. I also think the quality of ball with so many transfers is going to be much poorer across the board. Largely new rosters being cobbled together. Kids will be upset about their compensation, demanding more playing time/shot attempts to market themselves for the future. If a kid as devoted to Florida and this staff as Aberdeen is willing to leave, I can't imagine the level of commitment most of these transfers will have to their new programs, coaches, and teammates. Lack of continuity, development, unselfishness will be worse than we have ever seen, IMO.
The schools are trying to find a loophole at every corner, and they are failing. The answer is run a legitimate business if you want guard rails.
If its money, choices have been made. We just won a ship without any 5* guys. That was a team effort from bluecollar kids.
I can't fathom, not taking the opportunity to run it back if our bigs all return. maybe he is concerned our bigs don't return. With Denzel Aberdeen we would have been a strong team with depth -- not sure we win the title without Aberdeen, dude could have come a gator legend with another year
The portal giveth and the portal taketh away. I like him but I don’t think Aberdeen is worth $2 million. Golden has to be wise with the money he has.
My buddy has a shirt that says "I'm not gay, but $20 is $20". Some of us have some loyalties (and more self respect than my buddy, lol) , but not many would turn down a million bucks.
Agree completely. I know you and I are getting long in the tooth and the nostalgia bug kicks in.....but this news really hit me in the gut. I felt like we were building something a little but more stable with some of our younger guys growing into roles and waiting their turn. Was really excited to see Zel continue to grow just like I was excited when Casey Prather blossomed.
Agree, it is a gut punch regardless, especially given Zel's loyalty to the program and it was going to finally be his year.
I think two things can be true: You can be disappointed for the state of college basketball while also accepting that it is a no brainer for these kids to chase life changing money. I'm firmly in the camp that it was necessary for kids to get paid and that the changes that occurred have largely ruined what was exciting about college basketball. At the end of the day I think we are headed for what will ultimately be NBA Lite (full free agency without contracts with an inferior actual product) and at that point I'm not sure how much I will watch.
Prather is my all-time favorite player bc of that journey… and, as a fan, being witness. Zel had a very similar trajectory. And given the environment … was even more a unicorn. Really bummed.
100%. As much as I love the 04's and love this team that just finished, the 13-14 team will always be my favorite. It was the epitome of college basketball with Prather/Yeguete/Wilbekin/Young all staying and developing for four years. A part of me laments that we will absolutely never see anything like that again.
This is worse than the pros because at least in the pros they are under contract for a few years. You got Keyshawn Murphy transferring from MSU to Auburn, Diabate from Alabama to Kentucky, and on and on. For all we know Zel ends up at UT or Georgia. Awful. He was about to be my 2nd favorite Gator next year (there is no topping Tommy H!)
