Bad move for him, but he is quick twitch and we need that on our roster. Love the guys we brought in, but you need a couple guys on your team that can out athlete his guy.
While I can “ kinda” see why he might want to test the waters, I’m still surprised at the news. Prior to the concussion, I thought he was just starting to figure things out. I was hoping he’d use the summer to gain some weight & muscle and to improve his shot & handle. Wish him well, but I think he’s reaching a bit over his skis. I thought the same a few years back when D-Rob declared & Devin was a better player, compared to Fudge.
Meh. I get Devin Robinson vibes. Definitely has athleticism, but I don’t think it’s enough to be a real difference-maker in wins next year. Fudge has potential, but can you start him over a guy like Jarvis? I don’t think so. I could be wrong.
Devin actually developed a jumper to at least present a 3 and D type player. He shot 34 and 39% from 3pt range his last 2 years. Fudge needs to show some improvement as a shooter, even if it's only spot up PJ Tucker style.
If you declare for the draft but don't get drafted, the NBA should pay you something for at least trying. Just like participation trophies in amateur sports. "Congratulations on not getting drafted! Your check is enclosed."
If this is true, Florida currently has only 9 players on their roster: G 4: Clayton*, Aberdeen, Kugel, Richard F 3: Jarvis*, Szymczyk, Haugh* C 2: Handlogten*, Condon*
If he is going to be in the NBA, he better have a plan when he drives to the basket. Just running towards the basket and throwing the ball at it isn't going to cut it anymore.
And last week many posted how lucky we were to have a nucleus of Richard, Kugel and Fudge to build around. Suddenly today he ain't all that.
See most improvement between year 1 as. 2 in a system. Shame we don’t get to see that with a lot of these transfers
Yeah like a an assortment of buy one get one free coupons for Applebees, Chili's and Arbys stuffed in a McDonald's bag. Congrats!!! On your way to Asia and/or Europe!
I think for most of us, we were hoping Fudge would put in the work in the summer and make a jump in productivity & just begin reaching his potential after a year in the system. The excitement for Fudge was based more on his potential. I’m disappointed we won’t get to see if he could have reached a higher arc. In this new era of CBB, I’ve just got to stop being surprised at players entering the portal, unexpectedly or testing the nba waters earlier than expected. I wish him all the best. I just think he’s under developed at this stage in his basketball growth. I enjoyed watching players like Scottie, as an example, grow his game from year to year. Again, best of luck to Alex. Making it to and performing in the NBA is much harder than it looks.
I don't know that everyone has been enamored with Fudge, but I am/was enthusiastic about his potential. Keep in mind that the concussion may have impacted his late season performance. Like you say, he's an athlete. My wish is that he would become a player ala Dorian Finney Smith. Here's a quick look at their first two years' per/40 stats. ................DFS(fresh/soph).....Fudge(fresh/soph) Pts...........8.7 / 13.6..................9.6 / 12.0 FG%........33.2 / 37.1.................42.4 / 39.7 Reb..........9.7 / 10.4...................9.1 / 9.2 Asst.........2.6 / 3.2.....................0.8 / 0.9 Stl............1.0 / 0.7....................2.4 / 0.9 Blk............1.0 / 0.7....................1.6 / 1.6 TO.............2.4 / 2.6....................2.7 / 2.1 Obviously, Fudge is not going to get drafted to the NBA this year and he needs to improve his ability to distribute. There is, however, potential there.
This . I feel that all too often folks are critical of underclassmen, when there are plenty of examples of players who developed substantially over time. As you note, Wilbekin was a prime example. I didn't post Finney Smith's jr/sr stats, but he made a HUGE leap from year two to three.
Dodo and Wilbekin were always team players and didn’t try to do more than they were capable of. Fudge tried to do more than he was capable of despite the fact that it hurt the team. In the second half of the season, Fudge shot 3-28 from 3 on wide open shots, in addition to his wild ass drives. There’s a reason why he was given those shots by the opposition. Team players don’t take those shots. Between he and Reeves, it literally felt to me like the Gators were playing 3 against 7.
I don't disagree with any of this, but Dodo and Wilb had four years to develop. If we were assessing them after two years, things would be different. It's quite possible given some time and continuity, that Fudge would develop into a good team player.
Scottie was at UF for 4 years. He never bit off more than he could chew. When he was a senior, he took charge of the offense and kicked ass. Granted, Fudge can get better, but he hurt the Gators this past season by trying to do too much. Scottie never did that.
Scottie had a slightly () better supporting cast throughout his time at UF. That makes a big diff, esp. for a PG. He also wasn't thrust into the rotation or forced to play out of position. I'm not in any way comparing Wilbekin to Fudge in terms of quality, but using Wilbekin as an ex. of a player who wildly developed over four years. If Fudge is indeed gone and not simply testing the waters, it's a moot point. He won't get the continuity to develop at the collegiate level. Maybe he can develop overseas. (Big maybe)
