Coach: Johnson 2-3 months away from decision on return
GAINESVILLE — Florida basketball star Keyontae Johnson will not decide his playing future until sometime this summer, but Gators coach Mike White holds out hope of a return to the court.
During an alumni event Thursday night, White said he spoke Tuesday with Johnson, who is out of town with his family but plans to return soon to Gainesville.
“His family and his medical team will address his future at the appropriate time, which I think we’re probably another two or three months away from,” White said during a 45-minute videoconference.
The return of Johnson would be the biggest step forward during his recovery from a scary collapse during a Dec. 12 contest at Florida State. Johnson, who turns 22 May 24, spent nine days in hospitals in both Tallahassee and Gainesville.
He then sat out the 2020-21 season, watching and encouraging his team from the sideline.
At the time of his collapse, many feared the worst for the 6-foot-5, 229-pound Johnson, the preseason SEC Player of the Year. His return would provide an emotional lift for the Gators. The team halted practice for two weeks and canceled four games following Johnson’s medical scare.
“If Keyontae Johnson doesn’t provide the strength and courage and fight he provided, these past season’s Gators version probably would not have continued to keep playing,” White said.
If Johnson does return, it will be to a retooled team with a remade roster and coaching staff.
Since the Gators’ season-ending 81-78 loss to Oral Roberts March 21 during the second round of the NCAA Tournament, six players permanently have left the program while a seventh — center Colin Castleton — decided to explore his professional options without hiring an agent.
White said he is hopeful Castleton, a 6-foot-11 DeLand native, returns to UF.
The Gators signed four transfers and also welcome high school star Kowacie Reeves, a 6-foot-6 guard from Macon, Ga., and the nation’s 35th-ranked recruit. White is keeping open a spot, and scholarship, for Castleton.
The 21-year-old has until May 30 to withdraw his name from NBA Draft consideration.
“It’s obviously his right of first refusal,” White said. “We want what’s best for him. If what’s best for him is to continue to be a Gator, that’s obviously the best recruit we could sign.”
White said he has spoken to possible candidates to replace Castleton, a Michigan transfer and redshirt junior last season. If Castleton continues onward with a professional career, the Gators coach said he would prefer to bring in a younger post player.
MATT STAMEY/AP
Either way, the Gators have another scholarship to offer, too.
Since the end of the season, Ques Glover, Omar Payne, Osayi Osifo and Noah Locke transferred while Tre Mann and Scottie Lewis left early for the NBA Draft and signed with agents and therefore cannot return to school.
White signed four veteran players from other schools — guards Phlandrous Fleming Jr. of Charleston Southern, Myreon Jones (Penn State) and Brandon McKissic (Missouri-Kansas City) along with forward CJ Felder (Boston College).
The Gators’ outgoing transfers averaged a combined 18.8 points, 9 rebounds and 2.2 assists during the 2020-21 season.
The 6-foot-3 Jones, who averaged 15.3 points in 2020-21, is one of three leading scorers from his former team.
“He can go get it,” White said. “He can score it in bunches, can shoot it from 3, can drive it, can read screens, good cutter. Obviously an experienced scorer, which drew a lot of attention from a lot of schools.”
McKissic received a number of offers, too, White said. Also a 6-foot-3 guard, McKissic is known for his versatility, especially as a defender. He was the Summit Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
“Just a pit bull of a defender,” White said. “We’re excited about him, infectious personality.”
Fleming was the Defensive Player of the Year in the Big South Conference while averaging 20.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists. The 6-foot-7 Felder averaged 9.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocked shots as a sophomore for the 2020-21 Boston College Eagles.
“We think these guys are likeminded in certain ways, too,” White said. “We’re excited to get these transfers together to see how they fit both on the court and off the court.”
White said the influx of transfers and seeming exodus of players is now the “new normal in college basketball” due to the NCAA transfer portal and the one-time eligibility waiver.
“If you’re not going to accept it and embrace it, you’re going to be left behind,” White said. “We’re going to have transfer off next year’s roster, we just are — period.
“We’ll continue to welcome highlevel transfers,” White added. “Florida is a high-level program. We can gain attention pretty quickly.”
White said he has not hired anyone to replace two longtime assistants who left for head coaching jobs.
Jordan Mincey, who came with White to Gainesville from Louisiana Tech, left for Jacksonville in March. Darrius Nichols, another original staff member at UF, was introduced earlier this month at Radford University, located in western Virginia.
“Sifting through a lot of candidates nationally,” White said.