GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Mike White was speaking in front of the Space Coast Gator Club, his final Gator Gathering of the summer.

The Gators head coach was in the middle of signing autographs when Kerry Blackshear's name popped up on his phone screen.

"I excused myself, walked over to the corner," White recounted during Gators basketball media day on Tuesday. "He told me, I've got bad news for you, Coach. And I was crushed. Crushed, but I knew I needed to get back to the Gator event. So I couldn't let myself go there.

"I said, 'So we're on the outside looking in, I guess. Where did you end up choosing to go, man? I'm happy for you. Crushed a little bit, but we'll talk later.' He says, 'Yeah, I've decided that I'm going to go to University of Florida.' He just totally messed with me, yeah. So I'm still a little bit mad at him for it. "

"I didn't expect it was going to be that harsh," Blackshear laughed in his one-on-one interview with Gators Territory. "I thought it was going to be a little fun to play with him because he is a fun guy, so I was just playing with him a little bit. So now he likes to mess with me some times."

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Oh White still has plans for Blackshear when practice officially opens this week.

"I'm going to get him back Friday," joked White. "Obviously really, really exciting. He was the best transfer available in the country last year. He's a really good player. He's an awesome young man, for those of you that had a chance to spend a little time with him. He's a big addition to our program."

Last season Blackshear averaged 14.9 points and 7.5 rebounds a game at Virginia Tech, shining in the Hokies' biggest games. He not only can drain the three but he can also be a threat inside the paint.

Florida was essentially recruiting the No. 1 player in the country when they decided to go after the Virginia Tech grad transfer.

"I grew up a Gator fan," said Blackshear. "I thought this was a good opportunity, just everything clicked at the right time. The coaching staff explained to me the similarities in how they played in the past and how my skill set will be beneficial to them. The opportunity to earn a Florida degree was very enticing to me."

"He's very talented," said White about the Orlando native. "He's smart. He understands the game at a high level. He's tough. He's stronger than he looks. He looks strong, but he's really strong, and he's difficult to defend. He's a good defender, as well. He gives us an opportunity to play a little bit differently offensively than we've played here in that we've struggled to score on the interior. We've struggled at times to get to the foul line, to throw it in the post. He's the best passing big that I've coached. He's good at a lot of things."

"It was something I was excited about. Just being in an opportunity where we are going to win and I am going to have a huge impact on that, there is nothing more that I would want in my last year in college. And then to win in a high level to also to have an opportunity to play at a high level, this is what you grow up dreaming of."

For more on Blackshear make sure to check out GT's one-on-one interview with the forward above.

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