Florida Hoops Secures Three Signed Letter of Intents
On Wednesday, Mike White's program officially added a couple of four-star recruits from their 2020 class.
Rivals150 pledges Niels Lane and Samson Ruzhentsev — both of whom committed to the Gators within a week of each other in October — each signed their Letter of Intent during the Early Signing Period.
This marks the third consecutive recruiting cycle where White and his staff have added at least two top 100 overall recruits on Rivals.
JUCO power forward Osayi Osifo had told GT's Corey Bender he was planning to sign digitally on Wednesday night due to him traveling to Utah for a tournament.
On Thursday, White made everything official by officially announcing the addition of Osifo.
"We're really excited about all three of these guys," White said. "They're all really talented players, and a common thread they share is that they play with a high level of energy, they're competitive and they want to win more than anything else.
"On top of that, they bring a high level of character, and we've enjoyed getting to know each of them through the recruiting process."
With Lane, Florida is getting yet another defensive-minded player from the Northeast.
Rivals' Corey Evans has noted that Lane's jump shot is a work in progress, but he possesses the ability to defend and create opportunities for his teammates.
While playing for the Team Final program in the Nike circuit this past summer, Lane averaged 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest.
Check out what Lane had to say last month about choosing the Gators over Miami, Providence, Texas and UConn.
“I think that I fit really well with their culture and especially on the floor," Lane previously said. "Coach White wants me to play all three guard positions which I think I am very capable of."
“I think that I can help the team out at all three spots and they really value my defense which I take a lot of pride in. They also really value how I score the ball and also distribute.”
With Scottie Lewis figuring to be at UF for only one year before departing for the NBA, Florida envisions Ruzhentsev filling the void left by the former five-star prospect when he gets on campus next year.
Checking in at 6-foot-6, 182 pounds, Ruzhentsev will be able to space the floor as he can knock down three-pointers at an effective rate and connect on mid-range shots as well.
The native of Russia participated in the FIBA Under-18 European Championship over the summer, and put up over 12 points and 3 rebounds per game.
Ruzhentsev spoke with Evans about his decision to choose Florida over Illinois, Ole Miss and Stanford.
"I love the coaching staff and the players.," Ruzhentsev previously told Rivals. "They only have one, true three-man on its roster and that is Scottie Lewis, who is going to the league next year. They want for me to take his spot. Plus, the way that they play fast, four-out, and shoot a lot of 3s.”
Osifo became the first 2020 prospect to commit to the Gators when he joined forces with the program on Sept. 29.
Playing for Eastern Florida State College at this juncture, Osifo is set to enroll next fall and will have two years of eligibility at UF.
This was a notable pickup for White and company as Kerry Blackshear is going to be with the school only for their 2019-2020 campaign.
When discussing what the 6-foot-8 power forward brings to the table, Jeremy Shulman, Osifo's head coach, says Florida will be getting a dynamic player with a lot of potential.
“Osayi is a big-time pick-up for Florida. As a versatile, 6-foot-8, 215-pound, 4-man with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, and an unmatched motor, Osayi is an impact player from day one,” Shulman told Evans. “He is an incredible kid with incredible upside; only 19 years old, and has only been playing basketball for three and a half years."
Stay tuned to GatorsTerritory.