A mercurial off-season for Florida basketball reached a high point last week as fan-favorite Keyontae Johnson announced his desire to play for UF this upcoming winter.

Gator nation’s enthusiasm is warranted — Johnson averaged nearly 20 points per game in 2019-20 and earned the SEC Player of the Year recognition that season — and coach Mike White’s staff has scoured the recruiting trail for a similar player going forward.

Cam Whitmore, a top-100 recruit from Maryland, has earned the lofty comparisons to Keyontae from the UF coaching staff after a stellar AAU campaign.