Tag: Korey McCray

247Sports praises recent commitment as ‘first step’ to in-state dominance

The acquisition of the former Mississippi State commit was a major coup for a program looking to lock down the borders.

Monday afternoon, highly-rated guard [autotag]Riley Kugel[/autotag] announced his commitment to Florida basketball. The four-star recruit had initially given his pledge to the Mississippi State Bulldogs but decommitted in March. Now, [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag]’s Gators own his allegiance and it’s easy to be positive about where this team is headed.

247Sports evidently shares that opinion. The recruiting experts employed there are higher than the national average rating him as the 49th prospect in the nation, compared to the composite’s less optimistic placement at 78th overall.

After praising the fine work Golden has done in the transfer portal, 247Sports’ Jacob Rudner asserted that Kugel’s commitment could be an even bigger victory. “It was Golden’s first win in his quest to dominate what he called the university’s “footprint,'” wrote Rudner.

Of course, this is a reference to Golden’s introductory press conference after being hired as the head coach of Florida’s men’s basketball team. “We’re going to try to build a fence around the state of Florida and make sure that we’re involved with every great student-athlete within this footprint,” said the newly appointed Golden.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Golden plucked up [autotag]Korey McCray[/autotag] — Mississippi State’s lead recruiter on Kugel — as soon as he became available during the Bulldog’s leadership change. A win is a win, though, and it’s impossible to be cross about it no matter how Golden pulled it off.

With the final scholarship currently available on the Gators’ men’s roster, the team has been chasing a big man to compliment [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] in the transfer portal. Don’t expect another big in-state win this year, but keep your eyes peeled for highly-ranked homegrown players as the basketball staff builds out next year’s recruiting class. Golden is a man on a mission, and Kugel is a good first step.

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Florida basketball announces hire of this well-known offensive developer

Florida basketball gets some SEC experience on its coaching bench.

Wednesday morning, Florida made official the hiring of [autotag]Korey McCray[/autotag] as the associate head coach of the Gators’ men’s basketball team. McCray spent the previous seven seasons with Mississippi State, a monolithic run in terms of coaching monogamy. He brings nearly a decade of SEC coaching experience to the team, which is something head coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] and assistant coach [autotag]Kevin Hovde[/autotag] are sorely lacking.

As an associate head coach, McCray will be Golden’s right hand, a fitting role for the veteran leader. He carries a reputation as a strong recruiter and you’ll see him praised for his hand in UCLA’s trio of 2012 five-star recruits. As Florida Basketball Hour was quick to point out, he is also an asset in the gym.

“One thing I really love about McCray is that he worked with NBA players as a skill development coach before he got into coaching at the Division 1 level,” said the FBH host. “I’ve said in this podcast before that I think the role of coaching is overrated in college basketball when it comes to player development… but he worked with NBA players who have millions of dollars on the line whether they can shoot 33% from three or 35% from three. For a wing in the NBA, that could mean $12 million over three years. These NBA players do not mess around with who they want to work with.”

From a basketball ops perspective, McCray will likely be one of the most traditionalist voices in the room. He will be joining a heavily analytics-influenced group of coaches, but his grassroots as a powerhouse AAU coach as well as a student of Leonard Hamilton and Ben Howland lend themselves in the other direction.

That’s not a bad thing — few are the coaches who have more experience to glean from. It also would seem to indicate that Golden is willing to give his ear to those with different approaches than his, demonstrating the flexibility and modesty that is needed for a relatively new head coach. Interfacing smoothly between the two styles of basketball will be essential, though, especially in player evaluation and skill valuation.

From a bird’s eye view, McCray’s willingness to abandon ship at Mississippi State for Florida is meaningful. MSU has a strong program that always seems to be just on the verge of a breakout. That McCray sees an opportunity in Florida basketball that he didn’t have with the Bulldogs should be an encouraging sign for Gators hoops enthusiasts.

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