Three guards, one forward and a center walk into a gym.
No, this isn’t the beginning of a poorly written riddle — it’s the makeup of Florida basketball’s 2016 class. The Gators have been busy this offseason, and while two of their newest summer additions won’t be eligible until the 2017-18 season, all of them have given Mike White and his coaching staff reason for optimism. Here’s a breakdown of the five newest faces on the men’s basketball team.
Canyon Barry / 6-foot-6 guard / graduate transfer
Let’s start with the most experienced of the five.
Barry, son of NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry, left the College of Charleston in May and transferred to Florida over two other schools: Northwestern and Miami.
He averaged 19.7 points on 40.2 percent shooting last year as a Cougar but suffered a shoulder injury on Jan. 2 against William & Mary. He missed the remainder of the season after surgery.
But when he’s healthy, Barry can put up points in bunches. He has a quick release from behind the arc and shot 36.8 percent from three-point range the last time he played a full season in 2014-15.
Florida is betting that his shoulder is back to normal, and with one year of eligibility remaining, UF hopes that Barry can provide a much-needed scoring presence to a young and inexperienced UF team.
Jalen Hudson / 6-foot-6 guard / junior transfer
Hudson is UF’s second transfer of the 2016 offseason, but unlike Barry, he’ll have to sit out one full season before he becomes eligible to play due to NCAA transfer rules.
And although Hudson put up respectable numbers last season at Virginia Tech — he scored 8.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game — the most notable aspect of Hudson’s past may not be what he’s done, but where he’s from.
Hudson attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, the same school that produced 12-time NBA All Star LeBron James.
Hudson shot 40.1 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from three last season and gives White a solid base to work with until the guard is eligible to play in 2017.
Eric Hester / 6-foot-3 guard / freshman
Hester is a four-star recruit out of Oldsmar (Fla.) Christian High School and had plenty of options to choose from when he was making his decision, including Louisville, Maryland, Southern California, Florida State and Miami.
Hester is a defensive-minded combo guard who can score in the lane and handle the ball well, but his best attribute is his strength.
He’s able to lockdown perimeter players on defense and fight through traffic to get to the rim on offense, a combination that White will be enamored with.
Hester is an ideal fit for Florida’s new-look, press-first defensive scheme under White.
Dontay Bassett / 6-foot-9 forward / freshman
You can say Bassett and Hester were a package deal.
They’re both from Oldsmar Christian, and while Bassett was a three-star recruit, he had just as many offers as Hester.
The forward chose Florida over Arkansas, Oregon State, Boston College and others, and brings a high-energy mentality to a frontcourt that already includes 6-foot-11 shot-blocker John Egbunu and 6-foot-9 workhorse Kevarrius Hayes.
Bassett has long arms, a high motor, has shown the ability to hit a jump shot from outside the paint and fight in the post for a rebound or a put-back layup.
UF’s coaching staff hopes his athleticism translates nicely to the college level.
Gorjok Gak / 6-foot-11 center / freshman
Like Hudson, Gak will not be eligible until the 2017-18 season.
But unlike Hudson, Gak is more of an unknown.
A native of Australia, the three-star recruit averaged 13.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game for Victory Rock Prep School in Bradenton last year.
But at just 200 pounds, Gak will need to spend the season bulking up in Florida’s strength room. Once he does, he could become an instant contributor.
His length and shot-blocking ability will help him protect the paint and collect rebounds on the defensive end. He has also shown effectiveness while finishing above the rim and has good touch in the paint.
But a year to develop will do him some good.
Contact Ian Cohen at icohen@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @icohenb
UF coach Mike White calls out instructions during Florida's 88-79 loss to Kentucky on March 1, 2016, in the O'Connell Center.
