In her three seasons at UF, Haley Lorenzen has seen improvements in her scoring, developed a three-point shot and been accepted into graduate school, studying in the sports management program.
“It’s been really crazy,” Lorenzen said. “During undergrad, I studied event management and for my three years here, you know, I just kept working hard and kept wanting to be here over summers to get better at basketball.”
With one season left of eligibility, Lorenzen is looking to take full advantage of her opportunity with the Gators which will start on Saturday against Georgia State.
“Senior season, it’s really anxious for me because I think I just really want to play games,” Lorenzen said. “Of course, when you start practice, that’s all you want to do, is play games.”
After averaging a career-high 11.7 points per game last season, the Gators will look to Lorenzen to step up even more and take on a bigger role after losing their leading scorer, Ronni Williams, to graduation this past spring.
Lorenzen can do just that after expanding her game last season. She was able to introduce a new aspect to her basketball arsenal.
Prior to her junior season, Lorenzen hadn’t shot from beyond the arc in a live game. During the first five games last season, Lorenzen connected on 3-of-5 three-pointers and finished the season with a shooting percentage above 42 percent from downtown on 26 attempts.
Lorenzen also provided support on the glass in a season where the Gators ranked third in the SEC in rebounding. Lorenzen trailed only Williams and Tyshara Fleming in the category by averaging over five boards per game.
Even though plenty of time lies between now and the end of Lorenzen’s college basketball career, the future looks promising as she has thought about life after her stint with the Gators.
“I hope to play overseas after the end of this year,” she said. “And then after that, travel a little bit, play the sport that I love and then see what kind of job opportunities open the doors for me.”
Lorenzen said she hopes to find a job on the operations side of basketball, saying she isn’t very interested in the coaching aspect of the game.
But before Lorenzen can take that next step, she will have the opportunity this winter to suit up for Florida in her final season as a Gator.
You can follow Justin Ahlum on Twitter @justinn_case1, and contact him at jahlum@alligator.org.
UF forward Haley Lorenzen attempts a jump shot during Florida's 57-53 win against Arkansas on Feb. 9, 2017, in the O'Connell Center.
