Scottie Lewis became the second Gator to leave for the professional ranks in the 2021 NBA Draft when the Charlotte Hornets used the 56th pick to bring the New Jersey native into their locker room.
Lewis, a former five-star prospect and the class of 2019’s No. 7 overall recruit according to 247 Sports, spent the past two seasons in Gainesville under head coach Mike White. He declared for the draft via social media on April 2, forgoing the rest of his eligibility.
The 6-foot-5 guard entered the 2019-20 season as the headliner of Florida’s eighth-best recruiting class of 2019 and the third-highest recruit in school history by 247 Sports’ rankings. He averaged 29.1 minutes per game as a freshman, fourth-most on the team, and offered a statline of 8.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists per contest. He led the team with 1.2 blocks and shared the team lead with 1.2 steals per game.
Lewis seemed poised for a breakout sophomore campaign, but the surge never came. He averaged 25.6 minutes, 7.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, all decreases from his debut season. He increased his assists to 1.5 per game, third-highest on the team, and added to his already gaudy defensive numbers with 1.0 blocks and a team-high 1.6 steals on average.
The former Gator was ranked 63rd on CBS Sports’ prospect rankings, and he now joins a Charlotte roster with the wing populated by the likes of Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward and Malik Monk, among others.
Contact Ryan Haley at rhaley@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @ryan_dhaley
Ryan Haley, a UF journalism senior with a sports & media specialization from Jacksonville, Florida, is Summer 2022's Engagement Managing Editor. He grew up playing a bunch of different sports before settling on golf, following Rory McIlroy and all Philadelphia sports teams. He also loves all things fiction, reading, watching shows and movies and talking about whatever current story or character is in his head.
