With Sunday’s 77-70 loss to South Carolina in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, the careers of four Gators came to a close: seniors Kasey Hill, Justin Leon, Canyon Barry and Schuyler Rimmer.
Kasey Hill:
It was never supposed to end like this.
Hill came to Florida in 2013 as the No. 2 point guard out of high school and a McDonald’s All-American. Prior to his freshman year at UF, Hill was projected to play one year in college and then bolt to the NBA. Four years later, Hill played his last game in a Florida uniform on Sunday, totaling 11 points and four turnovers.
“He came in with a lot of expectations and a lot of unrealistic stuff the fans wanted from him,” junior guard Chris Chiozza said. “He didn’t live up to those expectations, but he never let that bother him.”
Where Hill will go next is unclear. He’s not projected to be taken in either round of the 2017 NBA draft. Hill hasn’t had a great career at UF, but a markedly improved senior season — where he averaged 9.7 points, 4.5 assists and 1.7 steals — should at least earn him a chance to play on a professional Summer League or D-League team.
It isn’t likely that he eventually earns a slot on an NBA team, but you never know. Much like the route of plenty of talented college players, a career in Europe, Asia or Australia is also a viable option for Hill.
Wherever he ends up, Hill will be looked upon as a solid passer and a tenacious defender.
Justin Leon:
Leon is the personification of toughness.
He only received one college offer out of high school — to a junior college in Illinois — and on Sunday, he was the Gators’ leading scorer in the Elite Eight.
He only played two seasons at Florida, but UF fans will certainly miss his workhorse attitude on the court.
Compared to the other seniors on this list, Leon might actually have the best chance of earning an NBA roster spot.
After countless hours in the gym last summer, Leon turned himself into one of Florida’s most accurate shooters from long distance. Although he averaged only 7.4 points per game, Leon shot almost 40 percent from beyond the arc.
A career in Europe or Australia is more likely, but Leon’s ability to shoot the ball, coupled with his ability to hustle and defend could make him a viable option off the bench in the NBA for years to come.
He certainly has the work ethic to get him there.
“He doesn’t overthink stuff,” UF coach Mike White said. “He’s a guy that does his job consistently. He’s a guy that blocks out every time a shot goes up, and when his feet are set, he doesn’t think about it. He shoots it.”
Canyon Barry:
Barry has a lot of options.
He’s a talented scorer — he averaged 11.4 points per game his lone season at UF. And, he’s brilliant. In addition to his basketball duties, Barry was also responsible for maintaining a 4.0 GPA — in nuclear engineering.
Barry probably won’t see NBA playing time, but a career in some other part of the globe is entirely possible.
However, if basketball doesn’t work out, Barry will always have a master’s in engineering to fall back on.
Schuyler Rimmer:
Rimmer didn’t play much.
In his two seasons at Florida, he scored a total of 62 points. He averaged 5.3 minutes per game this season.
He probably won’t go on to play professional basketball, but Rimmer can take what he's learned at UF to a coaching role or use his major in political science to work in the government.
Contact Ray Boone at rboone@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @rboone1994.
UF guard Kasey Hill dribbles the basketball during Florida's 77-70 loss to South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
