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The transfer portal has revolutionized team building in college sports in recent years, particularly football and men’s basketball, creating a de facto free agency system that allows student-athletes to pursue greener pastures if their initial instincts about their current school were wrong. However, players transferring from one program to another is nothing new as it has been an option — albeit a difficult one that required a player to sit a year before becoming re-eligible to play.
Florida basketball has been no stranger to transfers over the years, with many coming through the in door as well as the out door. ESPN’s John Gasaway recently took a look at the best all-time transfers in and out of every SEC school including the Gators, which includes one familiar name who still gets time on the NBA court as well as another that is not quite as well known.
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Best transfer in: Dorian Finney-Smith, 2013-16
Finney-Smith’s three seasons at Florida spanned the Billy Donovan and Michael White eras, and in each of his last two years he was the Gators’ leading scorer. The current Dallas Maverick began his college career playing for Seth Greenberg at Virginia Tech.
Most significant transfer out: Mario Boggan, 2002-03
Boggan cycled through Florida, St. Bonaventure (briefly, and without actually taking the floor for the Bonnies) and Chipola Junior College before landing at Oklahoma State and earning first-team All-Big 12 honors with the Cowboys in 2007. He edges out 2022 Cousy Award finalist and Gonzaga mainstay Andrew Nembhard (who played for the Gators from 2018 to 2020) for this distinguished title.
Finney-Smith has had a fine professional career since leaving Florida, stringing together six seasons — all with the Mavs — averaging 8.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.4 blocks over 27.3 minutes per game. His best season came in 2021-22 when he averaged double-digit points for the first time with 11 along with a career-high 33.1 minutes per game.
On the other hand, Boggan played a year with the NBA D-League’s Anaheim Arsenal during the 2007-08 season, averaging 1.2 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.2 assists in six games. He also played some ball overseas in Europe before hanging up his sneakers.
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By: Adam Dubbin
Title: ESPN's best all-time transfers in and out of Florida's basketball program
Sourced From: gatorswire.usatoday.com/2022/06/04/florida-basketball-transfer-portal-dorian-finney-smith-mario-boggan/
Published Date: Sat, 04 Jun 2022 22:02:53 +0000
