Does Kerry Blackshear make Florida basketball the SEC favorites?

After Kerry Blackshear spurned Kentucky and Tennessee to commit to Florida, the Gators are now a huge threat to win the SEC next season.

The biggest prize left in the college basketball transfer portal has found a new home. Former Virginia Tech forward Kerry Blackshear Jr, who averaged 14.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for the Hokies a year ago, has committed to finish his college career at Florida.

After exploring his options in the NBA Draft, Blackshear took visits to several SEC schools, including Tennessee and Kentucky, before landing with the Gators. Blackshear is eligible to play right away as a grad transfer.

Florida was a fringe contender in the SEC for much of last season under head coach Mike White but got hot at the end of the season, reaching the SEC Tournament finals before losing by 3 to Auburn. The Gators were already poised to be a threat in the SEC with a top-10 recruiting class coming to Gainesville, but the addition of Blackshear is a vital one for White’s team.

While the Gators are expected to be a very young team next season, Blackshear adds some much-needed experience and grit to this roster. Blackshear will be an immediate starter for Florida on the blocks, and the fact he is playing for them and not against them as a member of the Wildcats or Volunteers is also massive for the balance of power in the SEC.

Tennessee, which lost its top three scorers from a year ago, is likely to take a big step back after failing to land Blackshear. Kentucky landed another elite recruiting class and another impact grad transfer in former Bucknell center Nick Sestina, making them the early favorites in the SEC, but the Gators are poised to be next in line for conference supremacy.