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Florida Basketball: Analyzing the impact of Niels Lane’s commitment

By Lukas Harkins

DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 21: Head coach Mike White of the Florida Gators reacts against the Florida Gators in the second half during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 21, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 21: Head coach Mike White of the Florida Gators reacts against the Florida Gators in the second half during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 21, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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DES MOINES, IOWA – MARCH 21: Coach White of the Gators instructs. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
DES MOINES, IOWA – MARCH 21: Coach White of the Gators instructs. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

What’s next for the Gators?

This is a monster recruiting win for Florida basketball. Niels Lane might not be the most highly-rated commit to join the program in recent years but he fills an important need. The Gators are widely expected to be a top-10 team in the country during this coming season but they are bound to lose a ton of talent this offseason. Most notably, five-star wing Scottie Lewis is expected to leave for the NBA and this will open up a spot on the wing. Florida might also lose their pair of point guards in Andrew Nembhard and Tre Mann.

As a top-100 wing, it seems likely that Lane will be able to find a spot in the rotation as a freshman. His strong defense will be valuable considering the departure of Lewis plus he should continue to grow his offensive game over the coming year. It is also important to mention that Lane’s addition should not affect fellow commit Ruzhentsev as they can easily co-exist in the rotation. Ruzhentsev is a more offensively-oriented prospect with the ability to score at all three levels.

With both of these wings already in tow, Coach White will likely turn his attention to the frontcourt. Highly-touted power forward P.J. Hall (No. 61) has been widely regarded as a high priority for Florida over the past several months and he will likely be their top target moving forward. The Gators’ efforts with regards to Cade Cunningham (No. 2), Moses Moody (No. 42), and Matthew Murrell (No. 45) might also warrant a mention here with regards to their future 2020 endeavors.

Florida has made significant inroads will all of these targets and the program could be on the verge of yet another elite-level class.

Next. Most-feared recruiting programs. dark

That concludes this look at Niels Lane’s commitment. The young shooting guard should be an immediate contributor for Florida at a major position of need for the 2020-21 season. Watch out for the Gators to continue to be one of the top programs in the entire nation for the next several campaigns. The future is bright under head coach Mike White.

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