NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Florida of last decade
By Joey Loose
6. Kerry Blackshear Jr. – Virginia Tech / Florida
After the 6’10 forward starring at the high school level in Orlando, it was off to bigger things in college for Blackshear. He originally joined Virginia Tech back in 2015, missing his second season due to a foot injury. After four years with the Hokies, Blackshear opted to transfer, spending his final season of eligibility at Florida, with his impact felt in both the ACC and SEC.
Before the injury, Blackshear was mostly a bench contributor for the Hokies, but his redshirt sophomore year saw improvement, as he averaged 12.5 points per game. As a junior, he helped lead Virginia Tech to a Sweet Sixteen run, scoring double-digits in each of their three ball games. He then averaged a solid clip in his final season at Florida, including a 24-point, 16-rebound effort in a win over Alabama.
Blackshear secured the rare honor of being named to the All-ACC and All-SEC Second Teams in back-to-back seasons. He was an important player at Virginia Tech and an efficient weapon for the Gators, with solid shooting numbers, plus averaging 7.5 rebounds a game in each of his final two seasons. Blackshear’s been pursuing his professional career these last two seasons, most recently playing in Turkey and Japan.