Florida signee and North Little Rock guard KeVaughn Allen won't seek a release from the Gators and will play for newly hired Coach Michael White in Gainesville.
Allen, 6-3, 170 pounds signed with Florida on April 15 over scholarship offers from Arkansas, Memphis, Kansas, Connecticut, Baylor, Mississippi State and others.
He considered his options after Billy Donovan left Florida to become the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 3.
He told Andrew Spivey of GatorCountry.com that he decided Monday he was sticking with the Gators.
"The fact that he was telling me about himself and that he was a man of his word and I felt like I could trust him," Allen said.
White met with Allen and his family May 9.
"My first impression of coach White was that he was a very nice man," Allen said. "He's very loyal to his staff and he's going to keep his word to people."
Allen averaged 25.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.1 steals a game as a senior and helped North Little Rock to the Class 7A state title and was the MVP of the 7A state tournament.
His stepfather, John Curry called into the Bo Mattingly radio show on May 5 and said Allen would seek a release from the Gators and reopen his recruiting.
"I never asked for one," Allen told Spivey.
Allen, who plans to report to Florida on June 23, is confident he'll do well in White's system.
"He said that they could really use me in the system that he plays and runs," Allen said. "I think the style of play he runs I fit in well."
ESPN rates Allen the No. 18 shooting guard and No. 54 prospect in the nation. As a junior, Allen averaged 21.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists and named was the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Player of the Year.
Sports on 05/19/2015