Gators add Elijah Kennedy to 2021 freshman class

The Florida men’s basketball team filled one of its two available scholarships Monday with the addition of freshman guard Elijah Kennedy. 

The 6-foot-4 shooting guard out of Green Run in Virginia Beach, Virginia, initially planned to play for Combine Academy in Lincolnton, North Carolina, before a recent offer from UF assistant coach Akeem Miskdeen altered his initial plans.

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Despite producing at a high level over the past two seasons at Green Run — with Kennedy helping lead the way, Green Run shared the state championship in 2020 before a runner-up finish in 2021 — he graduated without a scholarship offer from a Power-6 school. 

The 2021 season also saw Kennedy named the VHSCA Class 5 State Player of the Year in 2021, score a season-high 37 points in a game with nine 3-pointers during the 2021 regionals before concluding his high school career with scoring performances of 27 and 21 points in the state semifinals and in the state championship game, respectively. 

Following his high school graduation, Kennedy turned his focus to the highly regarded Boo Williams Summer League and provided numerous impressive performances, resulting in the late rise in his recruitment. The BWSL has produced numerous top prospects as of late, including former LSU guard Cameron Thomas, who was drafted No. 27 by the Brooklyn Nets, as well as Tyrell Ward, a top-50 prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. 

With space available on the roster, and having signed just a lone freshman in Kowacie Reeves Jr., the Gators opted to take a chance on the on-fire Kennedy with preseason camp inching closer.