Florida signs 7'9" recruit

[64NIT]

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/florida-recruit-who-stands-nearly-8-feet-tall-set-become-tallest-college-basketball-player-ever

[Bradley3342]

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/flori...ll-player-ever

Read about him. Supposedly still growing….

[Stryker]

A literal giant on the court...

[BUfan17]

For someone his height he actually looks to be fairly coordinated and athletic.

[Afreck2430]

I went to a showcase down in Fort Myers when I was visiting my parents and saw IMG play last December. He barely played for them and will struggle at the power conference level

[Afreck2430]

Not a great photo but he towered over everyone

[Da Coach]

Youtube video of him playing at age 12. He was 6'11", while all the other kids on the court are 1 to 2 feet shorter - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QngIfYc8fuo

Here is his team photo from last season at IMG Academy. He was listed at 7'6"- https://cityofpalmsclassic.com/teams/img-academy-4/

[yoda]

anyone remember Kenny George? He might have something to say about the claim "tallest player ever".
George was a Chicago kid and Bradley was actually looking at him, but never offered (Class of 2005)
He stood 7-7 but was 7-9 with shoes on (which is the usual way they report kids' height)

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/71190-a-tribute-to-kenny-george-a-tough-career-but-theres-more-to-him-than-ball

Like almost all really tall kids, he wasn't very mobile and he had numerous growth issues, bone and joint problems and repeated injuries.
Kenny George ended up accepting a scholarship offer from UNC-Asheville, He definitely had some good qualities, changing shots in the lane,
protecting the paint, blocking shots, but his mobility issues prevented him from becoming an offensive threat, even tho he literally could
dunk while still standing on the ground.

George played two years at UNC-Asheville then retired, finishing his career with 71.6% FG shooting and 9.3 ppg
He recovered enough two years later after a couple surgeries and went on to play a few games in the Russian and Czech pro leagues.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/kenny-george-1.html

https://uncabulldogs.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/kenny-george/958

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htwkRYa0gOk

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_George

and if you're not bored by now, look up Pavel Podkolzin. A Russian kid who at the age of 17 or 18 was already 7-5 and still growing, with some thinking he could reach 7-9.
Agents and scouts literally drooled over him and thought he was going to be a superstar. If you were around then & following basketball vigorously enough to even read up on the foreign kids
(few of whom ever got recruited by US colleges or played college ball because back then, the NCAA banned most of them due to their participation on Euro teams that had other pros - remember John Wilkins and Michael Ocherobia)- then you recall the hype reached a crescendo in the Yao Ming-era, when there were people predicting Podkolzin could go #1 in the NBA DRAFT!!

In the end, many teams backed off out of health concerns, but Dallas worked a deal thru Utah to take Pavel at #21 in the 1st round (2004).
Hopes were dashed a few months later when it was revealed that the reason he was so tall and was still growing was because he had a GROWTH HORMONE producing pituitary tumor and he immediately had surgery - so he stopped growing.
After a period of recovery, the Mavericks worked hard to try to get something out of their 1st round pick, but in the end he barely played and never had any impact in the NBA. He did struggle thru a few years overseas but never got taller than 7-5