Gator Country

Say good-bye to the Patric Young that terrorized opponents during a summer on the AAU circuit. Say hello to the new and improved Patric Young, the one that has been moonlighting in the weight room. He’s looking rather buff these days and he can’t wait for a chance to show off what he can do with the added muscle.

“I’m 6-8 and 220 now,” said Young (6-8, 220, Jacksonville, FL, Paxon) last week in an interview with Gator Country. “I’ve added about 8-10 pounds of muscle and I feel a lot stronger. I’m eating right and working out a lot.”

The added muscle is showing up in other measurables, too.

“I’ve added three inches to my vertical,” said Young, whose vertical jump is measured in the mid-30s right now. “I’m trying to get that up to 40-45 inches. I want to be able to touch the top of the backboard.”

This new and improved Patric Young is right there at the top of the list for Florida’s recruiting class of 2010. The Gators have targeted Young, Brandon Knight (6-3, 180, Fort Lauderdale, FL Pine Crest) and Harrison Barnes (6-6, 190, Ames, IA) for a class that figures to have two to three openings. A Florida-UConn battle is shaping up for Knight, who led Pine Crest to the state 2A championship last year, while Barnes has the Gators in the mix along with several other perennial basketball powerhouses. Everybody is talking Duke and Indiana with Barnes but the Gators remain in very good shape.

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