The Florida Gators basketball program received good news on Thursday when the school announced that redshirt senior to be forward Dorian Finney-Smith will return to school for the 2015-16 seasons.
An All-SEC 2nd team selection, Finney-Smith led the Gators in scoring (13.2 ppg) and rebounding (6.1 per game) while playing in 28 contests a season ago.
The news gives the program a big boost after guard Michael Frazier II announced last week that he would be leaving school early to enter the NBA Draft.
Finney-Smith took on a new role for the Gators last season, moving from sixth-man to starter and team leader. The Virginia Tech transfer struggled to assume his new role. He was suspended indefinitely for three games late in the season, the second suspension in as many seasons for Finney-Smith.
“I got all the information I needed to make a decision,” Finney-Smith told Chris Harry of GatorZone. “He didn’t pressure me into anything, but rather let me be a grown man. Coach D is a mentor to me, I trust him and I’m happy and anxious to have another year with him.”
As a fifth-year senior, Finney-Smith will once again be asked to take in a leadership role for the Gators as they try to rebound from a disappointing 16-17 season.