Florida just had a massive recruiting weekend with Colton Hiller and Beckham Black on campus and their important stretch will continue into next week with a visit from center Kamsi Awaka.
Awaka has sneakily been a target of a lot of top programs, and while he is currently ranked 40th in the class of 2027 the list of schools that has him as a top center target suggests he very well could end up as a 5-star. Reportedly, his list is now down to UConn, Arizona, Michigan, Michigan State, and Florida. This weekend Awake will visit UConn before heading to Florida for a visit on Monday and Tuesday of next week.
Currently playing for Blair Academy in New Jersey, Awaka is a 6’10”, 250 pound bruising center who could step into the SEC tomorrow and compete physically with the best frontcourt players in the league. One thing we have continued to see with the transfer portal is that there is not enough supply of centers to meet demand, and that makes players like Awaka in this range extremely enticing. It looks like he is probably good enough to be a contributor right away, but he isn’t likely to be a one and done and could be the anchor of a defense for a number of years. The Gators could end up losing two elite centers after this season (though, with the with the five year eligibility model, who ever knows) and they would love to bring in a player like Awaka to compliment a rebuilt frontcourt right away.
At 6’10”, Awaka is made even more impactful on the defensive end due to his length which is apparent visually. While his actual wingspan isn’t known, looking at him on film you can see a player that has serious length and he uses it defensively to block and change shots. At 250 pounds he’s got the bulk to bang with larger players (though, it’s tough to see that in action at the high school levels since there aren’t a lot of similar sized players) but he’s still lean enough to move well in pick and roll coverage.
Where Awaka is underrated is on the offensive end. Oftentimes shot blockers with Awaka’s physical tools are pigeonholed as run and jump athletes that can’t do much else offensively, but when you really sit with the tape you see someone with better touch than most centers at his age. Most notably, you can see how he was able to finish over either shoulder in the paint which isn’t just something you don’t often see from high school centers–there are seldom college centers that can actually go and finish in the post with either hand. Because of that, there seems to be more potential than just a run and jump big and that is why he could certainly end up being a 5-star. Another interesting number is his three-point shooting. With New Heights on the Adidas circuit this past summer Awake went 6-10 from three, perhaps showing some future potential in the arena. Now, these attempts were wide open as opponents dared him to shoot and it also should be noted that he shot 57% from the free throw line so perhaps we can’t quite label him the next Matt Bonner–but some coaches could take themselves into him making an open three here or there.
There just aren’t a lot of bigs with a great physical profile who also show any level of touch on the offensive side, so Awaka checking these boxes makes him an intriguing target and right now he’s at the top of Florida’s recruiting board. Nowadays it’s harder than ever to know where teams stand in recruitments, but the Gators are clearly right there with the second visit he’ll take.