Dominican Star Al Horford currently looks set to go down as one of the top centers in NBA History, with the chance of a potential Hall of Fame spot following his 2024 NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics.
The five-time NBA All-Star also won repeat NCAA titles with the Florida Gators in 2005 and 2006, the second team to achieve this following Duke’s success in the 1991-92 seasons.
Exploring Al Horford’s College Basketball Career and Stats
Horford’s time with the Gators went down as one of the most dominant careers in NCAA history.
During his debut season, the freshman was the starting center for Billy Donovan’s side. The Gators won the SEC Championship with relative ease, going on to lose to Villanova.
In his second season, the Gators made up for their failure in the 2004-05 season as they won the first NCAA championship title in the college’s history, a game in which Horford scored 14 points as the Gators destroyed UCLA 73-57.
In the 2006-07 season, the Gators became the first team since Duke in 1991-92 to win repeat NCAA championships, going into the Tournament as the No. 1 seed after dominating the SEC Championship. The Gators beat Ohio State 84-75 to retain the title.
Horford also played a vital role in that year’s championship game, dropping 18 points to get his team over the line in a tight affair against the Buckeyes.
Having set history with one of the most dominant teams in the history of NCAA basketball, Hordford went out on a high, declaring for the 2007 NBA Draft fresh off back-to-back championships, going as the third overall pick.
What Were Al Horford’s College Stats?
In his debut season, the Dominican star averaged 5.6 points per game as his Gators’ side won the SEC Championship, where he really shined as a rookie. However, he was as one of the top shot blockers in the SEC.
In his rookie season, Horford totaled 51 blocks for the year, the highest total by a Florida player since Andrew DeClerq in 1993-94
In his second season, as the Gators won the NCAA Championship, Horford formed one of the most dangerous combinations in NCAA history with Frenchman Joakim Noah.
Averaging 11.3 points per game that season. The two combined for 30 points in the NCAA Championship against UCLA.
KEEP READING: Florida Gators NCAA Men’s Basketball Title History
In his final season, as the Gators made history by winning their second title and going back to back, Horford had one of the best scoring seasons in NCAA history, with the SEC Tournament MVP and first-team All-SEC almost recording a double-double average.
Averaging 13.2 points per game that season, Horford also recorded 9.5 total rebounds for the season, the highest total by a Gator in over 17 years at the time.
Looking at Horford’s NCAA career, it’s hard to argue that it wasn’t one of the most dominant careers in the history of the sport, achieving some of the rarest achievements possible and enhancing an already legendary career.
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