by Alex Schwartz

The Florida Gators have had a great deal of success in the 21st century, including making three NCAA Tournament championship game appearances, and winning two of them. A key part of the National Champion Florida Gators in 2006 and 2007 was fantastic post play, with Joakim Noah and Al Horford, both of whom went on to be top 10 picks in the 2007 NBA Draft. Billy Donovan and Co. are building another dominant front line, but will have to wait a year before getting the ballers to Gainesville. Erik Murphy of St. Mark's School (MA) and DeShawn Painter of Hargrave Military Academy (VA) are two highly regarded class of 2009 big men, and both of them have already committed to the Gators, while Georgetown transfer Vernon Macklin will be eligible for the 2009-2010 season, when the pair are freshman. That will give Florida another three gifted post players to go along with current freshman Eloy Vargas, Allan Chaney, and Kenny Kadji. I had the opportunity to catch up with Erik Murphy after the Boost Mobile Elite 24 Classic at Rucker Park in Harlem, New York, where he was kind enough to discuss his decision to pick Florida, his game, and some of his opinions.

NB: What was this experience like for you?
EM: It was just crazy. . . . Harlem, Rucker, everything about it [is] legendary, so it’s crazy coming out here and playing in front of all those people. It was fun.

NB: Who do you think was the best player on the floor?
EM: On the floor tonight? [It’s] got to be Lance [Stephenson]. It’s his home, . . . not home-court, but right around the corner, and he stepped up tonight and he played well.

NB: Do you think Lance is the best player in the country in [the] class [of 2009]?
EM: It’s tough. . . . I think he’s the best at his position, but it’s tough saying overall because people play different. Some kids just dominate in different ways, so it’s tough to say.

NB: What went into your decision to commit to Florida?
EM: Everything about it. I love the coaching staff [and] the players, everything about it, just the school, the atmosphere, everything.

NB: When you actually committed did you feel [that it took] . . . any pressure off of you, not having to worry about the recruiting process anymore?
EM: It wasn’t really any pressure, but it felt good to commit, to get it out of the—I wasn’t really getting it out of the way because I know that’s where I wanted to go.

NB: What do you see as the strongest and the weakest point in your game?
EM: My weakest point is probably my weakness, my [lack of] strength, right now, but I think that will change with age and everything. That’s what everybody’s telling me. My strongest point is my basketball IQ, I just understand the game.

NB: How long do you plan on going to college for?
EM: [For] four years [to] try to . . . graduate, but . . . you never know, but [as of now,] four years. I’m . . . planning on four years right now.

Considering the trend of players leaving early for the NBA, especially big men with vast potential, it's nice to see that Murphy plans to graduate from college. Florida was hit by an early exit this year, as Marreese Speights left the Gators to become a first round pick in the NBA Draft. The squad will only be able to have Macklin for at most two years, while a few of the other big men will most likely end up not being around for four years. Thus, it seems that Erik Murphy will be vital in the Florida Gators' hopes of making another run to an NCAA crown, so make sure you look out for him in the future.

Note- photo is from http://scouthoops.scout.com/.

Note-  http://www.rivals.com/ used as a source for information.