One day after leaving the Nike Skills Academy in New Jersey, Brandone Francis committed to Florida.
“Yes, I picked them because that’s my dream school and I think it’s a perfect fit for me,” the 6-foot-5, 205-pound combo guard told SNY.tv Thursday after ESPN first reported the news. “I think i have a great chance to go up there and be a pro. I think they can make me a pro.
“That’s a great fit for me as a guard. They use a lot of pick and roll with their system and with Coach [Billy] Donovan’s help they can take me to the next level.”
The native of the Dominican Republic said he never cut his list to a top five, and simply went with Florida after consulting with his mom.
“I don’t even have a top five,” he said. “I didn’t even set up anything. I just talked to my mom really and just made my decision.”
Francis is the No. 25 player in the Class of 2014, according to Rivals. He plays at Arlington (FL) Country Day.
He joins Memphis point guard Chris Chiozza in Florida’s 2014 recruiting class.
Francis spoke with Donovan earlier in the day via phone. The Florida coach is leading the U.S. U19 team into the World Championship in Prague, Czech Republic and got an early present before the event began.
“We talked early,” Francis said. “I made my verbal commit officially.”