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Under head coach Jim Larranaga, Miami Hurricanes basketball has been very active on the transfer market each off-season. Miami tapped that well again recently when they added former Florida Gators forward Keith Stone to the mix for the upcoming 2019-2020 season.
“It felt good, like a dream becoming a reality,” Stone said of his decision to transfer to Miami. “The coaches were ecstatic when I told them I was all in with Miami.”
As a 5th year grad transfer, Stone has one season of eligibility remaining and he will be available to play immediately. Stone is originally from South Florida, as he graduated high school from Zion Lutheran in Deerfield Beach, so returning to an area he knew well for his final year of college ball was an easy decision.
“Miami is close to home for me,” Stone said. “The staff and players all wanted me to come and just the school in general is very nice. I just felt Miami was a better situation for me.”
Were there any other programs he seriously considered besides Miami?
“Not really, I loved everything about Miami,” Stone said. “The coaches love me and believe in me. It’s a great place to be and I’m happy to be getting closer to home.”
At 6-8, 253 pounds, Stone was considered a stretch four with the Gators, averaging 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 85 career appearances with 39 starts at UF. He was a starter for the majority of his sophomore and junior seasons, shooting a 39% clip from three-point range in his career, before tearing his ACL in January 2019. While he’s not sure when he will be able to take the court at 100% health again, Stone has been spending his off-season rehabbing hard to make sure he is ready for his senior year at Miami.
“I’ve just been constantly rehabilitating and following all the doctors’ and trainers’ orders,” Stone said.
All the off-season work has Stone eager and ready to get on campus in Coral Gables this summer, but an exact destination date has not been established for the forward just yet. As for his goals for his senior season, Stone is looking for both personal and team success.
“Personally, just be happy, that’s all that matters to me,” Stone said of his goals. “For the team, I just want to win games. Anything else is icing on the cake.”
“It felt good, like a dream becoming a reality,” Stone said of his decision to transfer to Miami. “The coaches were ecstatic when I told them I was all in with Miami.”
As a 5th year grad transfer, Stone has one season of eligibility remaining and he will be available to play immediately. Stone is originally from South Florida, as he graduated high school from Zion Lutheran in Deerfield Beach, so returning to an area he knew well for his final year of college ball was an easy decision.
“Miami is close to home for me,” Stone said. “The staff and players all wanted me to come and just the school in general is very nice. I just felt Miami was a better situation for me.”
Were there any other programs he seriously considered besides Miami?
“Not really, I loved everything about Miami,” Stone said. “The coaches love me and believe in me. It’s a great place to be and I’m happy to be getting closer to home.”
At 6-8, 253 pounds, Stone was considered a stretch four with the Gators, averaging 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 85 career appearances with 39 starts at UF. He was a starter for the majority of his sophomore and junior seasons, shooting a 39% clip from three-point range in his career, before tearing his ACL in January 2019. While he’s not sure when he will be able to take the court at 100% health again, Stone has been spending his off-season rehabbing hard to make sure he is ready for his senior year at Miami.
“I’ve just been constantly rehabilitating and following all the doctors’ and trainers’ orders,” Stone said.
All the off-season work has Stone eager and ready to get on campus in Coral Gables this summer, but an exact destination date has not been established for the forward just yet. As for his goals for his senior season, Stone is looking for both personal and team success.
“Personally, just be happy, that’s all that matters to me,” Stone said of his goals. “For the team, I just want to win games. Anything else is icing on the cake.”
