Florida hoops targeting former Bradley forward in transfer portal
After 88 games with the Bradley Braves, forward Rienk Mast is testing out the transfer portal waters and getting plenty of Power 5 interest, including some from the Florida Gators, according to 247Sports.
UF is treating Mast as a priority target with one of the biggest team needs being frontcourt depth following the departures of Colin Castleton, CJ Felder and Jason Jitoboh. Mast averaged 13.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game last season for the Braves and is hoping his game translates against even stronger competition.
“I’m looking for a great basketball spot,” Mast said to the Peoria Journal Star. “Bradley is a great basketball spot. But you get to play against high majors 4-5 times a season. I want to see how I match up and play under bright lights every night. I want to see how I stack up against the best competition in college.”
At least 10 Power Five programs have already reached out to Mast, so Florida won’t be alone in its pursuit of him. The 52nd 1,000-point scorer in Bradley’s history is a hot commodity on the early transfer portal market.
At 6-foot-9-inches tall, Mast could fight right into the role Felder had at the start of the season, playing the four. The Gators still need to add a big man to match up with the nation’s top centers, though, and Mast would be a bit small for that spot. His rebounding skills are strong, but you can’t teach height.
Expect Florida to be very active in the portal this offseason because the team lost so many players.
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