Not many expected him here at this stage in his career.
This was the last thing anyone would have predicted six years ago. That's when Kenny Boynton, just a high school sophomore, was already being called one of the greatest basketball players in Broward County history.
He was next in line in this "one-and-done" era.
For Boynton, instead, it's been more like "four-and-forever."
Saturday marked the fourth time he played in the Orange Bowl Classic with the Florida Gators. The venue was the BB & T Center, not some arena in the middle of a West-Coast trip in the NBA. This was the destined future of Boynton instead of playing four years in college.
"I know a lot people of expected it to go that way," Boynton said.
Sometimes things don't go as planned, and Boynton is just fine with it. And so are others around him, including Gators coach Billy Donovan. He never got caught up in the hype of judging talent of a player yet to step foot on campus.
"He hasn't even played a college game or been in a college practice yet and somebody's talking about him being a pro," Donovan said. "Let him become a good college player first. He's developed and gotten better every year. He's had an incredible career."
Just not the career everyone expected.
Part of the reason was Boynton constantly being linked to Brandon Knight. They were high school rivals a few short years ago, suddenly bringing recognition to South Florida in a sport other than football. Both were on the national stage at early ages. Boynton led Ely to a Class 6A state title as a sophomore in 2007. Knight made his debut at the state tournament as a freshman before leading Pine Crest to three championship games, winning two.
Unfortunately, that's where their similarities ended.
Knight is now in his second year with the Detroit Pistons. He's the building block of an NBA franchise, leaving behind the player he was often associated with throughout high school. You could not mention one name without the other back then, especially with the two meeting in the postseason when Boynton transferred to American Heritage.
Boynton is far removed from those days of being a teenage phenom. He's considered a borderline pro prospect, most likely a second-round pick. He may even perhaps need a year playing overseas before getting a serious look from NBA scouts.
It's easy to call that a disappointment at first glance.
But not so fast.
Boynton will leave UF with his mark all over the record books. After scoring 14 points in the Gators' 78-61 victory against Air Force, he now stands 360 shy of passing the school's career mark of 2,090. At some point this season, he will overtake Lee Humphrey as the Gators' most prolific 3-point shooter when many questioned his shooting. And he's likely to start more games than any player in school history.
Not bad for most players from the area.
"I think it's been a good career," Boynton said. "I think every year I've learned more and I've progressed every year. "
Still, Boynton will fall victim to the expectations. No matter how many times Donovan calls him "one of the greatest players in our program." The doubters will say Boynton is no Bradley Beal or David Lee, fellow UF McDonald's All-Americans who became NBA lottery picks.
It shouldn't take away from Boynton's solid career.
"The thing that I don't like as much is when a player is a great, great college player and maybe is quite not good enough to be a 10-year pro and a starter," Donovan said. "That doesn't mean that the guy is not a great player."
Donovan quickly added it's yet to be determined if Boynton will make it at the next level. At least his last appearance as a collegian in front of the home crowd didn't end without showing a glimpse of why he such big things were expected. He made a driving layup in the first half that resulted in a few "Go Kenny" cheers.
In the second half, Boynton canned a pair of 3-pointers in a span of two minutes. For a moment, it felt like the gym at Ely or American Heritage.
The only thing missing was the packed house letting out a collective "whoosh" every time Boynton launched a shot … and those high expectations.
