Kenny Boynton will need protective custody in Lexington

SLAMOnline has a nice profile up of Kenny Boynton, the latest Mickey D's all-american to head to Florida to play for Billy Donovan.

All things considered, this kid seems like he has his head screwed on straight. During high school, he would get to the gym at 6am every morning to get an extra work out in with his coach. He would work out between the end of school and the start of practice. And the whole time, Boynton (who played off the ball at American Heritage High School) was working on his point guard skills in order to better transition to that spot at Florida.

Kenny Boynton, one of the best shooting guards in the country, is headed to Florida.
(photo credit: High School Hoop)

Keep in mind, this is a kid that was a top 15 recruit, a McDonald's all-american, averaged over 30 ppg as a senior, and finished his career as the third leading scorer in Florida basketball history.

Talented and a hard-worker. That's a great combination to have.

But Boynton may need to learn a thing or two about being humble. Towards the end of the article, Boynton reels off this locker room gem:

To tell you the truth, I’ve thought about it and on paper they look good, but I think we match up with them. I think we have a better team. It’s going to be a real good game when we play, but I don’t think they’re as good as everyone says they are.

There is nothing wrong with feeling this way. In fact, it is a good thing if Boynton feels that Florida is a better team than Kentucky. Having confidence in one's self and in one's team is a necessary trait in a "winner".

But do you really think it is a good idea to spout off in an interview with SLAM?

John Calipari is arguably the best motivator in college basketball. When Kentucky is good and Rupp is packed, it is one of the toughest places to play in the country. And Big Blue Nation is as passionate, vicious, and blood thirsty as any fan base for any team (pro or college) in the US (the thread on CatsPause.com has already reached 127 replies).

Why make it easy for them?

Ashley Judd is one of Big Blue's most famous and most faithful.
(photo credit: Sparty and Friends)

Boynton is correct about one thing - Florida looks pretty good on paper this year. Take a look:

• G - Erving Walker
• G - Kenny Boynton
• F - Chandler Parson/Dan Werner
• F - Alex Tyus
• F - Vernon Macklin
• Bench - Ray Shipman, Kenny Kadji, Erik Murphy
  

That could end up being a top 25 team. I love Walker in the back court. Both he and Boynton are combo guards - meaning they can play on or off the ball, play as a scorer or a playmaker - and should complement each other well. Tyus should get a little more help on the interior with the addition of Georgetown transfer Macklin (another former Mickey D's all-american) and freshman Murphy (what's the over-under on Entourage jokes he hears this season?) and the development of Kadji. If Parsons develops into a legitimate inside-outside scoring threat, don't be surprised to see Florida in the mix with Kentucky and Tennessee atop the SEC East down the stretch.

Anyway, we'll send you into the night with a nice Boynton mixtape: