Florida basketball earned a commitment from four-star center Kamsi Awaka on Wednesday, marking the program's second pledge in the 2027 cycle so far.
The 6-foot-10-inch, 250-pound frontcourt prospect out of Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey, chose the Gators over other top teams, including UConn, Michigan, Michigan State and Arizona, who had also extended him scholarship offers. Awaka visited campus back in mid-September and came away impressed with what Todd Golden has going in Gainesville.
"Their team is really good," he told Swamp247 after the visit. "They're looked at as one of the teams that can win it all this year. They won it all in 2025 with some the same guys on this year's team."
Awaka joins another frontcourt recruit, four-star
forward Ian Condon, as Florida's first two commitments in the Class of 2027.
Kamsi Awaka's recruiting summary
Awaka is ranked No. 40 overall and No. 6 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite, while the Rivals industry ranking has him at Nos. 40 and 1, respectively. Both publications have him listed as the top prospect in the state of New Jersey.
247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein:
"At 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds with a broad upper body and 7-foot-4 wingspan, Awaka is a massive presence inside the lane. He's not just ultra-powerful, but physical with a reliable motor and willingness to do the dirty work and "little things" that impact wining. From day one at the college level, he projects as someone who will make an impact as a rebounder, defender and screener.
"Awaka averaged 15 points per game on 57% shooting in 3SSB play, but isn't a natural scorer or especially bouncy finisher. He has good hands, is a willing passer, big roller and post target, able to use both hands around the rim and one of the best offensive rebounders in the country (3.9 per game), but has never been the type of player who needed a certain amount of offensive volume in order to be fully engaged in other areas of the game. His free-throw shooting was once glaringly flawed, and is still mechanical, but has started to make some important progress (57% on more than six attempts per game).
"Defensively, he has pretty good feet for such a big body, albeit questionable hip alignment. He's not solely a drop coverage defender, can slide his feet for a couple of steps and is reliably in the right spots. He changes ends of the floor diligently, but lacks a smooth gate when doing so. He has good timing as a shot blocker (3.3 per game) and deters even more with his presence in the lane.
"The bottom line is that Awaka may never be an offensive focal point, but he impacts the game in a variety of ways that contribute to winning. In that way, he's similar to his older brother, former Tennessee and Arizona forward Tobe Awaka, but just a few inches bigger."
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida lands New Jersey's top 2027 prospect, center Kamsi Awaka
