Horford: Florida Is My Main Focus

Now that he has signed his Letter of Intent and faxed it in to the Florida coaching staff, Al Horford is ready to move forward and start preparing for his career as a Florida Gator. The last few months have been somewhat hectic for the 6-foot-8, 211-pound power forward from Grand Ledge High School in Grand Ledge, MI., but Horford has put that behind him and is ready to move on.

“Yes, I made my commitment to Florida official earlier today. I did not have a press conference or anything like that. I just kind of kept it low profile,” Horford said. My dad and I ate lunch together today and I had the opportunity to speak with Coach Donovan after I faxed him my papers. I can tell you that Coach Donovan was pretty excited during our conversation on the phone.”

Now that Horford has signed his Letter of Intent, he is focused on improving his game. There is not one specific area he will work on, but Horford feels that his overall game still needs some improvement.

“Right now my main focus is Florida and what I must do to prepare myself for that transition,” Horford said. “I worked on all areas of my game this off-season and will continue to do so during the regular season. High school basketball practice does not start until November 23, so I still have time to keep working and improving.

“I would say that my ball handling skills must improve,” he added. “That’s something I’ve been working on for a long time. My dad has been helping me with that, so he has been a big help. When its time for me to leave for Florida, I’ll be ready.”

Rivals.com ranks Horford No. 89 on the Rivals150 list and the 26th best power forward in the class of 2004.