Trey Bonham wasn’t going to turn down an opportunity to learn, an opportunity to prove himself as a basketball player.
So when Dan Earl left Virginia Military Institute for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in April 2022, Bonham decided against following his coach to the Scenic City and instead transferred to Florida for a chance to test himself against some of the best competition in the country.
And the 6-foot, 175-pound guard from Mobile, Alabama, fit right in during his time in Gainesville, playing in 30 games and starting 13 while averaging 5.6 points per game for the Southeastern Conference’s Gators.
Bonham had 11 points off the bench in a comeback victory over nonconference rival Florida State, knocking down six of seven free throws down the stretch. He had team highs with 23 points against Xavier and 19 against Oregon State the following two games, and he did the same when he posted 21 against Texas A&M early in the league schedule. He also tied a school record with a 7-for-7 effort from 3-point range in a win over Florida A&M.
Bonham always fancied himself as a player who could compete at the highest level, and last season showed he could, but he was ready to be a leader of a team — even if it meant he had to take a year off to do it.