Guard Vernon Maxwell scored a school-record 2,450 points and was twice named first-team All-SEC guard during his Gators career.
To the Max: Vernon Maxwell’s Legacy Officially Reinstated
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Ahead of the 2025–26 season, the Florida men's basketball team gathered at Coach Todd Golden’s home to watch the SEC Network documentary Repeat After Us, which revisits the Gators’ historic back-to-back national titles in 2006 and ’07.
The viewing wasn’t about inspiration—it was about insight.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – “Mad Max” reclaims his place in Gators history.
Vernon Maxwell, the dynamic guard whose time at Florida was marked by brilliance on the court and turbulence off it, has officially had his final two seasons of individual statistics reinstated by the University Athletic Association. With the restoration, Maxwell now stands as the No. 1 all-time scorer in Florida men’s basketball and No. 3 in Southeastern Conference history.
“It’s time,” said Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin, who led the effort to restore Maxwell’s numbers.
A Gainesville native and standout at Buchholz High, Maxwell scored 2,450 points across four seasons (1985–89), averaging 18.8 points per game. He played a pivotal role in leading Florida to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, including a Sweet 16 run in 1987. Maxwell earned first-team All-SEC honors twice and helped elevate the program to national relevance.
Vernon Maxwell (1987)
However, following his college career, Maxwell became entangled in an NCAA investigation that resulted in Florida vacating three tournament wins—two in 1987 and one in 1988. Then-athletic director Bill Arnsparger took the unusual step of removing Maxwell’s individual stats from those seasons—1,404 points over 67 games—making him one of the few athletes in NCAA history to be personally stripped of statistical records by their own institution.
Now, 35 years later, those numbers are back in the books.
“This was a great opportunity to reconnect with one of our most accomplished alums,” Stricklin said. “A relationship that had been strained for decades is now restored. Anytime you can say that, it’s a huge win.”
“Vernon Maxwell is one of the greatest players ever to wear a Gator uniform. You could not write the history of Florida basketball without him,” said athletic director Scott Stricklin. “What happened with the program and the NCAA did not change what Vernon accomplished on the court in helping put the Gators on the national basketball map. He earned those points.”
Now 60 years old, Vernon Maxwell received the news Tuesday night via a call from UF associate athletics director Dave Werner. A day later, head coach Todd Golden followed up with a personal welcome, officially bringing Florida’s all-time scoring leader back into the fold.
“I fell on the floor. I was ecstatic,” Maxwell said. “Man, I am just so happy. This is a blessing for me and my family. Honestly, I never, ever thought this was going to happen.” He’ll celebrate the moment with teammates, friends, and his 82-year-old mother during a weekend reunion of Gator basketball alumni spanning seven decades.
At the end of Florida’s 2024–25 championship season, Maxwell sat at No. 55 on the all-time scoring list with 1,046 points—his junior and senior seasons still excluded. With those stats now reinstated, he rises to the top of the chart with 2,450 career points, surpassing Ronnie Williams (2,090) and Kenny Boynton (2,033) as one of only three Gators to eclipse the 2,000-point mark.
In SEC history, Maxwell now ranks third all-time behind LSU’s Pete Maravich (3,667) and Tennessee’s Allan Houston (2,801), joining elite company alongside John Stroud (2,328) and Chuck Person (2,311).
Vernon Maxwell (11) made a UF-record 921 field goals during his four seasons.
His 738-point campaign over 33 games in 1986–87 also reclaims the top spot on Florida’s single-season scoring list, edging out Walter Clayton Jr.’s 714 points from the 2024–25 title run. Maxwell’s career average of 18.8 points per game now ranks sixth in program history.
Heading into the 2025–26 season, Vernon Maxwell officially sits atop Florida’s all-time scoring list. After a 12-year NBA career and two championships with the Houston Rockets, Maxwell now leads the Gators’ record book with 2,450 career points, surpassing Ronnie Williams (2,090) and Kenny Boynton (2,033) as one of only three Florida players to break the 2,000-point mark.
In the Southeastern Conference, Maxwell ranks third in career scoring behind LSU legend Pete Maravich (3,667) and Tennessee’s Allan Houston (2,801). He joins elite company in the SEC’s top five alongside John Stroud of Ole Miss (2,328) and Auburn’s Chuck Person (2,311).
Maxwell’s 738-point campaign over 33 games in 1986–87 now reclaims the top spot on Florida’s single-season scoring chart, edging out Walter Clayton Jr.’s 714 points from the 2024–25 national championship run. His career average of 18.8 points per game ranks sixth in program history.
Vernon Maxwell
(present day)
Beyond reclaiming the top spot in career scoring, Vernon Maxwell now ranks among Florida’s all-time leaders in several key categories:
- Field Goals Made: 1st (921)
- Field Goals Attempted: 1st (1,995)
- Free Throws Made: 4th (505)
- Free Throws Attempted: 3rd (706)
- Steals: 1st (206)
- Steals Per Game: 5th (1.58)
- Points in SEC Play: 1st (1,362)
Looking back on his college years, Maxwell reflects with humility and clarity. “Ups and downs, man,” he said, acknowledging the highs and lows of his journey. When asked what advice his 60-year-old self would offer to his 20-year-old self, Maxwell didn’t hesitate.
“I’d tell him, ‘Whatever you’re doing, do the opposite.’”
CHARTING THE GATORS: UF's updated all-time top 10
| Rank | Player | Years | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vernon Maxwell | 1984-88 | 2,450 |
| 2 | Ronnie Williams | 1980-84 | 2,090 |
| 3 | Kenny Boynton e | 2009-13 | 2,033 |
| 4 | Andrew Moten | 1983-87 | 1,930 |
| 5 | Udonis Haslem | 1998-2002 | 1,781 |
| 6 | Erving Walker | 2008-12 | 1,777 |
| 7 | KeVaughn Allen | 2015-19 | 1,723 |
| 8 | Stacey Poole | Stacey Poole | 1,678 |
| 9 | Dwayne Schintzius | 1986-90 | 1,624 |
| 10 | Neal Walk | 1966-69 | 1,600 |
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu
