GAINESVILLE, Fla. – "Mad Max" has reclaimed his place at the top of Florida’s all-time scoring list.

Vernon Maxwell (1987)

Vernon Maxwell, the dynamic guard remembered for both his brilliance on the court and controversies off it, has had his final two seasons of statistics reinstated by the University Athletic Association. With the restoration, Maxwell now stands as the leading scorer in Gators basketball history and ranks third all-time in the Southeastern Conference.

"It's time," said Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin.

A Gainesville native and standout from Buchholz High School, Maxwell finished his Florida career (1985-89) with 2,450 points, averaging 18.8 per game. He played a pivotal role in guiding the program to its first NCAA Tournament appearance, which included a Sweet 16 run in 1987. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard earned first-team All-SEC honors twice during his collegiate career.

In the years following his Florida career, Vernon Maxwell became a central figure in an NCAA investigation that led to the Gators being placed on unsanctioned probation. As a result, Florida was required to vacate three NCAA Tournament wins in which Maxwell had played — two from 1987 and one from 1988.

At the time, athletic director Bill Arnsparger went a step further, taking the unusual action of removing Maxwell’s individual statistics from those two seasons. That decision erased 1,404 points across 67 games, making Maxwell one of the rare athletes in NCAA history to have his personal records stripped by his own institution during a probation case.



More than three decades later, those numbers have been restored following the recommendation of current athletic director Scott Stricklin.

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin reflected on Vernon Maxwell’s impact, saying, "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. 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, Maxwell received a call Tuesday night from UF associate athletics director and basketball administrator Dave Werner, who shared the news that his records were officially reinstated. The following day, head coach Todd Golden reached out to personally welcome Maxwell back as Florida’s all-time scoring leader.

"I fell on the floor. I was ecstatic," Maxwell said, describing his reaction. He plans to celebrate the reinstatement with former teammates, friends, and family — including his 82-year-old mother — during a reunion in Gainesville this weekend that will bring together Gator players spanning seven decades. "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."

At the end of Florida’s 2024-25 national championship run, Vernon Maxwell was listed 55th on the program’s career scoring chart with 1,046 points, a total that excluded his junior and senior seasons.

With his reinstated numbers, the updated record book for the 2025-26 campaign now places Maxwell at the very top. The former Gator, who went on to play 12 years in the NBA and win two titles with the Houston Rockets, has surpassed Ronnie Williams (2,090 points from 1980-84) and Kenny Boynton (2,033 from 2009-13) as the only Florida players to eclipse 2,000 career points.

Within the SEC’s historical rankings, Maxwell now sits third overall, trailing only LSU legend “Pistol” Pete Maravich (3,667 points from 1967-70) and Tennessee’s Allan Houston (2,801 from 1990-93). He joins the league’s all-time top five alongside Ole Miss’ John Stroud (2,328 from 1977-80) and Auburn’s Chuck Person (2,311 from 1983-86).

Maxwell’s 738 points across 33 games in the 1986-87 season have also been restored as Florida’s single-season scoring record, surpassing the 714 points Walter Clayton Jr. tallied over 40 games during the 2024-25 championship campaign. His career scoring average of 18.8 points per game ranks sixth in program history.

Vernon Maxwell now appears prominently across several statistical categories in Florida’s record book. He ranks first in both field goals made (921) and attempted (1,995), fourth in free throws made (505), third in free throws attempted (706), first in steals (206), fifth in steals per game (1.58), and first in points scored during SEC competition (1,362).

Looking back on his college years, Maxwell admits they were filled with highs and lows. "Ups and downs, man," he said, noting that time has given him perspective and maturity. When asked what advice his 60-year-old self would give to his 20-year-old self, Maxwell responded with honesty and humility:

"I'd tell him, 'Whatever you're doing, do the opposite.' "

CHARTING THE GATORS: UF's updated all-time top 10