In March 2010, Horford verbally committed to play college basketball at the University of Michigan, choosing Michigan over California and Providence.[11][12] He signed a letter of intent two weeks later at the opening of the spring signing period on April 14.[13][14]
As a sophomore, Horford gained 30 pounds (from 220 to 250 pounds), raising expectations that he would become a more dominant player.[15] Early in the season, he appeared in nine games for the 2011–12 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team. He scored a career-high 12 points, all in the first half, against UCLA at the Maui Invitational Tournament on November 23, 2011.[9][16] In early December, he sustained a stress fracture to his right foot that resulted in his missing the final 25 games of the season. Horford was granted a medical redshirt due to the injury.[9][17][18][19]
As a redshirt sophomore, Horford appeared in 28 games and averaged 9.2 minutes per game for the 2012–13 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team. He missed five games after sustaining a knee injury in a December 15 game against West Virginia. Horford blocked three shots on two separate occasions, against Arkansas on December 8, 2012, and against Northwestern on January 30, 2013.[9] In mid-March, he scored a season-high 11 points in Michigan's 83–66 victory over Penn State in the Big Ten tournament.[20] He totaled 16 blocks for the season, ranking fourth on the team behind Mitch McGary (24), Trey Burke (18), and Tim Hardaway Jr. (17).
As Michigan advanced to the 2013 Final Four at the Georgia Dome, Horford drew attention for his interest in reading ancient Chinese texts. In the locker room after Michigan's overtime victory over Kansas, Horford was in a corner of the locker room reading "Tao Te Ching", a Chinese text written around the 6th century BC.[21] Horford's older brother, Al, who had played for Florida's back-to-back national championship teams, expressed pride: "It's just exciting. He was here watching me a few years ago going through the Final Four in Atlanta and now here's here, so we're super excited."[22] The 2013 final four was at the same Georgia Dome that Al had won the championship at in 2007.[6] Michigan reached the championship game.
On November 8, 2013, Horford posted a career high 12 rebounds against the UMass Lowell in the season opener.[23][24] In the subsequent game against South Carolina State on November 12, Horford again established a career high of 15 rebounds and added 9 points leaving him a point shy of a double-double.[25][26] Prior to the game, the last time a Michigan Wolverine had posted 15 or more rebounds was when Manny Harris posted 16 on December 29, 2008, against North Carolina Central.[27][28] In the January 2 Big Ten Conference opener against Minnesota at the Williams Arena, Horford established a new career high with 14 points and added 9 rebounds.[29][30] On March 4, Horford had 10 rebounds against Illinois to help Michigan clinch its 14th and 8th outright Big Ten Conference championship.[31][32] The 2013–14 team advanced to the elite eight round of the 2014 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament before being eliminated by Kentucky.[33] Horford announced on April 10 that he would use his 5th year of redshirt eligibility by transferring to a graduate program at another school. Because he graduated in April, he was eligible to immediately join another team for the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season.[34] On April 26, Horford announced he was transferring to play for the Florida Gators men's basketball team.[35]
Florida
Horford playing for Florida
Horford opened the season in the starting lineup for the 2014–15 Florida Gators on November 14 against William & Mary.[36] Horford posted 17 points against Miami (FL) on November 17.[37] He posted a double-double with 11 rebounds and 10 points against Georgetown on November 26.[38] Horford averaged 6.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game for Florida.[39]
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