Hoops Hodgepodge 1

Chris Chiozza drives against Vanderbilt's Matthew Fisher-Davis during Saturday's win over the Commodores.

Sunday, December 31, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry

A weekly scattershot look at Florida basketball.

By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer

NEXT-DAY TAKEAWAY
Florida 81, Vanderbilt 72
Three leftover thoughts from Saturday's win.

1) The defense was great … then it was awful. The Gators limited the Commodores to just 20 points and 28-percent shooting in the first half, then allowed a ridiculous 54 points on 51 percent after halftime. Only UF's ability to make free throws (22 of 25 in the second half) staved off what would have been (depending on your vantage point) either an incredible Vanderbilt comeback or an horrific meltdown by the home team. To their credit, the Gators never stopped playing hard. To their detriment, they're just not very good at defending, especially on the interior. Center Kevarrius Hayes and forward Keith Stone are high-effort players — Hayes was terrific defensively in the first half — but sometimes it comes down little things: finishing a box-out, chasing rebounds versus waiting on them, grabbing a ball with the two hands, sliding feet properly, or just plain awareness. UF is sorely undermanned in the front court, thanks to the injuries to John Egbunu, Isaiah Stokes and Chase Johnson. That's not changing any time soon. Florida has been a sub-standard defensive team since the season began (even when it was playing its best basketball). It's possible that may not be changing soon, as well.

2) What can you say about Chris Chiozza? When things were getting dicey, the senior point guard whose job it is to get shots for teammates took it upon himself to go get a bucket. Several, actually, including three straight drives into traffic midway through the second half, each coming after the Commodores had cut the Florida lead to single digits. In addition to being one of the best floor generals in the country, Chiozza is now one of UF's top offensive options, having averaged 17.7 points over the previous three games to go with 14 assists and just one turnover. Oh, and he's also the Gators' best defender. Coach Mike White even said so after the game, admitting Chiozza sometimes gambles on home-run defensive plays. White and his staff know what they're going to get from Chiozza every game. He might be the only player they can say that about right now.

3) He only played 16 minutes, only took one shot, but it was a big one. Vandy cut a 20-point lead in half with just over six minutes left when, after a defensive stop (a rare one), the Gators got out on the break and Chiozza zipped a pass to freshman backup wing Deaundrae Ballard. I don't think it's a stretch to say that Ballard, a gifted (and hungry) offensive player, has actually shot the ball more times than passed it while on the floor this season. Crazy? I don't think so. Heading into Southeastern Conference play, Ballard had average 14.2 minutes per game, but had 20 more shots than Stone (who has 10 starts and goes 20.6 minutes per game) and 41 more than Hayes (six starts, 24 minutes per). Ballard also was just 2-for-17 from the 3-point line in non-league play (11.8 percent), with most of those attempts hurried ones, and perhaps some ill-advised. On that break, though, Ballard took the pass on the left wing in transition, stepped perfectly into his shot and let fly a rhythm 3-ball that banged in and took the lead back to 13 with six minutes to go. Huge play. Ballard's role this season, on a team heavy with volume shooters on the perimeter, remains to be seen, but there's no denying his ability to score the ball and be a microwave kind of guy off the bench.

BIG GUY UPDATE

I'm writing about this because so many people want to know, not because there are any new developments. The status of Egbunu and Stokes, both rehabbing from reconstructive knee surgeries, and Johnson, in concussion protocol, remains status quo.

Egbunu, the fifth-year center center, had what trainer David "Duke" Werner termed the best individual workout of his rehab just last week. The next day, the knee was swollen, so they had to pull back. Egbunu was back on the floor after practice Sunday doing some 2-on-2 stuff with assistant coach Darris Nichols versus UF's two walk-ons. Yes, he looked good. Stokes, the freshman, is playing pick-up with coaches and managers, and also went through some pre-game warmups against Vandy, an exercise that is important because its represents an extra chance to work and test the knee.

The late-January timeline for both Egbunu and Stokes remains, but it's subject to change; as in later, not earlier. Regarding Stokes, when he's finally cleared, there will be a decision to be made as to whether he should take a medical redshirt. The 6-foot-8, 280-pounder is well behind in terms of conditioning and being in basketball shape, so rolling him out there for two minutes here, two there, may not be optimum.

As for Johnson, the 6-foot-9 forward is still dealing with concussion symptoms. He's been able to do some individual work and continues to take his turns in the weight room with strength/conditioning coordinator Preston Greene. He is nowhere near ready for contact.

UF ALUM UPDATE

.@BuyukcekmeceBK playmaker @ErvWalker11 set a new #FIBAEuropeCup season-high with a flurry of 3-pointers, he connected on 8-of-11 attempts to put his name atop the leaderboard.

?? https://t.co/G21SV9bpTm pic.twitter.com/3MjeBbBTcH
— FIBA Europe Cup (@FIBAEuropeCup) December 25, 2017

Billy Donovan always had a soft spot for small guards. Probably because he was one.

Erving Walker, at 5-foot-8, was the smallest of them all -- and one of the best. Donovan loved Walker because he was virtually impossible to press. He wasn't perfect (what point guard is?), but after playing 144 games for the Gators from 2008-2012, the former New York City superstar left UF ranked No. 5 all-time in scoring (1,777 points) and No. 1 in assists (547).

Walker is in the sixth season of a very good overseas career. Two weeks ago, he set a single-game record for the FIBA Europe Cup qualifying round by hitting eight 3-pointers (in 11 attempts) for his Demir Insaat club in Turkey. Walker finished with 29 points in the game.

Keep it up, Erv!

CHARTING THE GATORS
Did you know Florida has the SEC's most experienced player? If you didn't, you do now, and You've probably figured out who it is. With the start of the SEC schedule, I did some surfing and compiled a list of the players from each of the 14 teams with the most career games and placed them in order below. Obviously, they're all seniors (duh!). Half of them are transfers, including five graduate transfers.

Games	Player	School	Starts	Comment
118	Chris Chiozza	Florida	45	Incredibly, he started zero games during his junior season.
116	Riley LaChance	Vanderbilt	100	Remarkably consistent career.
114	Kassius Robertson	Missouri	79	Graduate transfer from Canisus.
113	Dustin Thomas	Arkansas	50	Transferred two years ago from Colorado.
110	Tonny Trocha-Morales	Texas A&M	48	He's 6-10, but plays third fiddle on Aggies' tremendous frontline.
110	Riley Norris	Alabama	57	Ruled out for the season last week due to a hip injury.
107	Markel Crawford	Ole Miss	89	Graduate transfer from Memphis
106	Yante Maten	Georgia	75	Leads SEC in scoring (20.2) and ranks second in rebounding (9.8).
106	Frank Booker	South Carolina	22	Graduate transfer from Florida Atlantic.
106	Randy Onwuasor	LSU	51	Graduate transfer from Southern Utah, led Big Sky Conference in scoring last season (23.5 ppg).
104	James Daniel III	Tennessee	92	Graduate transfer from Howard; nation's active Division I scoring leader (1,984 points).
73	Quinndary Weatherspoon	Mississippi State	57	Oldest of two Weatherspoon brothers on Bulldogs squad.
71	Bryce Brown	Auburn	37	Leads Tigers in scoring at 15.8 per game.
50	Wenyen Gabriel	Kentucky	23	Wildcats' most experienced player, but no starts this season.

"PERSPECTIVE POLICE" BEAT

Coaches are held accountable. Players are held accountable. Even senior writers are held accountable. This space is dedicated to holding the fans (and fan boys) on Twitter accountable. We'll also, at times, recognize those who "get it" by responding to comments and acknowledging those who offer entertaining social media fodder, or (God forbid) the proper perspective. [Note: If you're completely unreasonable and wonder why you don't show up here, it's probably because you've been muted or blocked, and thus in "Perspective Prison." I'm the cop, judge, jury and warden.]

Not just Christmas, Deborah. Probably three times each practice, the Gators do an "80 percent drill," and it always comes when the players are fatigued, probably after a transition defense drill. They go in pairs to a basket and, collectively, have to make 80 percent of their free throws or else run a "22." That's a double down-and-back, which nobody wants to do. White started doing the drill midway through his first season (when the Gators were on their way to shooting 64.7 percent from the foul line). This season, they're at 77.7 percent.

The guys must have spent their Xmas vacation practicing free throws!!! #GoGators https://t.co/mbTAYhi2hh
— Deborah Baker (@dbaker1129) December 30, 2017

Yes.

???? https://t.co/VdEEwvYmGe
— Will Yeguete (@Will15Yeguete) December 30, 2017

Seems a tad harsh, given this went out with a 10-point lead. The team plays hard, but is definitely limited on the defensive end. And predicted this way, way before the season even began.

they blow this game I'd revoke every scholarship. Bunch of entitled clowns.
— Tim D (@TJD8686) December 30, 2017

Stop watching, Frank.

I figured out the problem - it's me. Was on the plane to Nashville and missed the first half. I start watching the second half ... https://t.co/SKOFHtDWxX
— Frank Frangie (@Frank_Frangie) December 30, 2017

Hmmmm. He's 158-68 in seven seasons as a head coach. That's a winning percentage of .699. Presumably, along the way, he's had to "coach with a lead" at some point during those 158 victories.

The question is... Will Mike White ever learn how to coach with a lead ???
— Jeff (@Wienerjeff) December 30, 2017

Thomas covers the Gators for 24/7Sports.com (his football intel is a must for hardcore fans), but as I responded during the game, if KeVaughn Allen thinks it's a good shot, it is -- for him. That's how the UF coaches want him to think. "Confident KeVaughn," I call it. Allen was really, really good for most of his game-high 38 minutes against Vandy, but definitely fell prey to some fatigue in the final minutes.

That was the definition of a "NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOO, OKKK YEAH!" shot for KeVaughn Allen. #Gators up 19-8 early.
— Thomas Goldkamp (@ThomasGoldkamp) December 30, 2017

I though Wisconsin acquitted itself quite nicely against Miami in the Orange Bowl. OK, so this one has nothing to do with Florida basketball. Just a shout-out to my friend and part-time radio partner. I kid because I can (my column, my rules). Maybe Brady and I can talk about this (along with Shane Matthews) on our WRUF Gators basketball segment this week. Early game tweeting is one of the dangers of Twitter.

Wisky can't block 'em. Canes been really good at home this year. #ORANGEBOWL
— Brady Ackerman (@bradyack) December 31, 2017

FREE THROWS

Fourth-year junior guard Jalen Hudson, the team's scoring leader at 17.4 points per game, was limited to just 14 minutes against the Commodores due to a virus he came back to school with following Christmas break. Hudson barely took the practice floor for three days, played just five minutes in the second half and finished with a season-low eight points. Half of those came on a four-point play in the opening period. Hudson was back at practice Sunday and should be closer to full strength for Tuesday night's date at No. 5 Texas A&M. ... The Vandy game marked the third time this season the Gators had made at least 25 free throws, and the first shooting at least 90 percent. ... Chiozza's turnover at the 9:50 mark of the opening half was his first over the previous 73 minutes. Incredible ball security. ... After going 10-for-10 from the free-throw line, grad-transfer forward Egor Koulechov has made 31 consecutive free throws, which tied Kenyan Weaks (1996-200) for the fourth longest streak in school history. For the season, Koulechov is 40-for-41 from the line. That's a staggering 97.6 percent, which leads the SEC. ... Allen scored 16 points against Vandy to pass Walter Hodge (1,065 points) and Lee Humphrey (1,080 points) and move into 48th place on the school's all-time scoring list. ... Eight SEC teams showed up in the Top 40 of the Ratings Percentage Index, as of Sunday. Florida was not one of them; not even close. The Gators currently check in at 81st, which is 11th among league teams, with the next three dates at A&M (2nd in SEC, 8th overall), at Ole Miss (14th/172nd) and Mississippi State (10th/65th). Florida's RPI will make huge jumps in the weeks to come, because of the SEC teams they'll face. For really big and significant jumps, obviously, the Gators will have to win some of those games.