Alex Tyus had an offseason to remember
Thursday, October 14, 2010 | Men's Basketball, Football, Scott Carter
Florida senior forward Alex Tyus had what you call a busy offseason.
He entered his name into the NBA draft, worked out for the Portland Trail Blazers, withdrew his name from the draft, and worked extensively on his game at the IMG Academy in Bradenton.
Oh, and Tyus also married former UF volleyball player Alli Cecchini.
At the UF men's basketball media day on Wednesday, Tyus laughed when asked if now that he is married he has to stay home to watch “Desperate Housewives” instead of hanging out with his teammates.
“She is really laid-back, easy-going,'' said Tyus, who was married in May. “Leading up to our marriage, we always kind of lived our lives like a married couple since we've been engaged. So it hasn't really been much of a difference as far as not being able to do things.
“She's OK with me hanging out with my teammates. A lot of my teammates know her and are good friends with her, so she really doesn't mind.''
A 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward-center from St. Louis, Tyus averaged 11.8 points and 6.9 rebounds as a junior. He worked hard over the summer to expand his game for his final season with the Gators.
“I'm experimenting with my range a little bit and being more careful when I play as far as making better decisions with the ball – cut down on turnovers and try to get more assists,'' he said. “And also, try to rebound more. Those are the things that I've really focused on myself to help out the team.''
As for his decision to return to school, Tyus said that was intention all along.
“I didn't really have a plan on leaving,'' he said. “I just kind of wanted to get a workout in and get the experience and see what I would be going through. I guess to get the jitters out a year early.''
