Gators Ready for Step Up in Competition at Hall of Fame Tipoff
Saturday, November 21, 2015 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Safe to say, the bloated 34-point average margin of victory the Florida Gators have enjoyed through their first two games is about to change.
The Mike White began last weekend with an 18-point win at Navy, a game the Gators came within a field goal of keeping an opponent in the 30s defensively. It was followed by a 50-point blowout of North Carolina A&T in the home opener Monday. Good for the Gators. Given their pedigree, that's what they were supposed to do to a couple significantly outmanned opponents.
To a man, the Gators have an idea what they want to do and how they want to play.
“We know we are an unselfish team, and a team that plays hard and cares about each other,” 6-foot-11 sophomore center John Egbunu said. “We're looking forward to finding out more about what kind of team we are.”
Sophomore center John Egbunu, who is averaging 8.5 points and 6.5 rebounds thus far, chases a ball in Monday night's 104-54 defeat of North Carolina A&T. [Photos by Jim Burgess]
The first of a handful of non-league measuring sticks await White's first squad Saturday when the Gators (2-0) face Saint Joseph's (3-0), out of the blue-collar Atlantic 10, in opening-round play of the Hall of Fame Tipoff at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Win or lose, UF will do a quick turnaround and face either Old Dominion (3-0), the preseason pick to win Conference USA, or No. 21 Purdue (3-0), which is projected to contend in the Big Ten this season.
In addition to all four teams in the field being unbeaten, only one of their games was decided by single digits. St. Joe's won its three games by a combined 34 points; ODU by 65; Purdue by 104.
Now roll Florida into the fray, shake things up the next two days and see where everyone stands come Sunday night.
“Good teams, really good programs,” White said. “We're going to learn a lot.”
They all are.
St. Joe's will roll out one of the best pro prospects in the tournament in junior forward DeAndre' Bembry, whose production through the first two years of his collegiate career has been special. The 6-6, 210-pounder averaged 17.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game last season and already has eclipsed 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 200 assists. No one Gator will get the assignment to guard him.
“He'll be defended by a number of guys,” White said.
White has been fairly pleased with his overall team defense to date -- UF held it's two opponents to an average of 47.5 points and 30.6-percent shooting -- but Bembry and the Hawks will be a different challenge. A really good one. In fact, this trip to the Northeast provides lots of opportunities for fact-finding about the Gators.
Florida figures to learn a little more about its ability to shoot the ball from the 3-point line, a tool that was really, really bad at Navy but really, really good at home against A&T. There's also the matter of ball security, a facet of of White's system he considers non-negotiable, given the pace with which he wants to play. UF cut its turnovers from 19 to 13 from Game 1 to Game 2, but White still has concerns about his team's passing, on the whole. Not that they won't pass it, but more so that they just aren't really savvy and precise when it comes to distributing the ball right now.
And there's the matter of settling in on a rotation among the 11 players currently available. He doesn't consider that paramount at this time, but games like these tend to show the best players on the floor when it matters.
So far, 11 guys are averaging at least 6.5 minutes and that's without fifth-year senior forward Alex Murphy, who could be out another month with a foot injury, not factoring into the mix.
“It's a little different if you're used to playing a lot. You don't get as many minutes, but it's not about the quantity, it's about the quality you put in,” said sophomore point guard Chris Chiozza, who's made the most of his 17 minutes per game with a 9.0-point average (second on the team) and 4-for-6 from the 3-point line. “I like the system.”
Sophomore guard Chris Chiozza drives around a screen set by freshman center Kevarrius Hayes.
Some guys, like 6-9 freshman center Kevarrius Hayes, who has more fouls (5) than rebounds (2), doesn't know the difference.
“For me, it's kind of like starting over,” Hayes said of his collegiate indoctrination. “I've never really thought about how long i was in a game or the time or minutes I played in game. I've always been more like, 'What can I do to help my team when I am in the game?' That's just my approach.”
That's exactly how White wants all his players thinking.
“We have such parity. We don't have six or seven guys right now who have distanced themselves from the rest of the pack,” White said. “I feel good about the health of our mentality in the locker room right now and I'm just trying to take advantage of our depth.”
So a lot of Gators figure to get their chance this weekend. Against some much better teams than they've seen thus far.
“Competition is what I live for,” freshman guard Brandone Francis-Ramirez said. “When we go against better teams, better players, guys are going to step up and play even harder. I look forward to the challenge. We all do.”
