Lopsided Purdue Loss Exposes Flaws, Might Prompt Changes
Wednesday, November 25, 2015 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- So early in a long season and with so many players to choose from (with another on the way in a week or two), there is much to be determined about the Florida basketball rotation.
Including which five players take the floor for the opening tipoff.
To date, that group has been the same quintet in each of UF's four games, but Coach Mike White -- on the heels of a disappointing performance on several fronts in losing to a very good Purdue team -- didn't rule out a shakeup of his starting five when the Gators (3-1) get back on the floor Wednesday afternoon against Vermont at the O'Connell Center.
“Any time you lose [and] not play well, it gives you an opportunity to re-evaluate really everything that you're doing,” White said Tuesday. “From a player standpoint, a staff standpoint, style of play rotation, starting lineup, everything.”
In the 85-70 loss to the Boilermakers, the Gators surrendered their most points in a regulation game in more than five years. There were defensive lapses in the half court and transition, some poor shot selection, breakdowns in boxing out, and a general unwillingness -- as far as the UF staff was concerned -- to match the level of competitiveness of an opponent the likes of which demanded as much.
Put another way?
“Just doing our jobs,” sophomore center John Egbunu said.
Egbunu and senior forward Dorian Finney-Smith were by far the Gators' most productive players in the Purdue game, combining for 36 points on 14-for-26 shooting to go with 15 rebounds. They were also firmly in White's crosshairs when he cited a slew of the team's problems, especially on the defensive end.
“You just have to have a great defensive effort against a great offensive team,” White said. “Ours? It wasn't bad, but it was very average.”
Sophomore guard Chris Chiozza has improved his shot and play the backup point position very well.
Offensively, with the exception of Egbunu, Finney-Smith and freshman guard KeVaughn Allen (12 points), the Gators needed to be a lot better to reach average, especially shooting the basketball. In the two-game Hall of Fame Tipoff tournament effort, their four wing players -- Allen and forward DeVon Walker among the starters; forward Devin Robinson and guard Brandone Francis-Ramirez off the bench -- combined to go 17-for-58 from the floor (29.3 percent) and 4-for-28 from 3-point range (12.5 percent).
Note: In the 74-63 victory Saturday over St. Joseph's, UF went 8-for-32 from the arc, making for the first time since the 2005 Southeastern Conference Tournament (in a 75-73 overtime defeat of Alabama) the Gators launched at least 30 treys, made 25 percent or less and still won the game.
“Making shots can make you look a lot better than you are at times,” White said. “I know our wings have had pretty good looks these last couple games, and they're coming off a tough road trip shooting the basketball. You can make up for a lot of mistakes by simply making shots. Our guys are better shooters. Our four wings are better shooters than they've shown. They know that.”
Robinson, the 6-foot-9 sophomore, is second on the team in both scoring and rebounding (behind Finney-Smith) at 11.3 points and 7.8 boards. He's hit those numbers despite coming off the bench the first four games of the season, with his 24.8-minute average second only to Finney-Smith, also. Robinson is a candidate to find his way into the starting lineup -- at the small forward spot currently manned by Walker -- for the first time since last season, when he started 17 games as a freshman.
Another possible move could put sophomore Chris Chiozza (8.3 points per game, 7-for-12 from 3-point) out first ahead of junior Kasey Hill (7.5 points, 4.0 assists per game), given the efficiency with which Chiozza (11 assists and four turnovers) has operated team.
Then again, everything could stay the same, and the Gators could focus on the bigger, long-range picture.
Regardless of who starts, there still will be plenty of opportunities for all; and opportunities to determine who finishes.
“You want guys who want to start, you want guys that want to compete within the framework of our team,” White said. “I'm hoping our guys are putting more emphasis -- I think they are -- on just improving right now and being productive on the floor, whether they start or not. But there's a chance that we definitely could mix some things up.”
