'Next-Day Takeaway' -- Florida 86, Vermont 62
Thursday, November 26, 2015 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
'THE NEXT-DAY TAKEAWAY'
FLORIDA 86, VERMONT 62
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Three follow-up observations from Florida's victory Wednesday afternoon against Vermont.
1) Had I told you before the season began that five games in Florida's two point guards would be shooting better than 50 percent from 3-point range you'd probably feel pretty good about the Gators marksmanship from deep -- or think I was crazy. Right? Nonetheless, Kasey Hill and Chris Chiozza, who last season combined to make 29 of 94 shots from deep (30.8 percent), have thus far knocked down 10 of 19. That's 52.6 percent. That's really good. Unfortunately, UF's four main wing players -- for whom making shots is supposed to be a strength -- are an aggregate 24.6 percent. Just what Coach Mike White and his staff can do about Devin Robinson (7-for-22), KeVaughn Allen (3-for-16), DeVon Walker (2-for-10) and Brandone Francis-Ramirez (4-for-17) is something that will play itself out. I do know this: they make shots in practice. It has to be a matter of confidence ... doesn't it?
2) UF went 20 of 28 from the free throw line against the Catamounts (71.4 percent), having gone into the game at 63.8 for the young season. You know who's most responsible for that uptick? It's 6-foot-11, 255-pound center John Egbunu. He made free throws at a 54.5-percent clip as a freshman at South Florida two years ago. Egbunu went 5-for-6 against the Catamounts, as he did in Sunday's loss at Purdue. Egbunu is going to be at the line a lot this season. It's inevitable. Through five games, he's at 76.6 percent (13 for 17). That's a credit to him and the hundreds of free throws he shot during the offseason -- and is still doing weekly.
3) Speaking of centers, 6-9 freshman backup Kevarrius Hayes (pictured above), who had four points and three rebounds Wednesday, is playing just 9.6 minutes per game, but they're high-energy minutes and White could not be happier with the kid's productivity. Hayes is pure, relentless want-to and is at his most aggressive when the ball is in the air. Get this: Hayes has grabbed 10 rebounds this season -- and eight have come on the offensive glass. You can teach a guy like Hayes how to finish better around the basket or work with his form and release on his jump shot. But you can't teach a guy to play hard; to keep coming; to hurl his body all over the court. In time, Hayes is going to be a really, really good player in the program.
