As he's wrestled with a nagging viral illness that has seemingly affected his shot, freshman forward Keith Stone has focused on defense and rebounding to try to help his team.
A Lesson in Team
Tuesday, February 14, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
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As far as doing what it takes to win, the Gators get it.
By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
AUBURN, Ala. — Keith Stone had trouble shaking a viral infection that for three weeks caused the Florida backup forward to experience bouts of dizziness. Stone finally was cleared to return to action last week at Georgia. He played 15 minutes and attempted four field goals. Two were blocked. The other two were airballs. That's four shots, no iron.
The Gators won 72-60.
The next day, Stone posted this on his Twitter account.
Like rebounding. Stone had five against the Bulldogs, including three on the offensive end, with two of those converted into second-chance points.
Like assists. Stone had one in the game. Three possessions after an airball 3-pointer in the second half, Stone caught a pass and was wide open at the top of the key. As a Bulldogs defender jabbed toward him, Stone rotated the pass one more time to Canyon Barry on the right wing, Barry hit a 3 to push the Gators up 10.
And these were different than the ones Stone flashed earlier in the season. He had 15 points Thanksgiving weekend against Miami in Orlando. He had 14 points and went 3-for-3 from deep Jan. 10 in a road win at Alabama. Three nights later, he scored a career-high 17 with three more 3s iin an overtime win over Georgia at home. Then came the virus, vertigo symptoms, trips to the doctor, dizzy spells in class and his dorm, missed practices and two games sidelined by the training staff.
The illness, for sure, set him back and messed with the timing and rhythm of his blossoming offensive game. Stone, though, didn't pout or play the victim. Instead, the 6-foot-8, 240-pound redshirt freshman did what he could. In the case of that second Georgia game, he threw his body into the mix, banged with the Bulldogs' bigs and helped keep this good thing the Gators have going.
"You can set a screen that gets a guy open or maybe just a hustle play or a rebound," Stone said. "There are always little things you can do to change the game."
After scoring 31 points in those back-to-back outings, Stone has missed all 11 of his field-goal attempts since, yet still has the confidence of his coaches and teammates because of his team-first approach.
"I'm slowly getting back into it," he said. "When I'm not out there, I spend my time watching the game more closely and trying to learn. I'm taking little notes to myself."
Worth noting: Florida (20-5) has crept to No. 15 in the nation, is tied for first in the SEC and has won six straight with Tuesday night's road date at Auburn (16-9, 5-7) next on the docket.
[Read senior writer Chris Harry's UF-Auburn 'Pregame Stuff' preview here]
On a team with so much going for it, Stone's story may not seem so compelling, but it represents a microcosm of what these Gators are about right now. It began when players went all in on White's challenge to take their defensive intensity to another level and throw away any personal agendas.
Over the six-game run of victories, the Gators have had six different players lead the team in scoring, and that's without shooting guard and scoring leader KeVaughn Allen being one of them. The box score numbers are there for all to see, but it's the plays that don't show up on the stat sheet — box-outs, ball-screen defense, extra passes, tipped balls, etc. — that have helped forge UF's new-found identity.
Without scoring, Stone has embodied it.
"Really, you can go out there and have a stat line of two rebounds and one assist, but the stuff no sees is just as important because maybe you've kept your man from scoring or you've kept your guy off the glass. There's just a lot of ways to impact the game," senior forward Justin Leon said. "For a guy like Stone, for him to be so young and starting to realize there's more to basketball than how many points you get, that shows maturity. That's a good place to be."
UF has really good chemistry in its locker room and on the bench.
It's good for the older guys, too. As Kasey Hill (3 points, 3 assists, 5 turnovers) was reminded against Texas A&M, not every game is going to be like his stellar night against Kentucky a week earlier. As a senior, Hill knew that. He was also wearing a big smile when the team walked off the floor Saturday after its 71-62 win over Texas A&M.
"You see things like that, it speaks to the chemistry of our team," White said.
Stone, a 19-year-old who seemed on the verge of breaking out, could easily have gotten frustrated with his situation. Instead, his focus was much wider. And right where it needed to be.
"There's nothing to be frustrated about when you're winning," he said. "Seeing us play together, playing as one, talking on the court, hanging out off the court, just being together … it's fun."
Basketball, some wise men say, isn't all about scoring.
