White trying to find balance with Chiozza

A basketball season is often about highs and lows, and Florida sophomore starting point guard Chris Chiozza has hit a lull the last week for the Gators.

Chiozza was terrific in finishing with 17 points and 8 assists to begin February in UF’s 87-83 win over Arkansas. But in the two games since, Chiozza is just 3 of 18 from the floor, 2 of 11 from 3 points and has posted an assist-to-turnover of 9 to 5.

The six-foot Chiozza settled for some long-range 3-point attempts late in the second half against Ole Miss instead of trying to move the ball around for a better shot. Florida coach Mike White, a former point guard himself, admitted it may have been a case of Chiozza heeding his directive.

‘I challenged him five or six games ago to be a little bit more aggressive for us,” White said. “He’s had some really good games offensively. He’s coming off of … the last two games, he’s struggled more than any game this season. I can’t pinpoint it.

“We talked a little bit. He had a good practice yesterday. I don’t know whether he’s put too much pressure on himself to score more a little bit or what have you, but yesterday we talked about simplifying it a little bit more in terms of letting it come to you and getting back to making those winning plays, valuing the basketball at a really high level. We’ve got to get you back to defending at the level that you were defending at. If you’re open, shoot it. It may have been us thinking a little too much. But he’s in a dogfight there with Kasey (Hill). Again, whoever — at times we’ll play them together, but whoever’s playing better in a spot where we’re playing one of them is going to play.”

Click to expand...