Some observations following UF’s 68-62 win over LSU at the O’Connell Center:
– Sophomore point guard Chris Chiozza had an unsung performance in Florida’s win. Yes, Chiozza was just 2 of 10 from the floor, but the sophomore from Memphis also was steady with 8 assists to 0 turnovers. Chiozza found John Egbunu and Devin Robinson on a pair of alley-oops that brought energy to the crowd, taking advantage of holes in LSU’s defense. “I think Justin (Leon) got two off the rim but they didn’t count,” Chiozza said. “They was after the whistle. DeVon (Walker) almost got one. Everybody was just crashing the glass and trying to dunk it tonight. I don’t know what everybody was eating tonight, but we need to keep eating it.”As a team, Florida finished with 11 assists to just 6 turnovers. “We pride ourselves on the defensive end and taking care of the ball,” Chiozza said.
– Center John Egbunu did a better job of passing the ball out of double teams against LSU, including a kick back pass that allowed Dorian Finney-Smith to drain UF’s first 3-pointer of the game in the second half. Credit Egbunu for some mental toughness to make four big free throws down the stretch after starting the game 1 of 6 from the line. And his hook shot appears to be improving.
– Florida coach Mike White did a better job tightening his player rotation. Struggling redshirt freshman guard Brandone Francis-Ramirez was pulled quickly after missing both of his shot attempts and appeared for just one minute. And junior forward DeVon Walker provided value on the defensive end in 11 minutes off the bench even though he missed all three of his shot attempts.
