Some observations following UF’s 79-68 win over UCLA:
– Florida’s ball movement was terrific against the Bruins. The Gators finished with 22 assists to 12 turnovers, with freshman Kasey Hill dishing a career-best 10 assists. Hill’s quickness was too much for UCLA to handle and the 6-foot-1 guard shared the wealth with his teammates once he got in the lane.
– Florida senior center Patric Young allowed himself to be taken out of the game mentally by dwelling on some early turnovers and foul trouble. The Gators are going to need to Young to play with a sharper focus and overcome adversity better in their Elite Eight matchup with Dayton. Young finished with as many points (4) as fouls (4) against UCLA and had two turnovers.
– For the second straight NCAA Tournament game, Florida finished with a significant rebounding margin, outrebounding UCLA 40-30. The Gators outscored UCLA 12-7 in second-chance points. It was a collective effort for the Gators on the boards. Senior forward Will Yeguete had a team-high 7 rebounds, with Dorian Finney-Smith, Kasey Hill and Michael Frazier adding 6 rebounds apiece. Florida had outrebounded Pittsburgh 38-31 in its Round of 32 game last week.
