The regular season for the Florida Gators football team came to a close on Saturday after a loss to in-state rival Florida State, so now Gator fans turn their attention to the Florida Gators basketball team.
As the Gators prepare to take on Richmond Tuesday night, we get you caught up with the team.
New faces:
There has been a lot of change for the University of Florida athletic programs, with both the football and basketball teams hiring new head coaches. The name behind the basketball program has changed from Billy Donovan to Mike White. For more information on his background, click here for the full story.
Aside from a change in the staff, there is a boatload of new faces on the court as well this season.
-John Egbunu: 6’11” redshirt sophomore center that transferred from USF. Playing after sitting out a year due to NCAA transfer rules.
-KeVaughn Allen: 6’2” true freshman guard from Little Rock, Arkansas
-Brandone Francis-Ramirez: 6’5” redshirt freshman guard is playing his first season for the Gators.
-Kevarrius Hayes: 6’9” true freshman forward from Live Oak, Florida
-Justin Leon: 6’8” forward JUCO transfer from Shawnee Community College in Illinois.
-Keith Stone: 6’8” freshman who will be redshirting this season.
-Johnny Victor: 6’4” redshirt freshman guard from Orlando, Florida.
Standout players:
As anticipated, returning starter Dorian Finney-Smith is the Gators go to guy on the floor. So far this season he has notched a double-double, 50 rebounds (averaging 8.3 per game) and 91 points averaging at 15.2 per game.
John Egbunu is making a great first impression during his first season for Florida thus far. Egbunu is the team’s second leading scorer averaging 12 points at a 60.9% completion rate from the field. This strong athlete gives Florida the height that they were lacking in and can make strong drives to the basket.
Another returning player to keep an eye on is sophomore guard Devin Robinson. He has already had two double-doubles this season and is the team’s third leading scorer averaging out at 11 points per game.
Notables:
-The Gators are shooting just 42.9% from the field and 30.8 % from behind the arc this season.
-In their game against North Carolina A&T, Florida had eight different players complete three-point shots.
-In three of their six games, Florida has had a player log a double-double. (Robinson twice and Finney-Smith once)
You can catch up with the Gators and see them in action on Tuesday when they take on Richmond in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.