Some observations following Florida’s 66-55 loss at No. 17 Miami on Tuesday night:
– If freshmen KeVaughn Allen and Brandone Francis-Ramirez can’t produce at the shooting guard spot, why not give junior DeVon Walker a shot there? Walker is not the answer offensively, but at least the 6-6 swingman provides stellar defense and can match up with bigger guards. Walker was underutilized during the Miami loss and should have been brought in more during the second half to try to keep Miami guards Sheldon McClellan and Angel Rodriguez from having their way off the dribble and from the perimeter. McClellan and Rodriguez combined to score 40 of Miami’s 66 points.
– It was a disappointing night on a national stage for senior forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who went 3 of 8 from the foul line and had a pair of turnovers. Finney-Smith had a quiet 12 points and couldn’t get going after an early 3-pointer. The Gators need Finney-Smith to play at a high level to beat ranked teams. He was just mediocre Tuesday night, and running out of opportunities to impress NBA scouts.
– If there was a bright spot in the loss, it was that sophomore center John Egbunu continues to make process in the post. Egbunu was able to score 14 points against Miami 7-footer Tonye Jekiri while avoiding foul trouble. At times, Egbunu was demanding the ball inside, which is good to see from and underclassman. The 6-foot-11 Egbunu had a couple of missed opportunities inside that he probably wished he had back, but as a whole, he’s provided consistent scoring from the center spot.
