Some observations following UF’s 89-42 win over Palm Beach Atlantic:
– Freshman guard KeVaughn Allen looks like he can contribute right away for the Gators. The two-time Arkansas player of the year had 12 points and 5 steals and was an efficient 5 of 8 from the floor. Florida coach Mike White is prodding the soft-spoken Allen to be even more aggressive on the court, and it’s easy to see why. On a night when every other Gator player was throwing the ball around the count, Allen played with a calm demeanor, finishing with just one of UF’s 23 turnovers.
– Sophomore 6-11 center John Egbunu is a physical presence inside for the Gators. Egbunu is a strong defensive communicator who boxes out well on the glass and has decent offensive rebounding and putback instincts. Egbunu had 11 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks, including one swatted so hard it rolled down the tunnel toward one of the O’Connell Center exits. White felt Egbunu took a few plays off, but for the most part, was pleased with his production inside.
– Here’s hoping the Alex Murphy foot injury isn’t too serious. Murphy was coming on in practice the past week and as an athletic senior forward seemed primed to be a good fit for White’s transition offense. The Gators have depth in the frontcourt, and Justin Leon and Keith Stone showed some promise off the bench with Murphy out for most of the game. Stone had 6 points and 3 steals in 10 minutes, while Leon had two points.
