There have been some noticeable body changes during the offseason for returning Florida basketball players.
Sophomore transfer center John Egbunu has slimmed down from 266 to 255 pounds, while rising sophomore forward Devin Robinson and rising sophomore point guard Chris Chiozza have both made strength gains.
The 6-foot-9 Robinson has bulked up to 195 pounds (he played at 178 pounds as a freshman), while Chiozza is up to 175 pounds from 160 pounds last season.
Under the guidance of Florida strength coach Preston Greene, Egbunu’s body transformation is the most intriguing. The USF transfer didn’t sacrifice muscle to shed about 10 pounds of baby fat. Like Billy Donovan, new Florida coach Michael White wants to play an up-tempo style, and the 6-foot-11 Egbunu’s ability to get up and down the floor could be a key factor in whether the Gators can bounce back from a disappointing 16-17 season.
Robinson averaged 2.8 rebounds as a freshman, so the added muscle should help him hold his position more inside and grab a few more boards against more physical SEC frontcourts.
Other notes:
– Former Gator point guard Nick Calathes has decided to head back to Greece, leaving the Memphis Grizzlies for a
three-year, $7 million deal with Panathinaikos. Calathes had received a $1.1 million offer to play for the Grizzlies next season, but opted to make more money overseason.
– The Philadelphia 76ers made it official, announcing
the signing of former Gator point guard Scottie Wilbekin to a four-year deal that’s partially guaranteed. Coming off an impressive summer league stint with the Sixers, Wilbekin will still
face competition to make Philadelphia’s roster in training camp in October. But the partial guarantee should improve the 2014 SEC Player of the Year’s chances to make his NBA debut this season after playing last season overseas in Australia and Greece.
