The loss of Will Yeguete makes Florida’s bench a player thinner heading into the second half of the Southeastern Conference season.
It also opens up the potential of more minutes for Florida freshman guard Michael Frazier.
Frazier has emerged as the best of UF’s Class of 2012 due to his shooting and scoring ability. The Tampa native has averaged 5.8 points off the bench and is second on UF in 3-point shooting accuracy (46.2 percent).
At 6-foot-4 and 220-pound, Frazier also rebounds well for his position (he had 9 boards Tuesday night against Arkansas). But one area where Frazier needs work is defensively. Often, he’s been caught out of position on rotations in UF’s complex defensive schemes. The Gators mix zone, press and man defenses often. Sometimes, Frazier had has trouble keeping up.
“Playing with these guys every day, it’s helped already,” Frazier said, when asked about his defense. “So, I see myself making strides. Just having the coaches in my ear really helps.”
Frazier said the coaches told him the importance of rebounding before the season began. He’s averaging 3.5 rebounds per game and 4.2 rebounds in SEC play.
“My coaches, they tell me I need to rebound at the guard spot, so I’ll do whatever I need to do to help this team win,” Frazier said. “If that’s what it takes, then that’s what I’ll do.”
Other notes:
– Donovan said coaching Team USA’s 19-under squad in the FIBA World Championships this summer won’t impact summer recruiting. The World Championships will take place from June 17-July 7 in the Czech Republic. “I’m not missing any time on the road,” Donovan said. “That’s my first priority. I just don’t necessarily feel comfortable doing something like that in the middle of July. I obviously have a job here. I’m expected to be on the road in July. But this is not gonna get into recruiting at all, so that’s a good thing. From a phone standpoint and taking care of phone calls and those things, you can do that from being away. I did that least year.”
– Former Gator and current San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner
was named to NBA All-Star weekend’s 3-point shooting contest. The 6-foot-10 Bonner will join a Gator-filled NBA All-Star weekend. Chandler Parsons (Houston Rockets) and Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards) will be playing in the Rising Stars game on Saturday. Joakim Noah (Chicago Bulls) was selected as a reserve on the East All-Star squad, while David Lee (Golden State Warriors) is a reserve on the NBA West All-Stars.
