Florida's backcourt just got a little deeper.
Freshman point guard Nimrod Tishman was cleared by the NCAA to play for the Gators this season, UF coach Billy Donovan said Tuesday. The clearance brings an official end to a process that had been hanging over the program since the freshman decided to sign with UF.
"That's good news for him and our team, and at least that's something that's behind us right now," Donovan said.
Donovan learned about the decision from the NCAA late Monday night and let Tishman and his father know, but the turnaround was so quick that Donovan announced the clearance to reporters before he was able to relay the information to some of his players.
In his first 10 days of practice, the native of Tel Aviv, Israel, impressed his new coach and teammates with his passing ability and court vision. In addition to the transition from the slower European game to a more fast-paced style of play, Donovan said Tishman still has "huge adjustments" to make before he's ready defensively.
"In our style of play, when we're trying to run and press, conditioning always becomes a factor, and you're always worried about how a guy at that position can handle that," Donovan said. "But he's picked up things very well. He's got a very high basketball IQ. He's a very good passer. He's going to be able to give us minutes in the backcourt."
At the team's media day on Oct. 15, Donovan said he did not expect Tishman to play more than a minor contributing role this year, but his clearance at least gives the Gators another option behind guards Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton and Ray Shipman.
Boynton has shown the ability to move from his natural spot off the ball to the point in practice, but Walker is the only true point guard on the roster other than Tishman and will be expected to spend most of his time on the floor at that position.
Donovan said he has no concerns about Walker playing the bulk of the minutes at point guard, but having a reliable backup fills a need the Gators had since former Florida point guard Nick Calathes announced his decision to play professionally in Greece.
"Playing a lot of minutes, I wouldn't consider that as pressure," Walker said. "That's good for foul trouble or, God forbid, an injury or whatever - we have more backup for things like that."
Walker said Tishman has been better than expected, adding that his passing and size are similar to those of Calathes.
Forward Chandler Parsons said Tishman's 6-foot-5 frame allows him to see over defenses in much the same way the 6-foot-6 Calathes could at UF.
Although Tishman is comparable physically to Calathes and possesses a similar skill set, it will still take time for him to adjust to the American style of play and develop into the consistent player Calathes was in college.
"I wouldn't compare him to Nick, but I would say he has some flashes of Nick," Parsons said. "He makes some really nice passes like that, plays really unselfishly and he can knock down open shots."
