It didn't take Billy Donovan long to change his opinion of Nimrod Tishman.
After setting relatively low expectations for Tishman at the team's media day last Thursday, Donovan said the freshman was a pleasant surprise through the team's first weekend of practice.
"When a guy comes in from overseas where the game and the pace is a little bit different - it's a faster pace here - and they have a hard time adjusting," Donovan said Monday. "But he's been pretty good. I think he feels comfortable with the game going up and down the floor."
Donovan's initial evaluation of Tishman was that he would not be a "major contributor" this year, but rather someone who could fill in for a few minutes to give guards Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton some rest. Based on Donovan's comments Monday, it seems as if the 6-foot-5 guard might play a bigger role if needed.
"I was really worried about stamina with him coming overseas, the pace of practice," Donovan said. "He's done a pretty good job. He's a really good passer."
Tishman still has not been cleared to play for the Gators, but he has been practicing with the team. Donovan said there have been no signs Tishman won't be ruled eligible, and the NCAA Clearinghouse should complete the process by Florida's first game of the season.
The NCAA has to make sure Tishman has adhered to its amateurism rules and is eligible to compete at the college level, which Donovan said is made more complicated by the fact that there is no direct parallel to college basketball in Europe. This leads many European players to play for club teams, as Tishman did with Maccabi Tel Aviv, and their national teams.
Tishman led Israel with 18.3 points, 2.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game in the European Under-18 Championships this summer. He also showed an impressive ability to get in the lane and draw fouls, leading the entire tournament in free throws attempted (9.7 per game) and made (6.8).
Carmel Bouchman, one of Tishman's teammates on Israel's under-18 national team, is going through the same process after signing on to play at Temple this summer.
"A lot of times, they're around professional teams or around club teams or around national teams, so there's a series of checklists the NCAA has to go through to make sure he's clear and he's eligible," Donovan said. "We're just waiting for the NCAA to finish up their due diligence on what they've got to do to declare him eligible to play."
When Tishman is cleared to play, he will help shore up the Gators' depth at point guard.
His court vision and ability to distribute the ball have drawn comparisons to former Florida ballhandler Nick Calathes.
"He's got the real Euro game. He'll get in the lane and make one of those real fancy passes like Nick used to make," forward Chandler Parsons said. "I'd say he's real crafty and just a great passer.
"He can chip in, for sure. I feel like he's a good player. He's smart. He's a pass-first guy. The guys love to play with him."
