Chandler Parsons garnered plenty of praise earlier this season for his late-game heroics, but he has proven to be adept at far more than just last-second 75-footers and buzzer-beating three-pointers.
Parsons posted an 18-point, 12-rebound, six-assist performance in Florida’s 69-62 win over Mississippi State on Saturday, displaying his versatility throughout his team-high 33 minutes of play.
The 6-foot-9 junior crashed the boards for a game-high five offensive rebounds, got to the free-throw line more than any other player on the court and spent some time at point guard — a far cry from the outside-shooting perimeter player he was a year ago.
Parsons’ teammates aren’t surprised by the way he has developed a better all-around game this season.
“I knew Chandler was capable because he does it for us every day in practice,” sophomore point guard Erving Walker said. “It was just a question of him putting it all together and putting it out there on the court.”
No longer playing in the shadow of former UF and high school teammate Nick Calathes, Parsons has stepped up and taken on more responsibilities. The most noticeable change has been his intensity on the glass.
Parsons is averaging 6.7 rebounds per game, second on the team behind Alex Tyus’ 6.9. Also, he leads the team with 7.4 boards per game in Southeastern Conference play, including a team-high 22 offensive rebounds in the Gators’ nine league games.
“On the offensive boards, it’d be tough to keep me off if I keep going hard,” Parsons said. “At my position, I feel like I should be rebounding like this.”
UF coach Billy Donovan said he thought Parsons has always been a talented rebounder, but the junior has finally matured enough to turn his potential into production on the court.
“What he thought went into becoming a good player and a successful player was really way off-base from what reality was,” Donovan said.
Part of Parsons’ improvement has been taking on whatever role Donovan asks him to play. After being used at both forward spots his first two years, Parsons found himself at shooting guard this season due to the Gators’ lack of natural guards.
Since the Tennessee game on Jan. 31, Donovan has used his swingman in another position: point guard.
Walker and freshman guard Kenny Boynton have taken on most of the ballhandling duties all season, but when the pressure and physical demands became too much to handle, Donovan puts the ball in Parsons’ hands.
“That’s a lot for both Walker and Boynton to handle,” Donovan said. “With a lack of depth in our backcourt, I’ve got to find some ways to relieve those guys from being on the ball all the time.”
Parsons’ height allows him to see over the defense more than the 5-foot-8 Walker and 6-foot-2 Boynton, and Donovan trusts his passing and his ability to drive into the lane.
“If Erv and KB are getting pressured, I feel like I’m a guy who’s reliable,” Parsons said. “I can get my teammates involved, get to the basket and not turn the ball over — just do whatever I can to help the team.”
