After an up-and-down season, Alex Tyus is focused on ending his career in style.
The senior is averaging his fewest points and rebounds per game since his freshman season, but he has raised his intensity over the past week for one simple reason.
“NCAA Tournament,” Tyus said Saturday. “Really excited to be here, really excited to help the team win.”
Florida’s forward is pursuing his final shot at a national title, a journey that will resume Thursday in the Sweet 16 against BYU.
Tyus has bought into the idea that every possession is critical, as his next loss will be his last, and the result has been an increased level of tenacity on the court.
“He’s just been coming with energy,” senior forward Chandler Parsons said. “I don’t think he’s worried about scoring or doing anything like that. I think he’s just playing hard.”
Tyus averaged 5.5 boards per game before the NCAA Tournament but has recorded 19 in the two contests since Tournament play began.
Although his scoring numbers have hovered just below his season average, Tyus has been able to contribute in other ways.
“Because of his athleticism, he can have an impact on the game regardless of if he gets the ball,” UF coach Billy Donovan said. “When he plays with that kind of motor, he’s really a hard guy to block out.”
The Gators have especially valued Tyus’ contributions on the defensive end, where he has had the tall order of matching up against players like Terrence Jones of Kentucky, JaMychal Green of Alabama, Tobias Harris of Tennessee and Trey Thompkins of Georgia.
Each of those players ranks in the top 10 in the Southeastern Conference in scoring.
“I have an enormous amount of respect for Alex,” Donovan said. “He has been all about the team. He has been all about winning.”
Instead of focusing on his offense, Tyus has accepted his role as a defender and rebounder.
After ranking second on the team in shots as a sophomore and fourth as a junior, Tyus has slid into his role as the team’s fifth-leading shooter and scorer this season.
Donovan said Tyus, like Al Horford, Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer on UF’s back-to-back national championship teams, has realized that putting up big scoring numbers is not necessarily the best thing for Florida.
“He could score those points, but I’m not so sure our team would be where it could be,” Donovan said. “I do have confidence that on any given night Alex could get 20 points, and that may happen. But we do need his energy, we do need his rebounding and we do need his defense. … When he does that, it really adds a dimension to our frontcourt.”
Parsons entered the season in a similar position, looking to expand his role on the way to a championship, but he quickly learned he would have to temper his personal expectations for the good of the team.
Parsons has no doubt Tyus feels the same way.
“If he thought he had to, he 100 percent would,” Parsons said. “That guy is all about the team, and I think he just wants to win and he wants to win a championship before he goes.”
INJURY UPDATE: Kenny Boynton is still recovering after spraining his left ankle Saturday against UCLA.
Parsons said Boynton is “getting a lot better,” and the sophomore guard’s commitment to returning by Thursday has been evident in the training room.
“He’s definitely working hard to get better, and I definitely see him playing,” Parsons said. “I don’t think he would ever miss this game.”
