With eight underclassmen listed on Florida basketball’s current 17-man roster, the Gators will rely greatly on young talent in the wake of losing four starting seniors to the class of 2014.
Leading the underclassmen are freshman Chris Chiozza from Memphis, Tennessee, and Devin Robinson from Chesterfield, Virginia.
Chiozza, the No. 42-ranked prospect in the class of 2014, is known as a capable point guard.
He averaged 15 points and eight assists per game during his senior season.
Robinson, a 20th-ranked incoming freshman, averaged 24 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and three blocks per game his senior year.
Coach Billy Donovan said he believes Chiozza and Robinson are just the guys for the tough job in front of the Gators.
"Those guys have been good so far. I think the biggest thing is they really have been able to sustain the intensity. That’s what you always worry about is them being able to do that," Donovan said of Chiozza and Robinson.
"But both of those guys have a long way to go, especially defensively. Way, way behind. And I wouldn’t say any further behind than any freshman that’s come in here, but in terms of having some veteran guys back and those guys really being two new guys in relationship to (Michael) Frazier and Eli Carter and even (Alex) Murphy, guys that have been here for a year, going into about 10 days of practice you can see a huge gap between those guys and the veteran guys."
Robinson has recognized his high basketball IQ as his major strength upon arriving at UF.
"I’m like a sponge," he said. "I just take everything in and just use what I learned. I think that’s to my advantage."
But Robinson understands there are areas in which the top-recruit needs to improve in.
Namely defense, as Donovan mentioned.
"It’s real tough on D. It’s very different from high school," Robinson said. "The close-out concept is different, put your hands up. In high school, shots would go up slower. It’s a lot quicker right now, so it’s a lot harder on defense."
Though Chiozza believes he’s been adapting well to the Florida basketball program, he agrees with Robinson in that defense has been a tough spot.
"It’s been really difficult, actually. A lot more difficult than I thought it would be," Chiozza said. "We’ve been watching a lot of film and he’s been preaching it in practice. It has come a long way. We’re doing pretty good so far, and we picked up on a lot of stuff we’ve never done before. The speed is still up there, it’s difficult. Overall, I think we’re doing pretty well and picking up on everything pretty good."
In the 2013-2014 season, the Gators managed impressive defensive feats, including 269 rebounds and 56 steals in the postseason alone.
In the record-breaking season, Florida managed 36 wins and only allowed three losses.
Two weeks into practice, Donovan is now facing the challenge of rebuilding that defensive dynasty, with fresh but talented meat at the helm.
"It’s a combination, we as a coaching staff have got to do a good job breaking things down and teaching, but they also need to understand, that convicted and committed part," Donovan said.
"Like for Devin Robinson and Chris Chiozza, right now, their heads are absolutely spinning, they’ve never even thought about half the stuff we’re trying to make them do, and actually what even goes into winning at this level. And that’s not their fault, they are young right now."
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Devin Robinson poses during the Florida men's basketball team's media day
