The Florida men’s basketball team has unlaced its dancing shoes.
Its fate was finalized by a 69-66 loss to Texas Tech in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night. And away with dreams of orange and blue confetti and hoisted hardware, escaped the era of guard Chris Chiozza.
In his final game, the four-year Gator contributed 11 points and three steals despite finding himself in foul trouble. He watched from the bench — where he sat with four fouls — as the Red Raiders stole Florida’s final lead of the game by scoring nine unanswered points midway through the second half.
On their final possession, the Gators (21-13) had a chance to tie the game with a three. Chiozza, who hit last year’s miraculous buzzer-beater to advance Florida to the Elite Eight, chose to do what he does best: pass. With fewer than 10 seconds left, he found guard Egor Koulechov open on the baseline. Koulechov missed on what would’ve been Chiozza’s 572nd career assist.
“We got what we wanted,” Chiozza said after the game. “We just didn’t make it.”
Even after forward Keith Stone snagged the offensive rebound and worked the ball to guard KeVaughn Allen for one final attempt, the ball didn’t fall.
However, Chiozza’s dazzling Florida basketball legacy didn’t require a fairytale ending. He led the SEC in assists per game (6.1) this season, while improving his assist-to-turnover ratio from last year’s 2.4 to a career-best 3.4. He also stole the ball at the second-best rate in the conference (1.9 per game). At the regular season’s close, Chiozza was awarded a spot on both the All-SEC First Team and All-Defensive Team.
Perhaps his greatest achievement as a Gator, Chiozza became Florida’s most prolific passer in program history when he surpassed Erving Walker in career assists earlier this month.
The impressive numbers revealed themselves in Chiozza’s impact throughout season. Florida was often troubled by stretches of static offensive play, especially without Chiozza on the court. At times when nothing seemed to work, it was his explosiveness in charging to the basket that frequently spurred production.
“We do play through (Chiozza),” coach Mike White said. “We have been stagnant with him out of the game. We’re going to miss him dearly, of course.”
But his impact extends further than the record books. It goes beyond the memories of game-winning buckets.
Chiozza wore the orange and blue with pride. His relentless effort on both ends of the floor strengthened the standard of Florida basketball. His younger teammates recognize that, solidifying his legacy.
“That’s a dude I look up to,” freshman guard Mike Okauru said of Chiozza. “We play the same position and I watch everything he does. You know, I love (the seniors).”
Follow Benjamin Brandt on Twitter @bhb1227 and contact him at bbrandt@alligator.org.
Guard Chris Chiozza ended his senior season with a pair of all-conference honors before a loss in the Round of 32 against Texas Tech on Saturday.
