Chris Walker proved to be one of Florida’s most dangerous offensive weapons in the first half against Kansas.
The 6-foot-10 sophomore knocked down 4-of-5 shots for eight points to help the Gators build a 39-24 lead at halftime. But when the Jayhawks upped their intensity level in the second half, Walker couldn’t do the same.
Florida lost the game by six points.
Although coach Billy Donovan said the entire team was at fault for not matching Kansas’ energy, he mentioned Walker’s lack of intensity specifically.
"I would have liked to have played him more," Donovan said, "but I think the biggest thing that he’s learning is how hard he has to play and he’s not really able to sustain a high level of intensity for long periods of time."
Walker played just 15 minutes, which was the least amount of minutes by a Florida player on scholarship. Jacob Kurtz, a walk-on, was on the court for 12 minutes.
Donovan added that Walker’s issue with long-term intensity might be linked to his lack of experience at the collegiate level.
Although Walker is listed as a sophomore for Florida, the former McDonald’s All-American played in just 18 games last season and missed the entire non-conference slate.
To put Walker’s inexperience in perspective, he has accrued 169 minutes so far in his career. True freshman Chris Chiozza has a recorded 159 minutes this year.
"When you get thrown into a situation where you’re playing against high-level competition, sometimes you get a better opportunity to learn from those experiences and don’t just having everybody tell you how great you are and he can see that, ‘The intensity level I play at is not really good enough, I’m not helping the team, I’m not helping myself,’" Donovan said.
Walker returned to Florida after his freshman campaign rather than leave for the NBA in order to continue his education under Donovan.
But while Donovan can help Walker with technique or film analysis, the veteran coach said each of his players are responsible for his own energy level.
"You keep trying to point it out to them and keep trying to explain it to them," Donovan said. "Eventually, they have step up and do it."
Despite his short burst of vigor, Walker recorded a career-high 12 points while grabbing five boards, which tied a team high. Donovan is hopeful Walker can provide that spark throughout the game rather than just in the first half when Florida plays Yale tonight at 7.
"He’s doing some things where he’s growing in a positive direction," Donovan said. "He gave us a positive lift in the game … hopefully we can continually have him play with a motor because when (he) does that, then he can get some things into the game that can impact the game in a positive way, but for him not to do that it becomes challenging."
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Chris Walker attempts a layup during Florida's loss to No. 11 Kansas on Friday in Lawrence, Kansas.
