With Florida's basketball Media Day being held today, sports writers Ray Boone and Matt Brannon break down the Florida team position-by-position in a two-part series. First we'll take a look at some players in UF's frontcourt.
Devin Robinson / 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward / junior
After a sophomore season that saw Robinson average nine points on 45.8 percent shooting and 5.6 rebounds per game, he had to decide whether or not to enter his name into the 2016 NBA Draft.
However, only a few weeks after Robinson submitted his name for consideration, Florida’s health staff discovered that Robinson had a stress fracture in his left foot, making his decision on whether to return for his junior season a whole lot simpler.
With the graduation of two-year starting forward Dorian Finney-Smith, Robinson will be counted on to fill the void left by Finney-Smith, a former All-SEC player.
And he has big shoes to fill.
Last year, Finney-Smith led the Gators in virtually every meaningful stat, including points per game (14.7), three-pointers made (71) and rebounds per game (8.3).
But there’s hope for Robinson.
Although he only shot 34 percent from three on the year, conference play told a different story.
During SEC play, Robinson shot a blazing 47.8 percent from behind the arc and went 17-for-32 during an eight-game stretch late in the season.
UF coach Mike White said Robinson did extensive work on form shooting during the offseason, and the hard work is starting to pay off.
Robinson is currently restricted in practice due to his injury, but expect him to hit the ground running by the beginning of the season.
Gorjok Gak / 6-foot-11, 231-pound forward / freshman
Gak will not be eligible to play for the Gators during the 2016-2017 season.
In July, the NCAA cleared Gak to enroll at Florida, but he will not be able to compete until his sophomore season.
And he’ll likely need the time off.
Gak came to Florida weighing in at only 200 pounds, and although he’s put on a significant amount of weight since then, he’s still not quite ready to join his teammates on the court.
A native of Australia, Gak was a three-star recruit out of Victory Rock Prep School in Bradenton, where he averaged 13.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in his senior season.
Gak has shown flashes of using his athleticism to finish above the rim and has demonstrated good touch in the paint.
And his long frame and shot-blocking skills will help him become a key piece on the defensive end.
But not yet.
For now, Gak will use this year to refine his skills until he’s ready to suit up for the 2017-2018 season.
Kevarrius Hayes / 6-foot-9, 218-pound forward / sophomore
Hayes came alive during the National Invitation Tournament last season.
Taking the place of injured center John Egbunu in the starting lineup during the second round of the tournament, the then-freshman demonstrated the value of a high motor.
Against Ohio State, Hayes registered a career-high 14 points on 5-for-5 shooting. He followed that up with a 14-point, six-rebound performance against George Washington in the third round of the tournament.
On the year, the Live Oak native averaged only 2.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and .6 blocks per game.
But, with a year to adjust his skills and body to the collegiate game, expect a rise in play during his sophomore season.
Although he is somewhat limited offensively, Hayes’ long, athletic frame makes him a formidable threat defensively, and he’ll be counted on to clog up the paint when Egbunu isn’t on the floor.
John Egbunu / 6-foot-11, 255-pound center / redshirt junior
Like Robinson, Egbunu also grappled with the decision to enter the NBA Draft.
And like Robinson, an injury solidified Egbunu’s decision to return to the Gators for another season.
With a chiseled frame and extraordinary athleticism, Egbunu provided Florida with something it sorely lacked in previous years — an inside presence on both ends of the court.
In his first season of eligibility with the Gators, Egbunu flashed a back-to-the-basket game that Florida has lacked since the departure of Patric Young.
He averaged 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks a game and routinely used his athleticism and build to gobble up offensive rebounds and create scoring opportunities in the paint, including a program-record 75 dunks.
The native of Bauchi, Nigeria, was at his best toward the end of the season. In a matchup with conference-foe Kentucky, Egbunu registered a career-high 27 points on 12-of-15 shooting.
However, Egbunu is prone to foul trouble. He fouled out in six games last year, and at just 0.4 assists per game, has not shown the ability to effectively pass out of double teams, which stunted UF's already scoring-challenged offense.
The biggest knock on Egbunu, though, is his inability to make free throws.
Last season, he led the team with 173 free-throw attempts but only managed to make 92 of them (53.2 percent).
His poor free-throw shooting, coupled with his incessant foul trouble and poor passing, can make it a challenge for him to stay on the floor.
However, with that said, Egbunu is still a key piece of this Florida team.
And although he’s still on the mend from torn ligaments in his right thumb, he’ll be counted on to be the Gators’ main defensive enforcer and inside presence once the season starts.
Dontay Bassett / 6-foot-9, 222-pound forward / freshman
Bassett hails from Oldsmar Christian School — along with fellow freshman Eric Hester — where he was a team captain and helped lead his team to a runner-up finish at the state championship his senior year.
The former three-star recruit chose Florida over offers from Arkansas, Oregon State, Nebraska and others.
Bassett is an athletic forward with long arms and a workhorse mentality who has demonstrated the ability to face up for a jump shot, scrap in the post and handle the ball, which are skills for the most part lacking in the games of Egbunu and Hayes.
However, due to a crowded frontcourt, Bassett most likely won’t garner too much playing time and will likely use this year to further refine his skills and body.
Justin Leon / 6-foot-8, 206-pound forward / senior
Leon isn’t the most skilled player on the team.
But what he lacks in skill, he more than makes up for in intensity.
Leon came to Florida in 2015 after transferring from Shawnee Community College and was a steady contributor off the bench and as a part-time starter.
Although his stats weren’t flashy by any standard — he averaged just 5.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game last season — he was able to provide a consistent spark of energy and brought versatility to the forward position.
And despite his lack of skills, Leon’s high motor and athleticism helped him become a versatile defender and led to multiple second-chance opportunities on offense.
In addition, for a team that struggled mightily from three-point range, Leon’s ability to spot up from beyond the arc was actually a pleasant surprise.
He led the team last season in three-point shooting percentage, making 37.3 percent of 67 attempts.
Overall, every time he shot the ball last season, he was efficient, shooting almost 50 percent from the field.
However, don’t count on Leon to stuff the stat sheet every night.
But do expect him to give his all once he steps out on the court.
Keith Stone / 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward / redshirt freshman
He wasn’t ready to play last season.
Stone came to Florida in 2015 as a young, inexperienced freshman looking to break into a frontcourt that already included forwards Finney-Smith, Robinson, Hayes and Leon.
He wasn’t going to play much, if at all, so the coaching staff encouraged him to take a redshirt.
Now, with a full year to work on his body and skills, Stone is ready to challenge for significant playing time.
With a smooth stroke from beyond the arc and an ability to take the ball to the basket, Stone will bring much needed versatility to the offense.
However, defensively, the jury is still out.
With as much talent as Stone has, he’s still yet to play a real college game, and that inexperience will most likely show itself on the defensive end of the floor.
There will be growing pains to start the season — as with any young player — but expect him to be a reliable contributor once he gets used to the college game.
Contact Ray Boone at rboone@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @rboone1994.
Devin Robinson attempts a shot during Florida's 88-79 loss to Kentucky on March 1, 2016, in the O'Connell center.
