Gator Country

Senior forward Erik Murphy is averaging 11.2 points per game through 10 games this season for the Gators. / Gator Country photo by John Parady

For three years, Erik Murphy dared not venture inside.

As one of his team’s most efficient 3-point shooters, Murphy knew wandering too far into the paint meant shelving his patented outside stroke for a tough, contested 2-point field goal.

Instead, Florida’s 6-foot-10 starting power forward compiled a shot selection during the Gators’ Elite Eight run last season that was more on par with a low-volume shooting guard than an SEC big man.

More than half of Murphy’s 270 shots from a year ago came from behind the arc.

While he hit a team-high 49.7 percent of those attempts from three, Murphy made a decision this offseason to change his reputation as a solely one-dimensional offensive threat.

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