Florida Gators basketball coach Mike White took the podium for the first time of the 2017-18 season on Tuesday for media day. He updated on some injuries, previewed the season and gave insight into the five new players on the roster.
Here’s what he said:
- Sophomore center Gorjok Gak’s knee is still a little banged up from playing this summer.
- Freshman forward Isaiah Stokes and senior center John Egbunu are both expected to be back to health by January.
- The possibility for Stokes to play this season is still open. White said a decision will be made once he is healthy.
- White said he is not concerned about the overall health of college basketball despite the recent FBI investigations.
- This team is very different, but White thinks it has a chance to be just as good as last year’s Elite Eight team.
- White said he thinks this team can be better offensively than last year’s team, but not sure if it can be quite as good defensively.
- Sophomore forward Keith Stone is expected to be the guy who enhances his role the most this year by White.
- Senior guard Chris Chiozza’s role will also expand, but White said he will have healthy pressure on him to perform.
- Graduate transfer Egor Koulechov has impressed White even more in person so far than he did on paper.
- White said Koulechov could have a very similar role to Canyon Barry’s last season.
- Freshman guard Mike Okauru is very similar to Chiozza in the way he can contest shots.
- “My freshman class lives in the gym.”
- White on freshman guard Deaundrae Ballard: “I’ve never had a guy in 18 years be in the gym as much as this kid is.”
- Freshman Chase Johnson has had some good workouts and is pushing Keith Stone at power forward.
- Kevarrius Hayes has been as vocal as anyone on the team. “He hasn’t had a bad practice since he enrolled in school, from an effort and toughness standpoint.”
- With recent success of the program, White said there were more calls and texts returned from recruits this offseason than last offseason.