Florida Gators graduate transfer guard Egor Koulechov turned a lot of heads on Monday night when he dropped 34 points (11-for-17, 6-for-9 from three) in his debut in the orange and blue.
He came accustomed to having big scoring nights while averaging 18.2 points per game at Rice a year ago, but to play like that in his very first game at Florida may have made it the sweetest of all.
Koulechov’s 34 points tied Tom Baxley’s 1962 program record for the most ever scored in a debut.
“He was terrific,” said head coach Mike White. “He was really good in other areas as well. What a luxury to have a guy who plays with that amount of poise and maturity from day one, with all the experience he’s got. I’m glad he’s a Gator and hope he continues to play well.”
It was obvious he was having fun with it last game, as he had a smile on his face most of the night. He even had the student section declaring him MVP, and he got some love from them when he gave a big hug to the crowd after the game.
It was a big night for him, and he made an even better first impression than what most were expecting.
Now, it’s time to move on. That could be tough for a freshman or younger player to do, but with several years of college experience under his belt, White doesn’t believe it will be a problem for Koulechov.
“I don’t think he’s going to be caught up on how many he can score in this next one, how many threes he’s going to hit,” White said. “The challenge is to not try to do outdo that. Just play the game, let it come to you. I don’t think I’ll need to be spending time talking about those things. I think he’ll be the same guy in practice today.”
Koulechov spoke on Wednesday as the Gators are now preparing to take on UNF at home Thursday night, and he delivered the same message as White. He did not seem fazed at all, saying it’s just not something he’s thinking about anymore.
“I enjoyed it on Monday,” Koulechov said. “That was it … Just kind of refocus and move on to the next game.”
He will be a key to Florida’s offense moving forward, and Monday’s performance earned him a lot of early respect. When Koulechov is on the floor, someone’s eyes must be on him at all times. Simply having him spreads the floor and opens the Gators’ offensive game up.
That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going to go off for 30-plus every night, but it gives a better chance for someone to. Jalen Hudson, KeVaughn Allen and possibly even a pair of freshmen in Deaundrae Ballard and Mike Okauru all have potential to do that this season.
Monday was Koulechov’s turn. Thursday could be someone else’s. But one thing is for sure, this Florida offense looks like it could be something special, and Koulechov is a big piece to the puzzle.