It’s odd that Chris Chiozza isn’t mentioned often when discussing SEC Player of the Year candidates for the 2017-18 season.
Florida will be among the top teams, if not the top team, in the conference this season.
When was the last time a starting point guard for one of the top teams in its league didn’t, at the very least, receive consideration for Player of the Year?
Other teams in the league may have more dynamic guards, but Chiozza counters that with a wealth of experience and poise that are a perfect fit for this veteran Gators lineup. That combination should lead to plenty of wins along with increased exposure for the senior guard.
Chiozza is likely unfazed by this lack of attention.
After all, for the first three years of his career in Gainesville, he has seemingly been content as a role player.
But it was also Chiozza who made the biggest play of the ’16-17 season for Florida, a buzzer-beating dagger that advanced the Gators past Wisconsin in the Sweet 16.
Kasey Hill, Devin Robinson and Canyon Barry have departed, taking their 32.2 combined points with them, and John Egbunu’s recovery from a knee injury may extend well into the new year.
All those absences in production and leadership should result in a bigger role for Chiozza this season.
Inside the Numbers
For Chiozza to become an SEC Player of the Year candidate, his offensive numbers will have to improve.
While he did make 78 percent of his free throw attempts (63-of-80), and 50 percent of his 2-point attempts last season (53-of-106), he only made 31 percent from 3-point territory (30-of-96).
His total number of shot attempts was low (sixth on the team) but that had more to do with his role than his ability. Increased minutes (22.2 per game last season) should lead to increased production.
Defensively, Chiozza will be one of the best guards in the conference.
He finished 12th in the league in steals last season with a 1.3 average; however, Chiozza finished third in the conference in Ken Pomeroy’s steal percentage stat (the percentage of possessions that result in a steal by that player when they are on the court) with an impressive 3.44 percent.
Analysis
Chiozza had the luxury of Kasey Hill’s presence his first three years in Gainesville to help balance out the point guard duties.
Now a senior, those reins will be handed solely to him, and all the expectations that go along with it.
However, it won’t be a problem. Chiozza is a cool customer that has shown himself capable of contributing in many ways, be it running the offense, defending, or knocking down a pressure shot on the biggest stage in the game. All he has to do now is more of that.
Chiozza is certainly not slow (Wisconsin fans can attest to that), but he is steady.
And that could be enough to win many races for the Gators in the 2017-18 season.