Florida Still Can Make NCAA Tournament Run Without Egbunu


Florida’s interior play will suffer without John Egbunu, but the Gators’ depth and exceptional guard play should still make them dangerous come March Madness.


Let’s not sugarcoat the bitter news. Florida is going to miss John Egbunu and the 6-foot-11 center’s presence in the paint. It’s a given.

But the Gators still have plenty of bite, and their chances of making a deep NCAA Tournament run still exist.

Florida made public on Wednesday that Egbunu tore his ACL in Tuesday’s 114-95 victory at Auburn and would miss the rest of the season. He had 10 points and four rebounds in only eight minutes of play prior to the injury against the Tigers, proving that he’s a valuable asset on both ends of the floor.

“We’re all disappointed for John,” head coach Mike White said in a statement. “He’s been playing really well of late, so it’s a tough blow to him and our team. He’s a great young man, and unfortunately injuries are a part of basketball. He’ll be back even stronger.”

Florida went on to stomp the Tigers with six of Egbunu’s teammates also scoring in double figures. Ten other players saw at least three minutes of action, a sign of the depth that’s helped the Gators to their current seven-game winning streak, a 21-5 overall record (11-2 in the SEC) and placement in the NCAA Tournament selection committee’s early top 16 teams.

Florida Gators guard Canyon Barry. Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Egbunu is one of nine players averaging at least 13 minutes per game, with seven averaging at least 20. White keeps his guys fresh and rides the hot hand. Take for instance Tuesday, when guard Canyon Berry came off the bench to score a season-high 30 points. Berry has hit for at least 20 four times and scored in double figures in 19 games despite not starting a single contest.

KeVaughn Allen and Kasey Hill, who had a season-high 12 assists, occupy the starting guard spots. Berry (13.4 points per game), Allen (13.2) and forward Devin Robinson (11.5) are all averaging in double figures for a balanced scoring attack.

Egbunu was unquestionably a nice complement to those weapons because of his ability to score from in tight and crash the offensive boards, as his 4.4 offensive rebounds per 40 minutes ranked fourth in the SEC. He can defend the rim and alter shots with some of the best in the conference.

Egbunu’s loss has the potential to be a major blow, especially considering freshman center Gorjok Gak is expected to miss a couple weeks with a foot injury. White will have to play senior walk-on center Schuyler Rimmer more than he expected to give the Gators some size.

However, Florida has succeeded this season without a true superstar, as any player could be the one to shine on a given night. Whether it’s been Egbunu, Allen, Hill, Berry, Robinson or someone else, the Gators have found a way to win far more often than not.

That’s why Florida still has as good of a chance as anyone to reach Glendale for the Final Four despite the setback, and why Egbunu’s injury might just wind up being a minor blip on a very successful season.

MORE: Baylor Eyeing Deep NCAA Tournament Run After Back-To-Back First-Round Exits