Florida Basketball: Kasey Hill Is Fueling The Gators’ Turnaround
Mike White is turning the Florida basketball program around. The Gators’ resurgent season wouldn’t be possible without point guard Kasey Hill.
The Florida Gators are in the midst of a true resurgence under head coach Mike White. After going 16-17 in 2014-15 and 21-15 in 2015-16, the Gators are 16-5 and closing in on their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014.
Though the Gators are winning as a team, it’s senior point guard Kasey Hill who has been the key to their best efforts.
Hill entered his freshman season as the No. 10 overall recruit and the No. 2 point guard in the deep 2013 class of recruits, per ESPN. Hill was ranked also No. 8 overall by 247Sports, No. 9 by Scout, and No. 10 by Rivals.
In his first three seasons in Gainesville, however, Hill failed to live up to the hype and became one of the most commonly criticized players on the roster.
Now in his fourth and final season with the Gators, Hill has been as responsible for the resurgence as any player. He’s helped facilitate the offense, has anchored the defense, and has even stepped up in the clutch.
Though the numbers may not always be gaudy, Hill consistently steps up for the Gators when it matters most.
Hill is currently averaging 9.3 points, 4.9 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in 29.0 minutes per game. He leads the Gators in assists and steals per game, and is shooting a career-best 42.1 percent from the field.
More impressively, Hill has earned his place amongst the SEC’s elite point guards.
Florida pg Kasey Hill second in the SEC in assists per game (4.9) and fourth in the SEC in steals per game (2.0).
— Gatorhoops (@gatorhoops) January 30, 2017
Hill’s numbers translate to 12.8 points, 6.7 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.7 steals per 40 minutes—fantastic numbers from a pure point guard perspective.
In his most recent outing, Hill torched the Oklahoma Sooners for 12 points, eight assists, four rebounds, and two steals in 30 sensational minutes of action. In turn, Florida improved to 12-4 when Hill records at least four assists and 4-2 when he fails to.
Hill’s facilitating has even garnered praise from former Gators who are now in the NBA.
Nice pass brooooooo k.hill #gators
— Marreese Speights (@Mospeights16) January 28, 2017
As Hill goes, so go the Gators.
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Thus far in 2016-17, Hill has made good on his promise to help restore the Gators to glory.