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Florida Basketball: Did Chris Chiozza Break Out With Historic Performance?

By Maxwell Ogden

Feb 2, 2017; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators guard Chris Chiozza (11) brings the ball down court during the second half of an NCAA basketball game against the Missouri Tigers at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. The Gators won 93-54. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 2, 2017; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators guard Chris Chiozza (11) brings the ball down court during the second half of an NCAA basketball game against the Missouri Tigers at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. The Gators won 93-54. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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Florida basketball guard Chris Chiozza made history with a triple-double against the Missouri Tigers, but was it a breakout performance or just a flash in the pan?

When Chris Chiozza joined the Florida men’s basketball team in 2014, expectations were high as can be. Chiozza was a four-star recruit who was regarded as one of the Top 50 high school player in the country on the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

On Thursday, Feb. 2, Chris Chiozza finally broke through by making history against the Missouri Tigers. The question is: will it last?

Chiozza led the Gators to a 93-54 win over the Missouri Tigers with 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in just 29 minutes of action. The triple-double not only propelled the Gators to victory, but put Chiozza in rare air.

Chiozza became the first Gators player to record a triple-double since Nick Calathes in 2008-09.

Before Calathes and Chiozza, the only other Gator over the past 20 years to record a triple-double was Corey Brewer.

That’s exquisite company.

Chiozza currently has season averages of 5.3 points, 3.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 19.7 minutes per game. Those numbers translate to 10.8 points, 7.7 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.8 steals per 40 minutes.

Unfortunately, Chiozza is shooting just 35.0 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from beyond the 3-point line.

Chiozza is shooting a somewhat respectable 44.4 percent on 2-point field goals, but his inefficiency from deep has cost him playing time.

The encouraging news for the Gators is that Chiozza is getting hot at the right time. He’s recorded at least 10 assists in two of Florida’s past three games and tallied four assists in just 15 minutes during the 84-52 win over the Oklahoma Sooners.

It’s only a three-game sample size, but during that time, Chiozza has looked the part of the star facilitator that many believed he could be.

Chiozza’s legitimacy will be put to the test when the Gators face the Kentucky Wildcats on Feb. 4. He’ll square off against a star-studded backcourt that includes Isaiah Briscoe, De’Aaron Fox, and Malik Monk.

If Chiozza can step up against Kentucky, then he could parlay his recent string of strong performances into something sustainable.

Must Read: Grading the Florida Gators' recruiting class

As the 17-5 Florida basketball team prepares for a run to the NCAA Tournament, the pressure is on Chiozza to build on his success.

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