Hudson thriving coming off bench

GAINESVILLE — These days, UF coach Mike White turns to his bench with increasing confidence and an unfair advantage.

Waiting there is the Gators’ leading scorer, Jalen Hudson.

A virus in late December forced Hudson to the sideline and left White to tinker with his starting lineup. Hudson’s new role as instant offense is not necessarily permanent, but it has been one of the keys to the Gators’ 3-0 start in SEC play entering tonight’s visit from surprising Mississippi State.

“It’s really nice,” White said. “For an opposing team to do a scouting report and to go through five guys and say, ‘And oh, this guy’s coming off the bench and he’s their best offensive player, he’s their leading scorer,’ that’s a luxury.”

With UF down five points during the final minutes Saturday at Missouri, White turned to Hudson for a spark.

The 6-foot-6 redshirt junior responded with seven consecutive points to set the stage for senior point guard Chris Chiozza’s dramatic game-winning steal and layup in the final seconds of a 77-75 comeback win.

Chiozza’s recent play has been the critical factor during a five-game win streak for UF (11-4) that followed a surprising stretch of disjointed, uninspired play that dropped the Gators from No. 5 to out of the national rankings.

But Chiozza is questionable against Mississippi State (13-2, 1-1) after he was diagnosed Monday with strep throat.

Chiozza has averaged 15.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists during the past five games, showcasing the clutch play and leadership his coaches and teammates have come to expect from him. The 6-foot, 175-pound Chiozza’s scoring punch has been a welcome addition — he averages 13.1 points, compared with a career average of 6.2 points entering the 2017-18 season.

“It’s been a little bit of a pleasant surprise,” White said. “He’s been in the gym more this year, he’s made a concerted effort to stay after most practices and get shots up. He’s just playing with more confidence.”

If Chiozza is unable to start, White could turn to Hudson tonight.

Hudson’s role as sixth man, though, has coincided with improvement on both ends of the floor for UF. The Gators average 80.3 points during three SEC games after failing to crack 70 for six straight games - three of them losses.

“We’ve found more of an offensive rhythm,” White said. “We’ve gained some offensive confidence back. Been more efficient offensively. Really valuing the basketball. Taking good shots.”

White did not correlate the change to Hudson’s new role. It merely could be coincidence. Yet, Hudson also seems to function best with the ball in his hands.

On the other end, there is no denying Hudson can be a weak link due to a lack of defensive intensity and instincts.

There, White said he is beginning to see encouraging signs from Hudson.

“He is what he is offensively every game,” White said. “Defensively, he’s going through a process of trying to get to where his teammates and his staff are trying to ask him where to get to. He’s coming off a game where I thought he played with as much energy level defensively as he’s played with all year.”

Canyon Barry came off the bench last season for an Elite Eight team while Dorian Finney-Smith did the same thing for the Gators’ 2014 Final Four team. Each earned SEC Sixth Man of the Year honors.

While Hudson and his ultimate role remain a work in progress, White said he has the potential to be one of the SEC’s top overall players.

“That’s what it should be for him,” White said. “He’s a terrific talent.”