Allen misses Gators’ practice, will still play

DALLAS — Florida Gators guard left Dallas early Friday to return home to the Little Rock, Ark., area due to the death of a close family friend.

Allen will be back in plenty of time for the No. 6 seeded Gators’ secondround NCAA Tournament game against No. 3 Texas Tech, which is slated to tip off at about 8:40 p.m.

Allen has been an instrumental part of the Gators’ 21-12 season, averaging 11 points and five rebounds per game.

He scored just seven points against St. Bonaventure in the Gators’ firstround 77-62 victory over the Bonnies, but UF coach

lauded him for his defense in that game, as well as this season. Allen leads the team with 62 steals this season, an averaging of almost two per game. an old girlfriend.

“It was a hard decision, but at the same time I’m happy about being at Texas Tech,” Francis said. “It’s like when you have a girlfriend … and you all go through stuff and, you know, things don’t work out and you’re like, ‘OK.’ And then you meet someone else.

“I met Texas Tech, she gave me another opportunity and I was like, ‘OK, let’s keep it going.’ … Just really happy to have a second opportunity in life and … hopefully, you know, I can take advantage of it.”

Meeting the ex at the Big Dance doesn’t always work out so well, but Francis said he has no ill will toward UF or its coaching staff under White. He added that he was rooting for his former teammates last season during UF’s march to the Elite Eight.

“Of course. I don’t have anything against Florida. It’s a part of me. It’s a part of my past,” he said. “I can never deny I had an amazing time over there. It was my dream school. I loved

since I was in the Dominican Republic.

“I love the job Coach White is doing. … He’s doing an unbelievable job.”

Last season during the Gators’ postseason run, the UF players got White amped up with the music of Migos, in particular the hip-hop group’s song “Pipe It Up.” Senior guard

said the players have tried to help White add to his musical knowledge database.

“Yeah, he didn’t know who the Migos was when he got here,” Chiozza said.

“Now I think that’s his favorite group to listen to. I’m pretty sure he listens to that every day like we do.

“He knows we love music, so he’s done a good job implementing that into everything we do … practice, before the games.

“We have a speaker that we carry around everywhere.

“Music helps us

The Gators have more than one hype song this year.

“… Whatever Coach White is feeling like that day, that’s what we put on,” he said. get going.”