Koulechov moving past big debut

GAINESVILLE — UF coach does not know what will do for encore following his 34-point debut Sunday against Gardner-Webb.

White is confident Koulechov will not try to do much when No. 8 UF (1-0) hosts North Florida tonight.

“I don’t think he’s going to be caught up on how many he can score in this next one. How many 3s he’s going to hit,” White said Wednesday. “The challenge is to not try to do outdo that. Just play the game, let it come to you.

“I don’t think I’ll need to be spending time talking about those things.”

Proving his coach correct, Koulechov was ready to move on to the next game. “I enjoyed it on Monday,” he said. “That was it.” Koulechov scored 23 points during the first half and made six 3-pointers during his debut with the Gators.

The 6-foot-5, 205-pound wing, who made 161 3s during two seasons at Rice, showed he was more than a longrange shooter. He scored on a drive to the basket and later converted a three-point play on a put-back — one of five rebounds during a 116-74 win. “His focus is on those things, as well,” White said. The Gators do not need to rely solely on Koulechov to score points. Shooting guard for example, scored 16 points and was a highly efficient 6-of-8 shooting from the field on Sunday. “We’ve got an equal opportunity offense,” White said.

UF vs UAB, Saturday, 4 p.m., SEC Network

Egor Koulechov Next football game: Mike White Jalen Hudson,