With tired legs and a sweat-soaked jersey, Justin Leon approached the free-throw line with the weight of the team on his shoulders.
It was the end of a grueling Thursday afternoon practice, and the 6-foot-8 forward had to sink two-consecutive free throws. If he missed, the whole team had to run.
Leon pounded the ball three times on the floor, gently spun the ball in his hands and released.
He swished both shots.
Leon’s offense was an enigma last season. He averaged only 5.3 points per game but shot nearly 50 percent from the field. And while the Gators’ poor free-throw shooting was usually attributed to the abysmal shooting of guard Kasey Hill and center John Egbunu, who shot 53.8 percent and 53.2 percent from the line, respectively, Leon was actually worse from the charity stripe, converting just 46.2 percent of his attempts.
That’s changed now.
In Florida’s exhibition game against Eckerd College on Oct. 26, the senior went 6-for-6 from the line. On Thursday, UF coach Mike White said Leon was shooting around 90 percent from the line during practice.
“He’s really poised at the foul line right now,” White said. “He’s in a really good mental place not only with his shooting, but the way he’s playing. The game has slowed down for him a little bit.”
In addition to Leon, sophomore forward Kevarrius Hayes has made a jump on the offensive end.
During practice, White had his team run various 5-on-5 half-court and full-court drills. And like Leon, Hayes, who averaged 2.8 points per game last season, played with intensity and control.
He was active on the boards, snagging offensive rebounds from the clutches of opposing center Egbunu. The 6-foot-9, 218-pound Hayes dunked at every opportunity and managed to scrape his way through a packed paint, converting on a few tough put-back layups.
“That’s Kevarrius every day,” White said. “(That’s) a microcosm of who he is.”
Intensity is the word coach White uses to describe the play of Leon and Hayes. Despite their limited but improved offensive capabilities, both players leave their mark through the hustle they bring each time they step foot on the court: fighting through screens, sacrificing their bodies on defense, diving for loose balls and playing with discipline.
And those are qualities UF’s second-year head coach hopes rub off on the rest of the team.
“We’re able to use Kevarrius Hayes and Justin Leon as examples of motor every day,” White said. “Those guys have brought up the overall intensity level of everyone else just a little bit because of how hard those guys play.”
Contact Ray Boone at rboone@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @rboone1994.
UF’s Justin Leon drives toward the basket during Florida’s 95-63 win against Auburn on Jan. 23, 2016, in the O’Connell Center.
