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Kadji Steps Up In Gators' Rout

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By MIKE DiFERDINANDO

Tribune correspondent

Published: December 21, 2008

JACKSONVILLE - At times this season, Florida freshman Kenny Kadji has looked all but lost on the court.
Saturday night he found the talent that brought him to Gainesville in the first place.

Kadji scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds as Florida (9-3) rolled to an 89-61 win against UCF (5-5).

"In high school you don't really have to do anything when you're 6-foot-10. You just stand there and they're going to pass you the ball and you score. But in college everybody is 6-10. Everybody is as big as you. I think that was my problem the first nine games," Kadji said. "I talked to Coach Billy Donovan about it and I realize that if we want to win and be as good as we can be, I need to be a part of the team. It's time for me to step up."
Alex Tyus continued to prove he has the ability to anchor an inexperienced UF frontcourt. Tyus scored a team-high 20 points and grabbed 14 boards. It was the first double-double of his career.

"Kenny has been really picking it up. He's come a long way," Tyus said.

Donovan said he would consider playing Kadji and Tyus together in the future.

"I think it could be a good look for us," Donovan said. "It gives us a little bit more size."

Florida passed on recruiting UCF guard Jermaine Taylor as a high school senior. Saturday, he showed the Gators what they missed out on.

Taylor scored 13 points in the first half and at times looked like the best player on the floor. But Taylor retired to the bench after the game appeared out of reach. He played only three minutes in the second half.

Chandler Parsons made a return to the starting lineup for the Gators, but failed to make a convincing case about why he should stay there.

Parsons, who had performed well off the bench in recent weeks, scored three points, racked up three fouls and struggled to establish himself against an outmatched opponent.

"He's not addressing the problem," Donovan said. "Being confident isn't enough. He's got to fix his shooting mechanics."

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