in NCAA B Articles

Team shorthanded

“Maybe he needs training wheels.”

That’s what the coach of the No. 8 Florida Gators, Billy Donovan, said when reporters asked him about the incident that is expected to keep guard Lee Humphrey out of action for at least the next two games. Humphrey fell off his bicycle Sunday afternoon at the campus in Gainesville and suffered a separated left shoulder. He could miss as much as three weeks of action.

The 6-foot-2 junior guard from Tennessee was enjoying the best season of his college basketball career. Matt Walsh’s decision to turn pro left a spot in the starting lineup, and Humphrey has filled it with consistent defense and 10.9 points per game, fueled by 49.6 percent shooting from long range. Not bad for someone who was supposed to be just a role player for the Gators. Their supporters have benefited from Humphrey’s rise to the tune of a 19-2 overall record, including a tasty 10-5 against the spread.

Donovan (who is refreshingly frank, if not always tactful) may not have meant to paint Humphrey in a ‘Clouseau-esque’ light, but Florida’s current state of health isn’t a laughing matter. Swingman Corey Brewer has been playing hurt since spraining his right ankle in the Jan. 21 loss to the Volunteers. Brewer was wearing a protective boot on his right foot this weekend to ward off what is being described as tendonitis; he still managed to play 18 minutes off the bench in Sunday’s 69-58 win over Ole Miss, but was held scoreless. To speed up the healing process, Brewer will reportedly be held out of Saturday’s matchup with the Kentucky Wildcats.

Without Humphrey and Brewer in the starting rotation, Donovan was forced to take on the Rebels with a pair of freshmen guards in David Huertas and Walter Hodge. Both players have plenty of promise – Huertas as a selection to the Nike All-American Camp, and Hodge as the MVP of the Florida state tournament. Donovan did not shy away from starting both of them on the road in a three-guard lineup against the speedy Ole Miss squad. The duo responded with a combined 19 points, including 3-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc.

The Gators have been forced to rely on younger players in recent years, thanks to injuries and the early departure of players like Walsh and Anthony Roberson from last season’s SEC champions. Florida is now a balanced unit at both ends of the floor. That gives Donovan a chance to give his freshmen valuable experience without leaving them exposed. But the Wildcats will be a tougher test than Mississippi. Although this has been an up-and-down season for UK (14-6 overall and just 6-10 ATS), the ‘Cats had won four conference games in a row heading into Wednesday’s action to stay close to the Vols and Gators in the SEC East standings.

Florida and Kentucky will do battle at the O'Connell Center in Gainesville. ESPN2 will carry the action starting at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time.

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