Florida will be short-handed heading into its matchup tonight at Alabama.
But the Crimson Tide also are depleted.
Alabama coach Anthony Grant has decided center JaMychal Green and forward Tony Mitchell will remain suspended for tonight's game against Florida. Guards Trevor Releford and Andrew Steele have been re-instated from a one-game suspension against LSU.
The Gators will be without their two top scorers off the bench as forward Will Yeguete (concussion) and guard Mike Rosario (hip pointer) are out for the game. Florida coach Billy Donovan said reserve forward Cody Larson (flu) practiced Sunday and will make the trip, but isn't 100 percent.
Florida (19-6, 7-3 SEC) dropped six spots to No. 14 in this week's AP men's college basketball poll. The Gators are coming off consecutive losses for the first time this season.
?We just have to react appropriately and come together as a team,? Florida sophomore guard Scottie Wilbekin said.
Grant, a longtime former Florida assistant under Donovan, has not been afraid to teach lessons to his players at the expense of his team's talent level on the court. Green and Mitchell are Alabama's two leading scorers. Green, a senior physical presence inside, is averaging 14.1 points and 7.2 rebounds this season.
?It's put a little strain on us, but it's part of life, it's part of dealing with 18-to-22 year old kids,? Grant said. ?We've got to go with what we have and build the character of our players.?
Donovan said Florida had a strong practice Sunday and prepared as if all four of Alabama's suspended players would be available.
?The last thing I'd want to have happen for our team is to assume something or somebody not playing and then all of a sudden they're out there and you've got to tell the team these are the guys you're playing,? Donovan said. ?If some of them are not playing, then we'll adjust with who is in their starting lineup.?
Of UF's injuries, Yeguete's is the most serious. Yeguete has suffered his second concussion this season. The first came when his head hit an elbow in UF's second game of the season Nov. 17 at Ohio State. He sat out UF's next game against UNF but returned to action the following week.
Donovan said Yeguete has passed two of five concussion tests and has yet to pass a balance test in which he stands on one leg with his eyes closed.
?I would say right now that this week he's out,? Donovan said. ?I'm not anticipating him coming back for Arkansas. I think there's probably a pretty good likelihood that he will not play in that game as well.?
With Yeguete out and Larson limited, Florida will be relying on extended minutes from starters Patric Young and Erik Murphy. Donovan hasn't ruled out using 6-foot-6 forward Casey Prather and 6-3 guard Bradley Beal at power forward in some situations.
?Dire is probably a pretty good word,? Donovan said, when asked about UF's frontcourt situation. ?We're going to have to do some different things both offensively and defensively, certainly going into Alabama without Will being there. There is a tremendous void for us defensively at the basket.?
With Mitchell and Green out, Florida will be able to match up better inside. But Donovan also is concerned with Alabama 6-foot-8 lefty freshman center Nick Jacobs, who has been playing well of late.
Donovan said he doesn't think 6-foot-10 freshman forward Walter Pitchford is ready to contribute, even given UF's lack of depth up front.
?He's gotta get better retaining what we're doing, scouting reports, offenses, those kind of things,? Donovan said. ?I think one of the things that set him back a little bit was just the injury to his hand and being out for several weeks. At first we thought it was fractured, and it's not. But in terms of being ready to handle a lot of minutes, I don't think he's necessarily in that place right now.?
But the Crimson Tide also are depleted.
Alabama coach Anthony Grant has decided center JaMychal Green and forward Tony Mitchell will remain suspended for tonight's game against Florida. Guards Trevor Releford and Andrew Steele have been re-instated from a one-game suspension against LSU.
The Gators will be without their two top scorers off the bench as forward Will Yeguete (concussion) and guard Mike Rosario (hip pointer) are out for the game. Florida coach Billy Donovan said reserve forward Cody Larson (flu) practiced Sunday and will make the trip, but isn't 100 percent.
Florida (19-6, 7-3 SEC) dropped six spots to No. 14 in this week's AP men's college basketball poll. The Gators are coming off consecutive losses for the first time this season.
?We just have to react appropriately and come together as a team,? Florida sophomore guard Scottie Wilbekin said.
Grant, a longtime former Florida assistant under Donovan, has not been afraid to teach lessons to his players at the expense of his team's talent level on the court. Green and Mitchell are Alabama's two leading scorers. Green, a senior physical presence inside, is averaging 14.1 points and 7.2 rebounds this season.
?It's put a little strain on us, but it's part of life, it's part of dealing with 18-to-22 year old kids,? Grant said. ?We've got to go with what we have and build the character of our players.?
Donovan said Florida had a strong practice Sunday and prepared as if all four of Alabama's suspended players would be available.
?The last thing I'd want to have happen for our team is to assume something or somebody not playing and then all of a sudden they're out there and you've got to tell the team these are the guys you're playing,? Donovan said. ?If some of them are not playing, then we'll adjust with who is in their starting lineup.?
Of UF's injuries, Yeguete's is the most serious. Yeguete has suffered his second concussion this season. The first came when his head hit an elbow in UF's second game of the season Nov. 17 at Ohio State. He sat out UF's next game against UNF but returned to action the following week.
Donovan said Yeguete has passed two of five concussion tests and has yet to pass a balance test in which he stands on one leg with his eyes closed.
?I would say right now that this week he's out,? Donovan said. ?I'm not anticipating him coming back for Arkansas. I think there's probably a pretty good likelihood that he will not play in that game as well.?
With Yeguete out and Larson limited, Florida will be relying on extended minutes from starters Patric Young and Erik Murphy. Donovan hasn't ruled out using 6-foot-6 forward Casey Prather and 6-3 guard Bradley Beal at power forward in some situations.
?Dire is probably a pretty good word,? Donovan said, when asked about UF's frontcourt situation. ?We're going to have to do some different things both offensively and defensively, certainly going into Alabama without Will being there. There is a tremendous void for us defensively at the basket.?
With Mitchell and Green out, Florida will be able to match up better inside. But Donovan also is concerned with Alabama 6-foot-8 lefty freshman center Nick Jacobs, who has been playing well of late.
Donovan said he doesn't think 6-foot-10 freshman forward Walter Pitchford is ready to contribute, even given UF's lack of depth up front.
?He's gotta get better retaining what we're doing, scouting reports, offenses, those kind of things,? Donovan said. ?I think one of the things that set him back a little bit was just the injury to his hand and being out for several weeks. At first we thought it was fractured, and it's not. But in terms of being ready to handle a lot of minutes, I don't think he's necessarily in that place right now.?
