Florida State and Florida have gotten off to slow starts in the college basketball season but the reasons are simple: both teams have suffered several key injuries.
The Gators limped to the Bahamas this week for the Battle 4 Atlanta tournament without junior forward Dorian Finney-Smith, the SEC's sixth man of the year last season, and senior guard Eli Carter. Finney-Smith broke two bones in his hand while driving to the basket during UF's opening game against William & Mary on Nov. 14 and Carter hurt his foot in a practice last week.
Florida (2-1) fell to Miami in its second game, breaking a 33-game home winning streak, and was taken to overtime last week by Sun Belt weakling Louisiana-Monroe before winning 61-56.
Now, the injury bug has traveled up I-75 and over on I-10.
The Seminoles (1-3) will play The Citadel on Tuesday night without leading scorer and top All-ACC candidate at guard Aaron Thomas, junior guard Devon Bookert and reserve freshman guard Robbie Berwick. Thomas has a virus, Bookert had to have a screw removed that was used to repair a Jones Fracture in his foot and Berwick has his nose broken during Sunday's loss to Massachusetts.
FSU has two games before facing Nebraska next week in the ACC/Big Ten showdown, Citadel and Charleston Southern. Playing the Cornhuskers kicks off a stern December schedule that includes Central Florida, Notre Dame, South Florida and the Gators.
The Gators limped to the Bahamas this week for the Battle 4 Atlanta tournament without junior forward Dorian Finney-Smith, the SEC's sixth man of the year last season, and senior guard Eli Carter. Finney-Smith broke two bones in his hand while driving to the basket during UF's opening game against William & Mary on Nov. 14 and Carter hurt his foot in a practice last week.
Florida (2-1) fell to Miami in its second game, breaking a 33-game home winning streak, and was taken to overtime last week by Sun Belt weakling Louisiana-Monroe before winning 61-56.
Now, the injury bug has traveled up I-75 and over on I-10.
The Seminoles (1-3) will play The Citadel on Tuesday night without leading scorer and top All-ACC candidate at guard Aaron Thomas, junior guard Devon Bookert and reserve freshman guard Robbie Berwick. Thomas has a virus, Bookert had to have a screw removed that was used to repair a Jones Fracture in his foot and Berwick has his nose broken during Sunday's loss to Massachusetts.
FSU has two games before facing Nebraska next week in the ACC/Big Ten showdown, Citadel and Charleston Southern. Playing the Cornhuskers kicks off a stern December schedule that includes Central Florida, Notre Dame, South Florida and the Gators.
