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Thread: Florida having health issues as NIT approaches

  1. #1
    Big Dog localdawg is an unknown
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    I was checking out ESPN.com this evening and noticed where Florida will almost be without the services of starting guard Brett Nelson for the game with Tech on Tuesday night. That means that he, James White (who quit the team earlier this week), and star recruit Christian Dreger will not be on the court Tuesday night... Can youu smell upset?????

  2. #2
    Champ Dirtydawg has a reputation beyond reputeDirtydawg has a reputation beyond reputeDirtydawg has a reputation beyond reputeDirtydawg has a reputation beyond reputeDirtydawg has a reputation beyond reputeDirtydawg has a reputation beyond reputeDirtydawg has a reputation beyond reputeDirtydawg has a reputation beyond reputeDirtydawg has a reputation beyond reputeDirtydawg has a reputation beyond reputeDirtydawg has a reputation beyond repute Dirtydawg's Avatar
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    I could smell upset even with those guys.

  3. #3
    Champ Dawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her game Dawg04's Avatar
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    depends on which team shows up....exhibition game 1 or 2...
    tonight we saw what it's gonna be like the nights the shots don't fall.

  4. #4
    Champ Dawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her gameDawg04 is on top of his/her game Dawg04's Avatar
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    Gators will be shorthanded for Preseason NIT opener

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Associated Press


    GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Brett Nelson hobbled through the lobby of the Florida basketball offices on crutches Tuesday.


    At least he was still standing.


    His teammate, freshman Christian Drejer, was in the hospital because the pain from a sprained ankle was too much to deal with at home. He's out until the Dec. 8 game against South Florida at the earliest.

    And sophomore James White? He quit the team over the weekend.


    This was hardly the scenario the voters envisioned when they ranked the Gators seventh in the Associated Press' preseason poll, and not what coach Billy Donovan was hoping for as he embarks on a season of high expectations.


    "I don't expect our team to use it as a crutch,'' Donovan said.


    Which brings the topic back to Nelson, who said the practice he sat out of Saturday was the first one he'd missed since he started playing basketball several years ago.


    He is due to have tests that will determine the severity of a stress fracture in his right foot this weekend. For now, doctors have ordered him to keep all weight off the foot. The senior guard, an integral ingredient for Florida this season, is likely on the shelf for two weeks at the minimum, which would put him out of the Preseason NIT.


    pefully, I'll be back by Tuesday,'' Nelson said, pointing to Florida's opener next week against Louisiana Tech in the Preseason NIT. "That's the day I have circled.''


    Drejer's injury is far less predictable. The Danish star, whose sudden enrollment over the summer made Florida a hotter preseason pick, was hurting so badly because of a sprained ankle, he checked into the hospital so he could get help dealing with the pain.


    "When you have the severity of ankle sprain, there can be a level of excruciating pain there,'' Donovan said. "We're just trying to monitor his pain a little bit better.''


    White will not return. The sophomore guard who played in 30 games last season, was viewed as an NBA prospect, but put the whole thing on hold when he suddenly left school.


    White had been suspended three times, once for violating team rules last year and twice this season for possessing a paintball gun.


    He also had complained about playing time in the past, and with a deep roster set for 2002-03, things didn't look to be getting any better.


    "But he realized he would have gotten a chance to play quite a bit this year,'' Donovan said. "That's obvious, with the situation we've got now.''


    With those three players gone, and with center Bonell Colas still recovering from a groin strain, the Gators have gone from one of the deepest teams in the country to one that will depend more heavily on its freshman class, especially early.


    Among the freshmen the Gators will count on are guard Anthony Roberson, a 2002 McDonald's All-American, and forward Matt Walsh, the top prep player in the Philadelphia area last year. They are the likely starters if Nelson and Drejer are out.


    Three years ago, Nelson was part of a freshman class that developed quickly and helped the Gators to the Final Four.


    "The freshman have a lot of talent,'' Nelson said. "If the guys perform or not _ that's going to be the key.''

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