Eli out, Eli in
Friday, January 2, 2015 | Men's Basketball, Football, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- At around 1:10 p.m. Thursday, Florida coach Billy Donovan said junior guard Eli Carter, who aggravated a sprain in his left foot during Tuesday's loss at Florida State, would not practice for the second straight day and was doubtful for Saturday's home game against defending national champion Connecticut.
At about 3:10, Carter was racing up and down the practice floor and swishing 3-pointers.
“He came to me and said he wanted to go,” UF trainer David “Duke” Werner said. “So we let him go.”
What Friday or even Saturday brings is anyone's guess, but what's clear is that Carter's health is nowhere near as bad as it looked when against the Seminoles -- 30 seconds into his first game since Dec. 14 -- the combo guard collapsed in pain (above), was carried off the floor and did not return.
He may be able to play against the Huskies.
“These decisions, once the doctor and trainers clear him to go, it's kind of on him how he feels," Donovan said before practice. "When he was cleared to play [in some practice and games last month], he elected not to. He didn't think he could. He felt like it was still bothering him. From our standpoint right now, whenever the doctors clear him to play, he's going to be cleared. ... [Whether to play], that's a decision Eli's got to make.”
Three days after scoring 21 points on 8-for-9 shooting in a loss to Miami, Carter suffered a sprained left foot at practice and the next few weeks bounced in and out of the lineup. When he was set to return, Carter came down with strep throat, which set him back again and cost him another game.
Carter, averaging 7.8 points and 2.2 rebounds at the start of the week, appeared good to go at FSU, but no sooner was he on the court, he was back in the locker room with Werner.
Against his Gators teammates at practice Thursday, he looked pretty darn good.
