Friday, October 5, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida bigs can't get a break.
In the case of third-year sophomore Dontay Bassett, the latest UF front court player hit with an injury, at least it was a sprain, and not a break. A right ankle sprain, to be specific. The 6-foot-9, 237-pound Bassett suffered the injury during practice Thursday when he went jumped in traffic around the basket and came down on the foot of Kevarrius Hayes.
"I knew it right away," Bassett said Friday, as he iced the injury in the basketball training room.
The ankle roll will mean Bassett will miss between two to four weeks, according to team trainer David "Duke" Werner. Too bad, considering Bassett had taken advantage of his reps the last few months (and in the preseason), as well as the time he received on the floor while both redshirt freshman Chase Johnson (neck) and junior Gorjok Gak (knee) were sidelined recovering from injuries, and redshirt freshman Isaiah Stokes played catch-up with his conditioning. Johnson has since been cleared and returned for all basketball activity.
Dontay Bassett in action last season.
The UF coaches have been pleased with the work put in by Bassett, who took on a small but increased roll in the rotation about halfway through last season and finished averaging 7.1 minutes, 1.7 points and 1.6 rebounds per game, numbers that will increase this season. He is, by far, the most physical of the Florida bigs and the Gators were counting on him.
Should Bassett's recovery and return proceed along the back end of that timeline (four weeks), he would miss the team's closed preseason scrimmage against Furman, as well as its Oct. 30 exhibition game against Florida Southern at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center.
He would, however, be available for the No. 6 regular-season opener at Florida State.
Earlier this week, Gak was cleared to further test his surgically repaired knee with some light moving and contact, and Friday got the green light to amp up his full-court running. Werner said the 6-11 center is on schedule to be cleared for full-contact work in about a month.
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