GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Point guard
Andrew Nembhard missed his second straight day of practice Friday, leaving his status for Saturday's huge home date -- when Florida (11-5, 3-1) faces No. 4 Auburn (15-1, 3-1) in a huge Southeastern Conference clash -- as a game-time decision.
Nembhard, the 6-foot-5, 193-pound sophomore from Toronto, has started all 52 games of his UF career, currently is third on the team in scoring at 11.1 points per game and ranks third in the SEC in assists at 5.9 per game.
"We're in a tough spot with Andrew. He's struggling. He's got the flu," Gators coach
Mike White said Friday of his floor general who is shooting nearly 42 percent from the floor, 34 percent from 3, plus 80 percent from the free-throw line, and has 95 assists to just 44 turnovers. "We all better be ready to play without him."
[Read senior writer Chris Harry's "Pregame Stuff" setup here]
That means a lot of extra stuff on the plates for a pair of freshmen backups in
Ques Glover and
Tre Mann. Both players have battled inconsistency in scoring an identical 5.4 points per game. Glover is shooting 43.8 percent from the floor, 21.4 percent from the 3-point line, and making just 47.4 percent of his free throws. Mann's numbers show 36.4 percent overall, 21.9 from deep, 59.1 from the line.
Ques Glover
The digits that are even more concerning, though, are the duo's combined assists-to-turnovers, which stand at 18 and 36, respectively. That's two turnovers to every one assists. Against a team like Auburn, which thrives on live-ball turnovers and and converting them into transition opportunities — and open 3-point shots — that's chum in the water.
Glover, the 5-foot-11, 176-pounder from Knoxville, Tenn., would likely get the nod for the first start of his career in the event Nembhard can't go.
"Hopefully, Andrew can play, but if not, we think Ques or whoever the coaches try to start is going to be ready," sophomore forward
Keyontae Johnson said. "We all got good players. ... Next man step up. That's what we preach, so I feel like we should be fine either way."
When the Gators and Tigers met in the SEC Tournament semifinals last March, Auburn forced 19 turnovers that led to 20 points in a 63-60 victory. And that was
with Nembhard.
"If we're going to turn it over, we might as well kick it up into the stands or throw it to me over on the bench," White said, citing instances that, if nothing else, would allow UF to set up on defense. "The pick-6s against these guys, they just convert at such a high level. Live-ball turnovers are scary against these guys."
The prospect of facing them minus Nembhard is something the team will just have to deal with.
"He's one of the best guards in our league. … He's somebody who calms us down on both ends of the plays, accountable on both ends," grad-transfer forward
Kerry Blackshear Jr. said. "But I think we have some guys ready to step up. They've been really good in practice these last few days."
