Tuesday, February 15
College Station, TX
7 PM
Florida Gators
at
Texas A&M
Point guard Tyree Appleby (22) gets off one of his XX shots before his injury Saturday at Kentucky.
Appleby to Give it a Go vs Aggies
Tuesday, February 15, 2022 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Point guard Tyree Appleby took part in the team's shoot-around Tuesday morning and will be available when Florida (16-9, 6-6) takes on Texas A&M (15-10, 4-8) in their Southeastern Conference game Tuesday night at Reed Arena.
[Read senior writer Chris Harry's "Pregame Stuff" setup here]
Appleby was dealing with a troublesome thigh bruise he suffered six days ago in a home victory over Georgia. Though he left that one for a spell, Appleby returned to finish and make some big plays against the Rebels, then started Saturday's loss at Kentucky before aggravating the injury midway through the first half. The fifth-year senior, averaging 10.2 points, just under four assists and shooting 32.6 percent from the 3-point line, tried to play in the second half against the Wildcats, but checked out of the game less than three minutes in and did not return.
While Appleby was trying to play through the pair, the fourth-ranked Wildcats went on a 13-2 run that turned a modest five-point halftime lead into a 16-point cushion. Kentucky ended up rolling to a 78-57 victory.
He was held out of practice Sunday and was limited to non-contact drills Monday. During the team's shoot-around Tuesday morning at Reed, Appleby moved well, smiled and had no restrictions. He'll wear a pad to protect the tender area against A&M.
"I feel great," he said.
Appleby played just seven minutes, did not score and had one assist in seven minutes against UK. He'd been playing some of the best basketball in his two seasons at UF during the four-game winning streak that preceded the trip to Lexington, a run that included a Florida career-best 10 assists in an overtime victory against Ole Miss, as well as a 10-for-10 performance from the free-throw line (two with 3.8 seconds left) in a one-point win at Missouri.
The Gators will need their best ball-handler and energy engine in facing A&M, which boasts one of the best and most aggressive perimeter defenses in the nation. The Aggies post a steal on 14.2 percent of their defensive possessions, which ranks first in the league and second in the country The Gators surrender a 11.6 percent of their offensive possessions, which ranks 13th in the league and 348th nationally.
Live-ball turnovers killed the Gators at Kentucky. The Aggies aren't the transition offense machine, but they're certainly capable.
"We're a team that has struggled with turnovers, though we've gotten better with it during the year," UF coach Mike White said. "[Texas A&M is] really active with their hands. Quick, fast team that forms to the basketball. They create havoc and create turnovers. Whoever we have out there, we have to handle the ball with poise and maturity."
[Read senior writer Chris Harry's "Pregame Stuff" setup here]
Appleby was dealing with a troublesome thigh bruise he suffered six days ago in a home victory over Georgia. Though he left that one for a spell, Appleby returned to finish and make some big plays against the Rebels, then started Saturday's loss at Kentucky before aggravating the injury midway through the first half. The fifth-year senior, averaging 10.2 points, just under four assists and shooting 32.6 percent from the 3-point line, tried to play in the second half against the Wildcats, but checked out of the game less than three minutes in and did not return.
While Appleby was trying to play through the pair, the fourth-ranked Wildcats went on a 13-2 run that turned a modest five-point halftime lead into a 16-point cushion. Kentucky ended up rolling to a 78-57 victory.
He was held out of practice Sunday and was limited to non-contact drills Monday. During the team's shoot-around Tuesday morning at Reed, Appleby moved well, smiled and had no restrictions. He'll wear a pad to protect the tender area against A&M.
"I feel great," he said.
Appleby played just seven minutes, did not score and had one assist in seven minutes against UK. He'd been playing some of the best basketball in his two seasons at UF during the four-game winning streak that preceded the trip to Lexington, a run that included a Florida career-best 10 assists in an overtime victory against Ole Miss, as well as a 10-for-10 performance from the free-throw line (two with 3.8 seconds left) in a one-point win at Missouri.
The Gators will need their best ball-handler and energy engine in facing A&M, which boasts one of the best and most aggressive perimeter defenses in the nation. The Aggies post a steal on 14.2 percent of their defensive possessions, which ranks first in the league and second in the country The Gators surrender a 11.6 percent of their offensive possessions, which ranks 13th in the league and 348th nationally.
Live-ball turnovers killed the Gators at Kentucky. The Aggies aren't the transition offense machine, but they're certainly capable.
"We're a team that has struggled with turnovers, though we've gotten better with it during the year," UF coach Mike White said. "[Texas A&M is] really active with their hands. Quick, fast team that forms to the basketball. They create havoc and create turnovers. Whoever we have out there, we have to handle the ball with poise and maturity."
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