The No. 16 Gators cruised past Southern University 67-53 on Monday night but lost one of their top players.
Kasey Hill, an All-America recruit who had been starting at point guard, left the game with 18:04 remaining after suffering a high left ankle sprain on a drive to the basket. The freshman will be out at least a month, coach Billy Donovan said.
Hill screamed as he hit the floor, and the O’Connell Center went nearly silent as UF’s medical staff rushed to him. The replay showed him attempting to push off his left leg, but his foot bent almost perpendicularly to his shin and he went down. A Florida trainer was unable to remove Hill’s shoe because the pain was so intense, and he couldn’t walk without help.
“It’s one of those sprains where it’s certainly a longer healing process, and when you try to rush guys back too soon, it complicates things,” Donovan said.
“It’s unfortunate. It’s a part of the game. We’ll have to find some different ways to compensate for his absence.”
Donovan was unsure whether Hill sustained any tears or breaks in the ankle, but based on the initial diagnosis he was optimistic. Hill is scheduled for X-rays and further examination Tuesday.
He came into the game averaging 11 points and 4.7 assists per game. He was playing the second-most minutes on the team and started each of the first four games. Hill had eight points on 4-for-6 shooting with three assists before the injury.
Heading into the season, he was expected to be a major part of UF’s lineup. His role became even more important with the suspension of senior Scottie Wilbekin, who started at point guard last year. Wilbekin has yet to play this season and will miss at least the next game. Donovan hasn’t specified when he will return.
Just four games into the season, Florida (3-1) has been battered by injuries and other issues. Wilbekin, Dorian Finney-Smith and Damontre Harris started the season on suspensions. Finney-Smith has been reinstated, but Harris is no longer practicing and Donovan recently said he is “not even on the team.”
Michael Frazier, a potential starting guard, battled mononucleosis just before the start of the season. Eli Carter (leg) and Will Yeguete (knee) both have struggled to bounce back from prior injuries. Backup guard Dillon Graham is out for the year with bone spurs in his hip.
The Gators have little time to reconfigure their rotation. They face Middle Tennessee on Thursday (7:30 p.m., Sun Sports), and the competition ramps up with consecutive games against No. 18 Connecticut, No. 2 Kansas and No. 11 Memphis beginning Dec. 2.
Florida had little trouble with Southern (1-4) and jumped to a 21-9 lead midway through the first half. The Gators were up by as many as 22 in the second, though Southern outscored them 33-30 after Hill’s injury.
Gators forward Casey Prather continued his excellent start to the season with 10 points, nine rebounds and four assists. He reached double-figures in scoring against Southern despite shooting 2-for-10 from the field.
Prather, a senior who started four times prior to this season, is averaging 19.3 points and 6.8 rebounds so far.
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