With Chandler Parsons’ recovery from a left thigh bruise nearly complete, the Gators could see the return of their senior leader tonight.
But not as a member of the starting five.
“Even if Chandler has a great practice and is totally healed and never has a problem with his leg again, I don’t anticipate him starting tomorrow,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said.
Donovan later added that Parsons would likely come off the bench for No. 13 UF (21-5, 10-2 Southeastern Conference) as it squares off against Georgia (18-8, 7-5 SEC) at 7 p.m. in the O’Connell Center.
Parsons’ minutes depend on Donovan’s evaluation of the senior’s performance in limited action during Wednesday’s practice.
Donovan said Parsons has made significant progress since Friday, when he was shut down after his individual training due to swelling in the injured leg. That was not the case in Tuesday’s workout, after which Parsons felt as well as he had since the injury, according to Donovan.
Still, Parsons’ status is dependent on how he performs in practice leading up to the contest.
“I just want to see how he responds in a competitive situation,” Donovan said. “We’re going to throw him in there a little bit just to see what he looks like and how he feels. For his confidence, that will probably be a good thing.”
Parsons struggled to move and shoot in individual workouts Sunday and didn’t practice Tuesday but would still be likely to see minutes if Wednesday’s practice is deemed a success.
“If things go well for Chandler, we’re going to throw him in there and see what happens ” Donovan said. “It could be something very positive for us.”
Parsons hasn’t played since Feb. 12, when he sustained the bruise in a collision with UF senior forward Alex Tyus during a rebound attempt against Tennessee.
Although the senior still played 37 minutes against the Volunteers, his performance was clearly affected by the pain. He finished with only three points and three rebounds.
In Parsons’ absence, the Gators have turned to freshmen Casey Prather and Scottie Wilbekin, who split time at the small forward position Sunday.
While Parsons’ return will lighten their burden, Donovan was adamant that Prather and Wilbekin need to continue preparing as if Parsons were out.
“We can’t have a situation where our guys try to back away and try to settle into a role,” Donovan said. “We can’t have that. We’ve got to make sure we’re all ready to play, because there’s a lot of unknowns.”
Although Wilbekin played 30 minutes to Prather’s 15 on Sunday, Donovan tabbed Prather as the probable starter tonight.
Prather can serve as an effective option in the press, allowing the Gators to speed up the tempo. He and sophomore Kenny Boynton admitted rebounding could become an issue with the 6-foot-10 Parsons limited.
Prather also said he is slightly quicker than Parsons, and this will help him match up with Georgia’s Travis Leslie.
“We do some of the same things as far as athleticism, defense and things like that in the open court,” Prather said.
