Sophomore swingman DeVon Walker is day-to-day with a mid-foot sprain and is questionable for No. 15 Florida’s matchup against Florida State on Friday night in the O’Connell Center.
Walker, the Gators’ starter at shooting guard for the past six games, exited Florida’s victory against Jacksonville on Monday with the injury with 15:29 left in the first half. X-rays on Walker's right foot came back negative Tuesday, showing there were not any breaks or tears.
“He tweaked his ligament kind of down on the bottom or the side of his foot so he’s just doing treatment day to day and he’s not even going to practice [Wednesday],” coach Billy Donovan said. “He may practice [Thursday], so I’m not really sure where he’s at.
“It could take 10 days. It could take a couple of days. A lot depends on how he responds. I think the biggest thing is just making sure it wasn’t a break or a tear and they’ve eliminated all those things so that’s a positive sign.”
Harris not with team: Redshirt junior center Damontre Harris has not practiced with the Gators in about a month. He remains indefinitely suspended for violating team rules and has not suited up for Florida this season.
“He’s in the dorm,” Donovan said, signifying Harris lives nearby the UF basketball complex. “It’d be very easy for him to come over to my office to talk. He’s not come over here one time. And I’m certainly not going to chase him around. That’s got to be something he wants to do.”
Donovan remains unhappy with Harris’ inability to handle responsibilities. When asked by a reporter if Harris has a future on the team, Donovan responded:
“At a certain point, he's got to want to say, 'This is what I want and this is what I'm prepared to do.' He has not done that. He has said, 'This is what I'd like. I want to play on the team.' Well, this is what you have to do. What he wants and what he has to do are not matching up. I'm now at a crossroads in the dilemma.
“Does he want to play? Does he not want to play? It’s easy to say that, but there’s going to be some things he’s doing to have to go through to get back on our team. He’s not going to just come in here and say, ‘I want back on the team.’ Great, come on down to practice, we’ll throw you on and give you a uniform. He has got a lot of work to do.
“I think our guys like Damontre and want to help Damontre, but they’d also like to see Damontre help Damontre. That, I think, is what’s so difficult as a coach. When you have all the resources here at Florida to really help someone in every possible area – on the court, off the court, academically, weight room, film – and you’re not taking advantage of it, at some point he’s the one responsible.
“But there’s zero accountability at all. You can't call meetings or have a strength coach be here to work you out and just not show up.
“It’s not so much standing me up. It’s not necessarily taking care of the responsibilities he has to do. If you have a tutor and you’re supposed to be there and just don’t show up? Tutors are going to be there anyway. I’m going to be in the building anyway. There are things you have to do and when you don’t do that, at some point, there are consequences and levels of accountability you have to assume as a young man. I’m all for giving guys second chances.
“Damontre has to make a decision. Do I want to change? Do I want my life to change for the better? Or do I want to just through cruise through life and not do anything. He’s got to make that choice.”
Follow Landon Watnick on Twitter @LandonWatnick.
Sophomore forward DeVon Walker poses during Florida men’s basketball’s media day on Oct. 9.
