Will Yeguete will need arthroscopic surgery to repair bone chips in his right knee and will miss 4-6 weeks, coach Billy Donovan said Thursday.
Donovan said Yeguete will be out for at least the remainder of the regular season, but he hopes the junior forward will return for the postseason.
During No. 2 Florida’s 80-69 loss to Arkansas on Tuesday night, Yeguete tweaked his knee and exited the game with 15:52 in the first half after playing less than a minute. Right knee tendinitis has been a season-long issue for Yeguete.
“We just don’t want to get into a situation where, once a week, we’re just draining his knee and draining his knee and doing those kinds of things,” Donovan said. “I don’t think that’s healthy for him. Right now for him, the best thing to do is to get it resolved, get it taken care of it, and hopefully (we’ll) get him back.”
On Wednesday night at 9:47 p.m., Yeguete posted on his Twitter account (@Will15Yeguete): “I can't believe this is happening, this must be a nightmare....”
Yeguete has been Florida’s most versatile defender this year. Playing 21.9 minutes per game as UF’s first player off the bench in recent contests, Yeguete has averaged 6.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals — both second-best on the team. The junior also averages six points on 58.2 percent shooting.
Last season, Yeguete fractured his left foot and missed UF’s final nine games of the year. Florida lost four of five games following Yeguete’s injury.
“I feel more disappointed for him because he’s worked hard. He’s a good kid,” Donovan said. “He’s done things for our team that not a lot of guys do. … He’s a great rebounder. He gives you a lot of flexibility on the defensive end of the floor. There’s different things you can do, from pressing to halfcourt defense to switching to having him guard certain players. That’s going to be definitely a loss.”
Junior forward Will Yeguete (15) plays defense during Florida’s 83-52 victory against Missouri on Saturday in the O’Connell Center. Yeguete will miss 4-6 weeks with bone chips in his right knee.
