For the second straight year, Will Yeguete will miss a significant amount of time due to injury.
Yeguete will undergo arthroscopic surgery today to remove bone chips in his right knee. He will be out 4-6 six weeks, coach Billy Donovan said Thursday.
Yeguete will miss at least the remainder of the regular season, but Donovan is hopeful that the junior forward will return to the lineup for postseason play.
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 began bothering the 6-foot-7, 240-pound Yeguete in January.
“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 get him back.”
Last season, Yeguete fractured his left foot against Auburn on Feb. 21 and missed UF’s final nine games. Florida lost four of five contests to Southeastern Conference opponents following Yeguete’s injury.
On Wednesday 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 a key rebounder and versatile defender for the Gators (18-3, 8-1 SEC) this year. He also plays an integral role in UF’s full-court press.
In 21.9 minutes per game off the bench, Yeguete averages 6.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game — both second-best on the team. He leads Florida in rebounds per minute and is 78th in the nation in defensive rebounding rate, according to KenPom.com.
“He’s very important,” redshirt senior guard Mike Rosario said. “Obviously, he’s one of our, like, dirty guys. That’s what we call it. (He’s) a Dennis Rodman type — grab a rebound, especially our hustle guy.”
Florida’s frontcourt is thinner than it was last year without Yeguete. In 2011-12, the Gators relied on 6-foot-9 forward Cody Larson for extra depth.
No. 2 Florida will replace Yeguete with junior Casey Prather, and freshmen Michael Frazier II and DeVon Walker when it hosts Mississippi State (7-14, 2-7 SEC) on Saturday at 5 p.m. in the O’Connell Center.
Prather is averaging career-best numbers in scoring (5.4 points) and rebounds (2.8) this year, but the 6-foot-6 forward is still recovering from a high left ankle sprain suffered against LSU on Jan. 12.
“We’re not really getting anything out of Casey right now,” Donovan said. “He has not been himself at all in terms of athletically moving, cutting, jumping. He’s not in pain. … It could be a little bit of a loss of strength. It could be some confidence issues.”
Frazier is scoring 5.8 points per game this season and has showcased prowess as a three-point shooter and a rebounder in limited minutes. Donovan plans to play the 6-foot-4 Frazier, a natural shooting guard, at power forward in four-guard lineups.
Walker might be Florida’s first big man off the bench.
Walker is averaging 4.4 minutes and 0.9 points per game this season. The 6-foot-6, 191-pound forward is 2 of 17 from the field in 17 games played.
“I don’t know if [Walker’s] ready,” Donovan said. “We don’t have a whole lot of choices right now. … I think he’ll step in there and give us everything he has.”
Junior forward Will Yeguete (15) rests with his hands on his knees during Florida’s 75-36 win against South Carolina on Jan. 30 in the O’Connell Center.
