Florida redshirt sophomore Adam Allen will undergo his third surgery on his left knee next week, a team source confirmed Monday.
Allen, who redshirted last season after being diagnosed with a sprained knee in a scrimmage on Oct. 24, 2008, has developed a degenerative cartilage condition. As a result, the bones in his left knee grate against each other upon movement, causing severe pain.
He had surgery last year on Dec. 30 and sat out the rest of the season before having a second surgery this offseason. Although nothing will be made official until after the procedure is over, Allen will likely miss significant time this year, if not the entire season.
The 6-foot-8 forward sat on UF’s bench in a warm-up suit in the Gators’ exhibition games and season opener Sunday, but he has not practiced with the team. UF coach Billy Donovan said he was cleared to exercise and do some light running when practice started in mid-October, but the bone-on-bone condition has proven difficult for Allen to overcome.
“You feel terrible because he’s a great kid and he could help our team,” Donovan said Oct. 17. “He’s a good shooter. There’s a lot of really positive things with him and about him. It kills you as a coach just to see.
“It’s a hard thing for him. He’s there at practice every day, and he’s got to sit there for two hours and you know he wants to be out there playing. It’s killing him. And that’s a hard thing mentally for a young kid to look at that and just say, ‘Geez, I may not be able to do this again.’”
Allen played in all 36 games his freshman season (2007-08), averaging four points per game and shooting 42.1 percent from 3-point range.
