Following a blowout defeat against Tennessee, Todd Golden and co return to action on Tuesday against Vanderbilt. The Gators hope to get back on track as they face the Commodores, who are coming off of their own blowout loss at the hands of Oklahoma.
This article will detail a comprehensive injury report for both teams, as numerous players' statuses are in question. You can check out the SEC conference's current injury reports here.
Florida injury report
The Gators may need to fend off the Commodores without star point guard Walter Clayton Jr., who suffered an ankle injury during Florida's loss against Tennessee. On the injury report, Clayton Jr. is currently listed as "questionable," leaving his status ambigous. An indication of his potential availability is expected to be made before tipoff later tonight.
Even if Clayton Jr. is unavailable, the consensus belief is that this injury is unlikely to keep him sidelined for long, as head coach Todd Golden stated in his recent press conference: "I think, obviously, we avoided anything too serious, which is awesome, but, you know, definitely tweaked his ankle pretty good there in the first half," Golden said Monday. "Second half (he) slipped in front of our bench – I don't think there was anything added on because of that, just kind of a flukey deal.
Obviously he's been knocking out his rehab and it's recovering, he's moving around pretty well, but we'll kind of take it hour by hour right now, see how it goes this afternoon in practice. And I think tomorrow, when he wakes up, will be a big determining on if he goes tomorrow night or not."
Center Micah Handlogten is also listed on the report as "out," still recovering from a leg injury he suffered in the 2024 SEC Tournament Final against Auburn. Despite recent rumors suggesting a potential return to the court this season, Handlogten is expected to medically redshirt and will not play for the Gators this season.
Vanderbilt injury report
The Commodores are also dealing with their fair share of injuries, as head coach Mark Byington and his staff will continue to coach without the luxuries of guards Alex Hemenway (undisclosed), and Karris Bilal (undisclosed), along with center Kijani Wright (illness). All three players remain listed as "out" after injuries they suffered earlier in the season.
Guard Tyler Nickel is listed on the report as "probable," signalling that he will likely be available against the Gators. Nickel suffered an ankle injury during Vanderbilt's blowout loss to Oklahoma. He is one of the best scorers for the Commodores, averaging over ten points per game this season.
Nickel's presence may come big for Byington and co, as the team clearly struggled during his absence against Oklahoma. The Sooner topped Vanderbilt by thirty points, the largest margin of loss for the Commodores so far,
The stakes
Both Vanderbilt and Florida rank within the projected NCAA Tournament field, with the Gators sitting nicely in a projected seed position, while Vanderbilt lands in the middle of the bubble.
The Gators would gladly take a high-end quadrant two victory as they continue to push for a one-seed. A winning result would be a perfect bounce back from a disappointing loss against Tennessee, specifically one in which the Gators didn't look competitive.
The Commodores also have their eyes on this game as it will present a quadrant oen "A" opportunity. A Vanderbilt win would further solidify their spot in the NCAA Tournament, likely pushing them off of the uncomfortable bubble position.