Florida’s basketball team has some real issues at point guard. UF
coach Billy Donovan announced Thursday that junior point guard Scottie Wilbekin has been suspended for an indefinite amount of time for an undisclosed reason.
Wilbekin, the team’s starter, could miss more than just the season
opener against Georgetown in the inaugural Navy-Marine Corps Classic on
Friday night on the deck of the USS Bataan at Mayport Naval Station.
Wilbekin is replacing last season’s starter Erving Walker as the Gators’ point guard, leaving the team in a difficult situation.
Donovan said Wilbekin’s situation is not related to a legal issue, but that he still does not have all of the information.
“Scottie is a great kid,” Donovan said. “He made some choices and did
some things, I’m not going to have him a part of. How long it lasts, I
don’t know. But right now, I felt like he didn’t need to be here on this
trip and didn’t need to be playing in this game. It was my decision
this morning to do that after finding out some information on some
things.”
Florida will likely move shooting guard Kenny Boynton to the point, with Mike Rosario at shooting guard, Erik Murphy and Will Yeguete at forward and Patric Young at center.
“Kenny has had the opportunity in practice to play the point guard
spot,” Donovan said. “I really have confidence in Kenny back there. I
think he knows what I want and can run our team.”
The 6-foot-2 Wilbekin averaged 2.6 points and 1.6 assists a game last season for UF.
“Scottie is a good person with a good heart,” Donovan said. “But, he
has to be accountable, responsible and committed in every area of his
life to play for our team. He’s got to grow and mature.”
Wilbekin is known as a solid defender and decision-maker.
“He’s a terrific player,” Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. “He’s fast with the ball. He’s unselfish and he does a good job of getting other guys shots.”
Florida will also be playing without forward Casey Prather, who suffered his second concussion in the past month in practice late last week.
