Eight days off was not enough for Chandler Parsons' thigh to heal up. Looking long term, Billy Donovan will sit out Florida's senior leader against LSU today.
The Gators (20-5, 9-2) are firmly in the drivers seat for the SEC East title, and a first round bye in the SEC Tournament. LSU (10-16, 2-9) might be the worst team in the SEC, as they have lost nine consecutive games, scoring no more than 61 points in SEC play. The last time they scored more than 61 was a 68 point outing during a loss to Rice on December 29.
Without Parsons, Florida could have a three-guard starting lineup, with Scottie Wilbekin and his massive arm tattoo taking Parsons' spot. The young man for Gainesville has been UF's rookie of the year, even if the numbers are not that impressive (2.6ppg in SEC play). But Wilbekin is aggressive on defense and generally takes care of the ball to feed the big men. His work against Tennessee and Kentucky was outstanding.
The most amount of minutes Wilbekin has played in the SEC was 21 minutes twice. With more minutes, he could show more flashes of brilliance.