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Florida vs. Louisiana-Monroe, Game Thread: No one get hurt

Florida's playing with six scholarship players. Again.

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Friday night's game against Louisiana-Monroe (SEC Network / WatchESPN) was supposed to be Florida's first full step out of its early-season struggles. Chris Walker would be back — and he is — and the Gators could play with something verging on a full rotation against the Warhawks.

Except Dorian Finney-Smith will stay out after suffering a hairline fracture in his wrist last Friday, and, well:

So Florida's still going to have just six scholarship players on hand, and this time, it's the Gators' backcourt depth that will be tested.

With Carter out, Florida's got just three scholarship guards, with Kasey Hill and Michael Frazier starting and Chris Chiozza coming off the bench. Things get a bit better up front, with Walker bolstering a frontcourt that counted only Jon Horford as an interior presence against Miami, and Devin Robinson likely to play both small and power forward tonight, but Florida's guards are going to be taxed this evening.

Fortunately, Monroe, ranked 255th in today's KenPom ratings, shouldn't be much of a challenge: Keith Richard's bunch doesn't do much well except on the offensive boards, and Florida's got two solid rebounders in Horford and Walker.

This should still be an easy win. It's just going to be a game won with Jacob Kurtz playing significant minutes, is all.