Florida's Hill Looking To Beat UCONN This Time

Kasey Hill is hoping to get his revenge on UCONN tonight.
When Florida last faced UCONN on December 2nd Hill watched from the bench with a high ankle sprain. Florida fell to UCONN in Storrs when Shabazz Napier hit a buzz beater to bring the final score to 65-64. The team played the final three minutes without a point guard because starter Scottie Wilbekin went down with an ankle injury and did not return.
Hill is hoping tonight will different, even though he has played throughout the NCAA Tournament with turf toe. He will be ready to face the Huskies tonight at 6:09 p.m. in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
"Kasey can definitely help us; it gives us more depth in the backcourt," coach Bill Donovan said.
"I think Kasey in the tournament, and even going back to the SEC has come on. He's played better. He's improved. I've got confidence in him. He makes our team faster when he's out there."
Hill agrees that he's been playing better recently. "(I've been) just playing with more confidence, playing aggressive. Just trying to play my hardest for this team and give them all I got," he said.
In four tournament games, Hill has averaged 5.3 points per game and has totaled a team high 15 assists against only four turnovers.
Hill says that while his turf toe has caused him discomfort during the tournament, he will be fine tonight. Coach Donovan shared the same sentiment Monday.
"I know turf toe is painful, but come on, we're playing in the Final Four," Donovan said.
"He'll be fine. He's a great kid. Hopefully his toe will be OK and he'll be able to play. But I do appreciate him working through that. He doesn't appear to be in a lot of pain when he's running around out there. He's moving pretty well."
Turf toe is a sprain of the joint just below the big toe, also known as the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint. Injuries to the joint can include damage to the ligaments as well as the joint capsule. The end result is pain with both extension and flexion of the big toe which translates to pain anytime the athlete tries to walk, jump, jog, run, or jump- all crucial for Hill during a game.
The severity of the injury is directly related to the amount of force causing the injury. Turf toe can range from a mild injury with only minor ligament damage to a chronic injury involving inflammation of the joint capsule and progressive cartilage formation and calcification of the head of the first metatarsal.
Turf toe can be caused by either one traumatic injury or from repetitive injuries that continue to aggravate the original injury. Most turf toe injuries are caused by a hyperflexion injury when the big toe hits an unyielding surface, forcing the toe beyond its normal range of motion.
Treatment generally includes the R.I.C.E. method: rest, ice, compression, and elevation.
Reference: Independent Florida Alligator
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Jeffrey S. Kahn, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Sports Medicine Podiatrist in CT
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