Alex Condon injury update: Florida big man heads to locker room vs. Georgia

Florida big man Alex Condon headed to the locker room after taking a shot to the face in a game against rival Georgia on Tuesday night, and he wasn’t happy about it.

The talented big threw something to the ground as he exited through a tunnel, ripping his jersey off in the process. He appeared to have a bloody nose that needed treatment, though we’ll have to wait on official word to find out.

Florida was no worse off for the interaction that drew Condon’s ire, as he returned just a few minutes after heading to the locker room.

Condon was playing in his first game since returning from an ankle injury that had sidelined him recently.

He had not played since he suffered an ankle sprain just 30 seconds into the Mississippi State game on Feb. 11. However, he had reportedly been making good progress in his rehab from the injury.

“Alex is doing great, to be honest. He’s moving around really, really well. Tomorrow night’s not out of the question,” coach Todd Golden said Friday, before the team took on LSU on Saturday. “I think it’s probably more of a longer shot, but it’s definitely not out of the question. So, we’ll see how he does it practice today. He’ll probably receive a doubtful or questionable tag, depending on how practice goes.”

Alex Condon wasn’t able to suit up against LSU, despite his improved condition.

He was able to go against Georgia on Tuesday night, though, and he showed no signs of the injury slowing him down. Before he took the shot to the face, Condon had scored five points and pulled down two rebounds in 16 minutes of action.

The talented big man has done it all for the Gators this year. He is entered the night averaging 10.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.4 blocks per game.

Florida’s offense has been a well-oiled machine when he’s in action, as the team has really found a rhythm working the ball inside-out with a tremendous set of guards. If Florida wants to make a deep postseason run, it’ll be at its best with Condon healthy and available.

To that end, Golden has been cautious in bringing back Alex Condon.

“I mean, we aren’t going to play someone who isn’t ready to go and if we feel like playing him will jeopardize his recovery or health, he won’t be out there. So, I don’t know if it’s necessarily being cautious or just being smart and not rushing him if he doesn’t feel like he can be himself,” Golden said. “We have a little bit of a luxury that way.”

Golden also praised the job the team trainer has done of late, helping a handful of injured players, including guard Alijah Martin and currently rehabbing forward Sam Alexis.

“Our trainer, Jon Michelini’s done an incredible job, honestly, through the stretch with our guys,” Golden said. “We’ve been banged up a lot and they have been able to get our guys back and have them on the court and get us through the stretch. That’s been really helpful.”