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Florida reinstates junior forward following three-game suspension

Dorian Finney-Smith

AP Photo

AP

After being suspended three games for a violation of team rules, Florida redshirt junior forward Dorian Finney-Smith has been reinstated ahead of the team’s game against Tennessee on Saturday. Head coach Billy Donovan announced the news Friday afternoon in his press conference ahead of Saturday’s game.

Florida went 1-2 in the three games Finney-Smith missed, with the lone win coming at home against Vanderbilt February 18. Finney-Smith is currently averaging 12.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game this season, and for a team that has struggled offensively all season his return should help Florida moving forward.

And while Donovan did say that Finney-Smith has taken care of what he needed to in order to return, there’s still the need for the junior to step forward in the commitment department.

“He’s taken care of all his responsibilities and everything we’ve asked him to do,” Donovan said Friday. “I still feel like he needs to understand that when it comes to some of the choices he’s made there are other people affected by it. From my perspective, he’s got to earn back some trust from our team and show a higher level of commitment, especially being an older guy.”

Florida, which is 13-15 on the season, needs to finish strong in order to be considered for a Postseason NIT berth. The Gators have struggled with inconsistency throughout the season, one that they entered with hopes of challenging Kentucky for SEC supremacy.