Allen taking baby steps, unsure about a return

Florida guard Adam Allen arrived on campus two years ago with hopes of becoming a two-sport star.

Yet during Florida basketball media day Thursday, the 6-foot-8 Allen sounded resigned to the fact that his basketball career at UF could be over soon.

“There’s a chance I might not be able to play again at this level,” Allen said. “I could be able to come back at a lower level, but there’s no telling.”

Two surgeries and a degenerative condition have robbed Allen of a significant amount of cartilage in his left knee. Doctors have cleared Allen for light running because there is no more risk of structural damage. It’s just a question of how much discomfort Allen can tolerate. Without cartilage to pad the knee joint, the rubbing of bones together can create excruciating pain.

“It just holds you back so much,” Allen said. “If I did play I could only play about 50 percent. I couldn’t compete at this level.

“It’s just when I bend my knee at a certain angle, it’s like 18 degrees where my knee is bent where I can’t put a lot of pressure on it. It hurts. So that’s what I’m dealing with.”

Allen had come into last season in excellent shape after giving up playing baseball due to shoulder problems. Then, almost a year ago, Allen sprained his knee during an intra-squad scrimmage at the O’Connell Center.

“When it first happened I thought it would be a couple of weeks and I’ll get back playing,” Allen said. “It kept dragging on. I had surgery to fix it the first time. I talked to more doctors and they told me my kneecap was tracking the wrong way, like left and right instead of up and down. I had surgery to fix that.”

Florida coach Billy Donovan said he discussed with Allen the possibility of a medical hardship or him transferring during the offseason. But Allen has decided to stick it out this season to see if he can recover.

“You feel terrible because he’s a great kid and he could help our team and he’s a good shooter,” Donovan said. “There are a lot of really positive things with him and about him. It kills you as a coach because Adam worked so hard last year to get ready. It reminded me a lot of what Ray Shipman has done (this season.)”

Allen shot 42.1 percent from 3-point as a freshman, a season that seems like a distant memory. Last season, Allen acknowledged it was frustrating sitting on the bench and watching his teammates.

“I thought I was going to be able to contribute at some point in the year and I just kept on having setbacks,” Allen said. “I think this year I’m going to have a better mindset. I kind of like, know what to expect. It’s not like I’m expecting to come back and have an impact this year. If I come back, it’s wonderful. If I don’t, then it’s not the end of the world.”

But Allen said he has received no timetable on when or if the pain in his knee will get better.

“The doctors don’t know,” Allen said. “They said it’s all up to chance really if I can play or not. I mean I’m supposed to be on schedule right now to be playing again but I can’t really run right now.”

To deal with the disappointment, Allen has filled the time with golf. He plays regularly at Ironwood and at the UF course. When he returns to his native Milton he plays at The Moors, the former site of a Champions Tour event.

“I’ve got to find another outlet to be competitive with, you know, because that’s part of my makeup and I want to do something,” Allen said. “But I’ve also been throwing the baseball around a little bit.”

Allen is aware that he’s clearly far behind his teammates but is prepared to take small steps to try to get back. So far, he’s been cleared for light running but didn’t take part in Florida’s first two practices over the weekend.

“I’m disappointed about it, my family is disappointed, but they know I’m here getting a good education,” Allen said. “If I can’t come back I’ve got a year in here and I’ve met a lot of people. It hasn’t been a bad go.”

FREE THROWS: Donovan was pleased with the conditioning of his team in UF’s first two practices. Freshmen Kenny Boynton and Erik Murphy have arrived in excellent shape, Donovan said: “The level of intensity they just sustained in there for two hours (Saturday morning),” Donovan said. “Last year they would have had no shot to sustain that.” Donovan said his initial concerns from watching practice are at the defensive end of the floor. “I think we’ll be better defensively but we have to be more of a cohesive group, playing together on the defensive end of the floor,” Donovan said. “Instinctively, we’re a team that really passes and moves the ball unselfishly.”