Florida Gators Guard Tyree Appleby to Play vs. Oral Roberts

No. 7 Florida has updated the status of a key player ahead of Sunday night's Round of 32 matchup against No. 15 Oral Roberts. Guard Tyree Appleby has been cleared to play and will start after suffering a facial laceration in Friday's Round of 64 victory over No. 10 Virginia Tech, according to a school official.

Appleby, a redshirt junior, has been an aggressive playmaker at times for the Gators throughout the season, averaging 11.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. His aggression can get the best of him, disrupting offensive possessions and occasionally causing turnovers, but Appleby's style of play can energize the team in pivotal moments as well.

When Appleby is on his game, combining his skill-set with guard Tre Mann on the backcourt has proven effective offensively for the Gators this season and could provide a massive boost on Sunday night.

Forward Omar Payne was seen warming up before tip, but it is undetermined if he will play or not against the Golden Eagles. He reportedly did the same against Virginia Tech on Friday but did not see any action.

Payne has missed the past one and a half games for the Gators following his ejection for a flagrant foul 2 after he elbowed Tennessee forward John Fulkerson during the SEC Tournament. Fulkerson suffered a concussion and facial fracture and did not play in Tennessee's Round of 64 loss to Oregon State on Friday. White elected to hold Payne out of the Virginia Tech game on the same day.

In 23 games throughout the 2020 season, Payne has averaged 3.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per contest. Without Payne in the lineup against the Hokies, Colin Castleton stepped up in a big way on the frontcourt with a double-double, scoring 19 points and grabbing 14 boards, including 11 defensively. He also blocked three shots and recorded two assists.