Report: Florida State forward expected to miss season
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Florida State is integrating seven new players alongside returners; guard Caleb Mills, guard Jalen Warley, guard Matthew Cleveland, forward Cam'Ron Fletcher, and center Naheem McLeod. Despite the lack of experience playing with one another, there's optimism that the team will bounce back to make the NCAA Tournament after being left out of the big dance for the first time since 2016 last season.
The Seminoles will have to make that happen without the services of one of their most coveted transfers. According to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, Brown transfer forward, Jaylan Gainey, will miss the entire season due to a knee injury.
Gainey announced his transfer to Florida State from Brown in March. He was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year in the Ivy League, averaging 2+ blocks per game in each of his last two seasons. Gainey had the two best games of his career to close the season with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 blocks against Columbia, followed by 20 points and 18 rebounds against Yale. He is third in Brown history with 125 blocked shots in his tenure. His 65 career games played were the most on Florida State's roster followed by Mills' 61.
The North Carolina native has averaged 6.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 19.4 minutes per game during his college career. That included a career-best 9.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game last season.
The 6-foot-10 forward tied for first on Florida State's roster in rebounding during the Seminoles' recent International Trip to Canada. Gainey's 6.0 rebounds per game tied with Mills for tops on the team despite the former only playing 15.7 minutes per game. In total, he averaged 8.7 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks over the three exhibitons. Gainey shot 64% from the field and 80% from the line.
There is a hope that Gainey will receive a hardship waiver to return for another season since he didn't play in 2020 due to COVID-19.
True freshmen, Cam Corhen and Baba Miller, will have to play bigger roles than originally expected with Gainey sidelined. Elsewhere, true freshman guard Chandler Jackson is also recovering from an injury but there's hope he'll return for the regular season.
Fellow true freshmen, De'Ante Green and Jeremiah Bembry, are expected to redshirt while working there way back from ailments suffered prior to arriving at Florida State.
The season hasn't even started and injuries are already piling up.
READ MORE: Florida State releases Depth Chart for North Carolina State Wolfpack
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