Missouri basketball forward Mark Mitchell ruled out vs Florida with right knee injury

NASHVILLE, Tenn.

Missouri basketball forward Mark Mitchell will not play in the Tigers SEC Tournament quarterfinals matchup against Florida on Friday night at Bridgestone Arena, the team confirmed in a statement shortly before the game.Student-athlete health is our top priority at Mizzou, Missouri coach Dennis Gates said in a statement.

I have elected to not play Mark tonight in order to prevent any further injury and allow his knee to fully recover and be 100 percent.

He had a great walkthrough and workout earlier today, and we look forward to him helping us during the rest of the postseason.Mitchell left the court in the first half of MUs win over 10-seed Mississippi State in the second round of the conference tournament, and a team spokesperson confirmed to the Tribune early in the second half that the forward would not return.The Kansas City, Kansas, native leads Missouri (22-10) in scoring this season with 14.1 points per game.Mitchell went through warmups with Missouri after being listed as a game-time decision on the final pregame availability report and appeared to be relatively active.

He participated in layup lines and took multiple shots from 3-point range.The Tigers have opted not to play him against Florida.

Center Josh Gray will take Mitchells place in the starting lineup.No.

7 seed Mizzou and 2-seed Florida are scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m.

Friday at Bridgestone Arena.

More: Missouri basketball vs Florida score today: Live updates, game highlights, how to watchMore: Missouri basketball vs Florida: Scouting report, score prediction for SEC Tournament gameMissouri also has the NCAA Tournament to think about when it comes to Mitchells health, as he figures to play an important role in any potential run the Tigers might make.This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri basketball forward Mark Mitchell out vs Florida with injury.

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