Chris Singleton talks about his playing status

Florida State junior forward Chris Singleton on Wednesday spoke publicly for the first time since fracturing his foot in a Feb. 12 win over Virginia. Singleton's condition has improved, but his status for this week's Atlantic Coast Conference tournament is still uncertain.

Transcript of Wednesday interview with Singleton:

Q: Coach said there's no decision yet. Not sure if you'er going to play this week. Do you have any thoughts as to when you'll be back in the lineup?

A: There's no decision. It's all up to the doctor. It depends how my foot is feeling.

Q: Do you feel like you're physically ready to return?

A: I'm not 100 percent, so I can't really try to force myself out there.

Q: When will you know?

A: It depends on our doctor. He's got to observe everything. And when all the pain goes away, he'll clear me and I'll be out there.

Q: Are you still in pain?

A: Yeah.

Q: What will it be like for you between now and Friday night?

A: I've been spending a lot of time with trainer. I've been trying to (recover) as fast as possible. You've just got to do all the stuff you need to do. Ice it every day. Do everything possible, basically. That's what I'm trying to do.

Q: And when you're not on the court, you're still wearing the boot, right?

A: Yeah … It's all up to the doctor. Whatever he tells me to do.

Q: Have you ever had an injury like this before?

A: Yeah, I fractured my knee in the eighth grade.

Q: How tough have these last six games been for you?

A: I just feel like I could have contributed and we could've at least got a share of the ACC Championship. I know it would've been a different story if we had given North Carolina a loss and we'd have beaten Maryland. It would've been different.

Q: Have you been advocating for yourself, giving your input to doctors and trainers?

A: I can't really advocate myself because I can't put my team in jeopardy and I'm not trying to have a setback. Whenever I get 100 percent or when I feel like I'm fully ready and there wont be a setback at all, that's when I'll give my input.

Q: Obviously wins are more important than individual accolades, but do you feel like your absence may have cost you ACC Defensive Player of the Year or a spot on a higher All-ACC team?

A: I read some reports that say that, but I really can't tell you. I don't know how people voted. I don't know what they put into mind when they voted. If I was out there, maybe I could've said something or did something. I mean, I know if we would've won a couple more games, maybe that would've helped them change their minds or something. But that's their opinion.

Q: Is it tough to fight the urge to rush back given that the post-season is set to begin?

A: It really is. I mean, I have a problem with watching. Even when I'm playing, I don't like sitting on the bench because I feel like I can do more than what the average person does on the court. It's really tough. I just try to be a coach on the sidelines … I'm always involved. I probably tell (teammates) more than the coaches tell them. Since I know the game, I know how things are and I know how people act. You just know the people you're playing and I know, basically, everybody in the ACC so I can give my input and just go from there.

Q: Your season is going to continue past this weekend, possibly into next week's NCAA Tournament. Does that have any impact on what you'll do this week?

A: Just knowing there's a tomorrow - that impacts everybody's decision on what they do. That's the only thing I can say about that.

Q: When it first happened, did you think your season was over?

A: No. Because when I went to the back I was trying to convince the doc I could still play … I had never really heard of (the injury). I don't really look up injuries.

Q: Has the injury changed the way you see and approach the game?

Everyday I wake up and I feel like I'm ready, 100 percent, until I begin to walk (laughs). That's how I was at the beginning. I just felt like maybe this is all a dream. I mean, maybe this is over and when I wake up I'll be back playing. But it's not.

Q: Will you do anything different in terms of shoes or socks? Any extra padding?

A: I already wear double socks. I just feel like this was a freak accident. Maybe we'll take some precaution, put some extra tape on it, but as of right now I'm not planning on doing anything else.

Q: Have you tried to guard anyone yet? Can you move laterally on it?

A: I've been trying to do stuff on my own. I haven't had any contact. But I think I can move alright but it's not where I was because I'm still a little shaky on what I can do. I don't want to try to do something real quick and have a setback.

Q: How tough was it having to watch during that North Carolina game last week?

A: It was tough because I knew exactly what was going to happen. I didn't know how it was going to happen but I was telling them during the second half. I was like "Harrison Barnes has been quiet this whole half. This whole half he hasn't done anything." And he kept them in it the first half … I was telling everybody, "Watch, Harrison Barnes is going to decide this game." And as soon as they gave him the ball, I wish we could've called time out. I wish you could call timeout on defense or something (laughs). But I knew that was going happen. I knew he was going to have the ball in his hands.

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