Injuries

St. John's Mason Jr to Miss Rest of Season

Press Release — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 02:05:58 -0500

QUEENS, N.Y. - St. John's All-BIG EAST senior swingman Anthony Mason Jr. will miss the rest of the 2008-09 season, head men's basketball coach Norm Roberts announced on Friday night. Mason Jr. will undergo surgery to repair a torn peroneal tendon in his right foot.

"We are all disappointed and feel for Anthony," said Roberts. "This is an unfortunate situation, but it is part of the game. We believe that Mase will come back from this, a stronger player and a stronger person."

Mason Jr. suffered the injury during this week's NIT Season Tip-Off Opening Rounds and a MRI and ultrasound of the foot on Friday afternoon revealed the extent of the injury. John Kennedy, M.D., of the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan performed the examination on Friday. Last Tuesday Mason Jr. had received a MRI and ultrasound examination as well, both of which did not indicate a tear in the tendon.

Kennedy, who performed surgery on Mason Jr.'s left ankle in April 2008, will perform the corrective surgery on Mason Jr.'s foot, tentatively scheduled for Dec. 1, but it may be pushed back until after St. John's fall semester final exams. Rehabilitation from the surgery is expected to last approximately three months.

"I am obviously disappointed, but I am going to make the best of this situation," said Mason Jr. "I am going to look into getting my year back, and use the time to rehab and work on my game. I'll be with my teammates every step of the way this season, watch as our chemistry develops and have a good year, and look forward to an even better year next year."

Mason Jr. led the Red Storm in the NIT opening rounds earlier in the week, scoring 18.0 points per game across the two contests and making 44.4 percent of his field goals.

He averaged a team-best 14.0 ppg in 22 contests a season ago, and stepped up his production in BIG EAST contests by scoring 15.7 ppg. His ability to fill up the stat sheet did not go unnoticed, as he earned honorable mention All-BIG EAST honors and first team All-Met accolades from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA).

UNC's Tyler Zeller Out For the Season

Matthew Ryter — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:02:15 -0500

The Story: North Carolina Freshman Tyler Zeller is likely out for the season after fracturing his left wrist attempting a dunk in a win over Kentucky. Zeller underwent surgery at UNC Hospitals to repair his broken left radius and ulna. Dr. Don Bynum, who performed the surgery, deemed it as successful and expects Zeller to make a full recovery. The normal recovery time for this injury is 12 to 16 weeks. Coach Roy Williams called it "another big blow for our team." The Tarheels are also awaiting the return of Tyler Hansbrough, who hasn't played the first two games due to a stress fracture in his right shin, and Marcus Ginyard, with a stress fracture in his left foot. Zeller suffered the injury when he was fouled by Kentucky's Ramon Harris while attempting a breakaway dunk. He fell awkwardly on his left wrist and was immediately taken into the locker room. With Hansbrough and Zeller out due to injuries Deon Thompson and Ed Davis will start in the frontcourt for UNC.

Ryter's Block: Since Zeller's injury has occurred only two games into North Carolina's season, he will likely be allowed to redshirt this season. The Tarheels lose some depth in their frontcourt but it won't be a factor as the season plays out. Hansbrough, once he is 100 percent, will return to player of the year form, Deon Thompson seems as if he is playing with something to prove, and freshman Ed Davis has contributed nicely with 24 rebounds in two games. This team is still the best team in the country. There has been some debate on whether the foul by Ramon Harris was "dirty." After watching many replays of the encounter I saw that Harris was going for the ball and he had no intention of hurting Zeller. The Zeller family was looking forward to next week with the potential matchup of Notre Dame vs. UNC in Maui. Tyler's older brother, Luke, plays for the Irish.

Matthew Ryter keeps you up to date on the world of college basketball with his "Ryter's Block" column. What do you think about this story? Post your comments below:

Ole Miss G Eniel Polynice Out For Season

Press Release — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:17:13 -0500

OXFORD, Miss. ? The Ole Miss men's basketball team lost a key member of its backcourt for the second time in less than two weeks when the team learned Tuesday that starting junior guard Eniel Polynice will miss the remainder of the season following knee surgery.

Polynice had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday. The procedure was a follow-up to an initial injury at the end of last season, when he missed the Rebels' first-round NIT game against UC Santa Barbara.

"The surgery consisted of an articular cartilage transplant, removal of loose fragments and addressing a torn lateral meniscus," said surgeon William Geissler of the University of Mississippi Medical Center. "He will be in rehabilitation and out of play for the next four to six months."

In his third season as a member of the Rebels, Polynice was expected to be one of the primary pieces of a Rebel backcourt touted by at least one publication (Blue Ribbon Yearbook) as the best in the Southeastern Conference. The Sarasota, Fla., native averaged 10.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 34 games last year, including 31 starts. Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy has routinely called Polynice the team's best perimeter defender, as well.

"Anytime a team loses its most experienced player, there will obviously be adjustments that have to be made," said Kennedy. "I feel bad for EP because I know how hard he worked in preparing for his junior year. The season-ending surgery was necessary to ensure his future as an athlete. We will apply for a medical redshirt, which we feel confident he will get. His loss creates a great opportunity for our young players."

The news comes just 11 days after the team found out that sophomore guard Trevor Gaskins, an SEC All-Freshman pick a year ago, would be lost for the year after suffering an ACL tear in his left knee.

Five scholarship guards remain on the Rebels' roster, including Preseason All-SEC first team point guard Chris Warren, junior David Huertas, sophomore Zach Graham and freshmen Will Bogan and Terrico White.

Georgia Tech: De'Andre Bell Sidelined for Season

Press Release — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:44:32 -0400

ATLANTA – Georgia Tech senior D’Andre Bell will miss the 2008-09 season due to a congenital condition known as spinal stenosis, head coach Paul Hewitt announced Wednesday.

The 6-6 guard from Los Angeles, Calif., discovered the condition after he hit his head on a teammate’s leg diving for a loose ball during a conditioning workout on Oct. 10, and felt numbness in his extremities. Tuesday, Bell was examined by Dr. John Heller, a world-renowned spine surgeon at the Emory Orthopedic and Spine Center, and was told at that time he would not be able to continue to play basketball.

The stenosis is located in the cervical portion of Bell’s spine. Spinal stenosis is a condition in which the spinal canal narrows and compresses the spinal cord. Bell, who played in all 32 games last year and earned a reputation as a stout defender for the Yellow Jackets, will need surgery to correct the problem. The timetable for that has yet to be determined.

“It hurts not to be able to play,” said Bell, who would have been the team’s captain this season. “But I know God has a plan for me, and I need to do what is best for my future. My focus now will be on making sure I do what I need to do academically to finish up in the spring. I have to have the surgery whether I want to play again or not, so I probably will do that during winter break.”

Dr. John Xerogeanes, Georgia Tech’s team orthopedist, said, “It’s necessary for his quality of life, whether he plays basketball again or not, to have the surgery.”

A Management major, Bell is on track to graduate in four years in May. He averaged 6.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game last year, and has played in 88 games in three seasons for the Yellow Jackets.

Hewitt said, “We’re very disappointed for D’Andre. At the same time, however, he was fortunate to have caught this before something catastrophic happened on the court.”

--www.ramblinwreck.com--

NBA: Friday Report: Heat to Sign Livingston

Hoopsworld — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:44:14 -0400

By: Steve Kyler

Livingston Picks Miami: Yesterday HOOPSWORLD reported that Shaun Livingston will be signing a new deal with the Miami HEAT, he is expected to arrive in Miami this morning and sign a new deal sometime today. The move puts the HEAT over the NBA maximum 20 man training camp roster, which means Miami will be cutting someone loose almost immediately. The HEAT are also expected to try and move a guaranteed contract in trade to create some breathing room under the luxury tax threshold. The HEAT have until the NBA trade deadline before they have to deal with this issue so there is plenty of time. It's expected that Daequan Cook may be the odd man out, although printed reports have suggested that recently re-signed Dorrell Wright could return more value to Miami in terms of future draft picks. After signing a new contract this summer he cannot be traded for 90 days, which is mid-December. Daequan is scheduled to earn $1.27 million this year and a team option next year worth $1.36 million. Dorrell Wright recently signed a two-year deal paying him roughly $2.61 million this season and $2.88 million next season. Joel Anthony, Matt Walsh, David Padgett and Jason Richards were all camp invites and one or more of them could be released today.

Amare Injures Eye: Suns' All-Star Amare Stoudemire could be sporting new protective eyewear this season after getting a severely "poked" eye in Suns training camp this week. Amare's "nose to the basket" style makes him more prone to getting poked in the face, and Suns trainers have urged him to consider playing with protective goggles to help avoid this recurring issue. Amare is expected to miss the Sun's intra-squad scrimmage but is expected to be ready for the first pre-season game Wednesday versus Atlanta.

Jefferies Breaks His Leg: New York Knicks' forward Jared Jefferies has broken his left fibula and is expected to miss 8 to 10 weeks. Jeffries landed awkwardly while running during a Knicks training camp scrimmage. Jefferies complained of pain in the leg which was originally thought to be a strained calf. The severity of the injury was determined by X-Ray after the workout was over. Jefferies was one of the players Mike D'Antoni was most impressed with in camp, likely paving the way for a larger role for Jefferies in the new-look Knicks offense. The Knicks will also be without Eddy Curry, still recovering from a bacterial infection, and Danilo Gallinari, who is still receiving treatment for a bulging disc in his back. The Knicks open pre-season play next Wednesday at Toronto.

Stan Not Happy With Cook: Stan Van Gundy made a few things clear as the Magic begin the last few days of training camp. Stan plans to use a tight 10-man rotation and unless forward Brian Cook gets his conditioning right, he may not be part of the plan. Stan was candid with the Orlando Sentinel. "His conditioning hasn't been as improved as we would like," he said. "If his conditioning does improve, he'll play well. But he didn't spend as much time on his conditioning as a lot of the other guys and it has hurt him out here competing. But it's not a major issue; Brian's just not in as good as shape as he could have been or should have been… It puts him at a disadvantage." Cook was acquired in trade last year from the Lakers, and immediately fell out of favor due to conditioning. That does not seem to have changed.

Eric Devendorf Gets Extra Year of Eligibility

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:14:15 -0400

Syracuse shooting guard Eric Devendorf has received an extra year of athletic eligibility. Devendorf will count as a junior for athletic purposes, even though this is his fourth year academically.

He tore is ACL last December against ETSU, and then missed the final 25 of Syracuse's 35 game schedule. In the 10 games played, the sharp-shooter out of Bay City, MI averaged 17 ppg.

USC's Marcus Simmons to Miss 8-12 Weeks

Press Release — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:30:16 -0400

LOS ANGELES - USC sophomore guard Marcus Simmons is expected to miss 8-12 weeks of action following surgery to remove additional bone growth in his left leg due to complications from an ankle injury last season, announced USC head basketball coach Tim Floyd today (Sept. 19).

Simmons, who was limited to parts of 15 games in 2007-08 due to sustaining a high ankle sprain on the first day of practice, had surgery on Tuesday to remove additional bone growth between the tibia and fibula as a result of the trauma of his past injuries to the left ankle. The surgery was performed by Dr. David Thordarson at USC Hospital.

Simmons appeared in a total of 101 minutes over 15 games as a USC freshman, scoring eight points and grabbing 23 rebounds. As a senior in high school, Simmons averaged 18.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in leading Peabody High of Alexandria, La. to a 37-4 record and the 4-A Louisiana state championship.

Pitt's Mike Cook Denied Extra Year of Eligibility

Press Release — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:00:42 -0400

PITTSBURGH(AP) The NCAA rejected Pittsburgh forward Mike Cook's request for an extra year of eligibility on Wednesday. His senior season was cut short by a knee injury.

Cook played 11 games before injuring his knee Dec. 20 during overtime of a 65-64 win over Duke.

Under NCAA rules, an extra year of eligibility is possible if the athlete plays 30 percent or fewer of the team's games. Cook played 11 of 32 games - or 34 percent.

He averaged 10.4 points last season. Pitt was 40-8 with Cook as a starter.

``Situations like this are hard to take when you know how dedicated Mike's life has been to playing basketball,'' coach Jamie Dixon said in a statement.

Cook transferred from East Carolina after the 2004-05 season and sat out the 2005-06 season because of NCAA transfer rules. He graduated with a degree in communications last spring.

Illinois State's Sampay Undergoes Surgery

Press Release — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:53:18 -0400

NORMAL, Ill. - Illinois State senior forward Brandon Sampay underwent surgery Monday to repair a congenital condition in his left hip, and as a result, will be sidelined for four-to-five months. Sampay's surgery went well, and he has already begun the rehabilitation process.

"We feel very badly for Brandon, as he finished last season so strongly and has had a tremendous attitude, work ethic and desire to have a great senior season," said head basketball coach Tim Jankovich. "This will definitely set him back, but we're hopeful and optimistic that he will have a full recovery and still be able to maintain the momentum that he was enjoying."

Sampay averaged 4.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per game last season, while seeing action in 31 contests. In addition to losing the 6-foot-8 Sampay for the early part of the season, the Redbirds' Bobby Hill, another forward, is currently rehabbing following his knee surgery.

"Obviously this surgery, along with Bobby's ACL surgery, is a big blow and setback to our team, particularly in the early part of the season," said Jankovich. "We will have many more challenges than normal because of this, and yet, I'm still optimistic that in the long run, we could become an outstanding team."

Georgia Tech's Dickey Taking Red-Shirt

Press Release — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:54:34 -0500

ATLANTA - Ra'Sean Dickey, a senior center for Georgia Tech's men's basketball team, has decided to red-shirt the 2007-08 season.

The 6-10, 250-pound Dickey, who has missed the first eight games of the season due to academic ineligibility, also has been forced to miss considerable practice time because of acute tendonitis in his right knee and is not yet able to play.

"Ra'Sean is just not healthy, he's experiencing severe tendonitis in one knee and also has problems in his other knee from a past injury," said head coach Paul Hewitt. "It is in his best interest at this point to get healthy, and he is assured of graduating in the spring of 2009 if he continues on his current schedule academically.

"He has missed several practices in the fall and had to pull out of a practice as early as Sunday because of his knee problems. So we've decided it is in his best interest to red-shirt."

Dickey, from Clio, S.C., has averaged 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in his three seasons at Tech, and has made 60.1 percent of his field goals. He averaged 5.1 points as a freshman, 13.2 as a sophomore, and 8.1 last year.

"I've decided that it's best for me to stay on my present course, concentrate on my academics and do everything I can to get healthy so, hopefully, I can play another season and get my degree," said Dickey, who majors in Management.