Entries Tagged 'Injuries' ↓

UK Coach Billy Gillispie made it official on Friday when he said that big man Patrick Patterson will play on Saturday against Tennessee.

Patterson sat out the last two games after spraining his right ankle against Florida on Feb. 10.

In earlier comments, Gillispie noted the possibility that the time off might help Patterson recover from the finger injury he’s been hampered by for several weeks.

Apparently that’s the case because the UK coach said that Patterson had practiced without the finger being wrapped.

Arkansas Coach John Pelphrey just dropped a bombshell. He announced that point guard Courtney Fortson has been suspended indefinitely and will not play against Kentucky on Saturday.

Fortson has been the starting point guard all season. Earlier this season, he recorded a triple-double, which reflects his importance to the Razorbacks.

At his customary news conference called to discuss the upcoming game, Pelphrey refused to say why he suspended Fortson.

“I think we deserve a disciplined program,” Pelphrey said. “I think the coaching we’ve had, the players we’ve had, the success we’ve had, it’s just what I believe.”

Fortson, a 5-foot-11 freshman from Montgomery, Ala., is the Razorbacks’ second-leading scorer at 14.6 points per game. He leads the team in assists (6.5 per game), minutes (32.4 mpg), steals (28) and turnovers (95). He’s also second on the team in rebounds (5.3 rpg).

Fortson recorded his triple-double against North Carolina Central on Dec. 10. He had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in that game.

Perhaps reflecting what Fortson’s absence means, Arkansas’ next leading assist man is Stefan Welsh, with 49.

Pelphrey did not name a player to take over the point guard duties.

Arkansas Coach John Pelphrey, the former UK standout, expects Patrick Patterson to play when Kentucky plays the Razorbacks on Saturday.

Speaking on the SEC coaches’  teleconference, Pelphrey said he would prepare his team for Patterson. He also noted the big difference Patterson can make.

“Oh, I think he’s great,” Pelphrey said. (Listen to Pelphrey)

Pelphrey noted how fundamentally sound Patterson posts up on offense and the UK big man’s size, strength and athleticism.

Plus, Patterson puts those attributes to use. “His warrior-like approach to the game,” Pelphrey said. “Patterson is one of my favorite players in the league.”

Patterson turned his right ankle in the second half of Kentucky’s game against Florida on Tuesday.

During his turn on the teleconference, UK Coach Billy Gillispie said Patterson was continuing with treatment. The UK coach did not say whether Patterson would play at Arkansas.

Gillispie noted the importance of thinking long-range in determining when Patterson plays.

Let’s correct an error in the Kentucky-Florida game story. UK big man Patrick Patterson sprained his right ankle in the second half.

The injury occurred when Patterson blocked a shot by Kenny Kadji and came down on the Florida player’s foot.

X-rays were negative, meaning there was no damage to Patterson’s ankle beyond the sprain. After the game, UK said his status would be evaluated day by day.

By the way, UK confirmed that Patterson did not suffer the dreaded high ankle sprain, which takes longer to heal.

Patterson sustained an inversion ankle sprain, UK said.

UK doctors cleared Ramon Harris to play at Ole Miss, the school just announced.

Harris had a fainting spell at halftime at Alabama on Saturday.

Here’s the one-sentence UK release:

After undergoing extensive testing on Monday morning, Kentucky junior guard/forward Ramon Harris has been cleared for practice and the Ole Miss game on Tuesday.

Kentucky wing Ramon Harris attended the UK women’s game against LSU on Sunday. Besides watching the action, he also signed autographs.
That suggested no serious aftereffects from his fainting spell at halftime of Kentucky’s game at Alabama on Saturday.
The school issued a released on Sunday saying Harris had suffered “no further complications” from the incident. He did not participate in Sunday’s practice, UK said.
His status for Tuesday’s game at Ole Miss will be determined after Harris undergoes further testing on Monday, UK said.
His mother expected Harris to be available to play against the Rebels.
“I think he’s going to be fine for Tuesday,” Carmen Bowles said Sunday. “They didn’t tell us anything (to suggest otherwise).”
Bowles did not attend UK’s game at Alabama. She works every other Saturday, and last Saturday was a day on the job.
Harris’ mother said she watched the first half, then went back to work during halftime.
When she came back to the television for the second half, she learned something was wrong.
“All I heard was that there was a player who collapsed,” Bowles said. “After that, I was scanning the huddle. When (the announcers) use the word ‘collapse,’ it makes you think of something worse.
“Then I realized, oh, boy, that’s Ramon.”
Even while watching the first half, Harris’ mother sensed something was wrong. “I thought he was playing kind of odd,” she said. “You just know your kid and how he plays.”
Bowles was under the impression that “a bug or something” caused the fainting spell.
Of course, it wasn’t the first medical problem requiring hospitalization for Harris this season. He suffered a neck injury in a nasty head-to-head collision with teammate Michael Porter during the Lamar game on Dec. 3. Medical personnel had to carry Harris off the court on a stretcher.
“Oh my goodness,” Bowles said when reminded of the earlier incident. “I am just ready for them to play well and move on.”

Michael Porter has been battling a cold. And when teammate Donald Williams contracted strep throat, Kentucky coaches decided to isolate Porter to make sure he did not catch the illness.

As I sit near the end line and listen to Rocky Top for the first of many times, I see Porter and Williams warming up. So the assumption is both are available to play against Tennessee Tuesday night.

Walk-on Jarvis Walker, a younger brother of former Kentucky player Antoine Walker, has left the team, UK Coach Billy Gillispie said at a Friday news conference.

Walker faced a difficult challenge maintaining his academic eligibility and fell short, Gillispie said. Walker hopes to continue playing, probably at a NAIA school.

Back spasms put in doubt the status of Ramon Harris on Friday. Harris had to be helped off the court and couldn’t complete practice, Gillispie said. The spasms were unrelated to the injury Harris sustained in a head-to-head collision with teammate Michael Porter during the Lamar game, Gillispie said.

Kentucky plays Florida Atlantic on Saturday.

Gillispie spoke of how well the players returned to the task at hand after the Christmas break. “Probably better than any team that has come back, as far as intensity,” he said.

Gillispie noted how UK must improve, particularly in executing a half-court offense.

Ole Miss’s injury-riddled team suffered another blow when point guard Chris Warren sustained a season-ended knee injury on Thursday.

Ole Miss confirmed the loss in a news release.

Warren was one of the Southeastern Conference’s best point guards. Now the Rebels must soldier on. Earlier this season, Ole Miss lost two other guards to injury.

Here’s the news release:

The injury-riddled 2008-09 Ole Miss basketball season continued on Friday as the team learned that sophomore point guard Chris Warren will miss the remainder of the season after a Friday morning MRI revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. It also showed a minor MCL sprain, a medial meniscus tear and a lateral bone contusion.

Warren was injured on a layup attempt during the Rebels’ final offensive possession in a 77-68 loss to No. 9 Louisville in the SEC/BIG EAST Invitational Thursday night in Cincinnati. The Orlando, Fla., native scored 18 points with four assists and three steals before sitting out the final seconds of the game.

A preseason All-Southeastern Conference first team selection by league coaches, Warren is the third member of the Ole Miss backcourt to suffer a season-ending knee injury this year. Junior Eniel Polynice, the team’s most veteran returning starter, had surgery to repair extensive cartilage damage and loose fragments in his left knee on Nov. 18, while SEC All-Freshman pick Trevor Gaskins was lost with a torn ACL in his left knee a week prior to the season opener.

“We’re obviously very disappointed for Chris,” said Rebel head coach Andy Kennedy. “I feel terrible that he will be unable to finish this season. We’ve had an unfortunate rash of knee injuries through the early part of the season, but we will come together as a team and continue to push forward. To lose a special player like Chris, in addition to Trevor and E.P., certainly affects what we are able to do on the court, but we will continue to battle.”

Through 11 games, Warren has made up one-half of Ole Miss’ dynamic duo in the backcourt, ranking in the top five in the SEC in scoring at 19.6 points per game, just behind teammate David Huertas, who ranks second in the league with 20.9 points per contest. Warren tops the SEC in minutes per game (34.4) and also ranks among the league leaders in assists, steals and three-pointers per outing.

Last year, Warren set the Ole Miss record for three-pointers in a season with 103 and the Rebel freshman record for points scored with 554. He was a unanimous selection to the SEC All-Freshman team picked by the league coaches.

Remaining scholarship players in the Rebels’ backcourt, which was tabbed “Best in the SEC” by at least one preseason publication (Blue Ribbon Yearbook), include Huertas, sophomore Zach Graham and freshmen Will Bogan and Terrico White. Bogan has served as the back-up point guard to Warren through the first 11 games of the season.

Initial reports were promising that UK junior wing Ramon Harris was not seriously injured in a first-half collision with Michael Porter.

Harris, who left Rupp Arena on a stretcher, was alert and undergoing tests, UK spokesman DeWayne Peevy said at halftime. Harris had movement in all extremities, Peevy said.

Harris and Porter were injured when they collided head to head in a loose-ball situation. Harris remained on the floor for about eight minutes.

Porter needed 10 stitches to close a cut over his left eye.