NCAA Basketball: Injury Report (Parker Jackson-Cartwright down for the 'Cats)
Nov 30, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; USC Trojans forward Bennie Boatwright (L) lays on the court after being injured against the San Diego Toreros during the first half at Jenny Craig Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Catch up on the latest injury updates before this weekend’s NCAA basketball games.
The college basketball season is only into the second day of December, but we have already seen significant injuries make their way throughout the nation.
Ben Carter is out for the season for Michigan State, while Gavin Schilling also suffered a knee injury and may not return until late in the year, if at all. Miles Bridges is now out at least two weeks with an ankle injury. Marques Bolden, Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum haven’t played yet for Duke. Ray Smith tore his ACL for the third time in three years for Arizona. And Cal’s Kameron Rooks suffered a recent knee injury that will keep him out 4-to-6 weeks.
These are just some of the injuries that have had a significant impact on certain programs across the country.
Obviously, teams, coaches and players want to avoid injuries at all costs. However, it doesn’t always work like that. Some rosters will get ravaged by them, while others will be pristine clean.
But just take Duke for example. Right now, the Blue Devils are playing just six guys because their three top freshman cannot get off the sideline. And even Grayson Allen is playing at less than 100 percent.
This is why it’s important to look at the key injuries in college hoops every week. This week, we will start with five updates.
Nov 22, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Northwestern Wildcats center Dererk Pardon (5) grabs a rebound against Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Martinas Geben (23) during the first half of the championship game of the Legends Classic at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dererk Pardon out at least three weeks
The Northwestern Wildcats have jumped out to a excellent start this season. They are currently 5-2 overall with their only losses coming against two undefeated teams, Butler and Notre Dame. Meanwhile, defeating Texas at a neutral site (Barclays Center) and an ACC team in Wake Forest is helpful at this point in the 2016-17 season.
But now the Wildcats have to deal with a bout of adversity. Their leading rebounder, Dererk Pardon, is out at least three weeks after having hand surgery earlier this week. Pardon fractured his non-shooting hand, so he could return quicker than expected depending on the healing process.
While Pardon is rather quiet on the offensive end of the floor (6.9 points per game), he is still the team’s fifth leading scorer, is the starting center and doesn’t need the ball in his hands to put the ball in the basket. Pardon is also shooting 58 percent from the field and only turns the ball over 0.4 times per game.
His real impact comes on the glass and the defensive end. The sophomore is averaging 7.0 rebounds and is blocking 2.6 shots per game, which is tied for 28th in the nation.
The good news for Northwestern is they don’t exactly have a loaded upcoming schedule. Their stiffest tests over the next three weeks are against DePaul and Dayton. The Blue Demons haven’t impressed thus far this year and the Flyers are undersized.
If the Wildcats can get Pardon back for conference play, they will be pleased and could be set to make a run into their first NCAA Tournament ever. For now, it’s time for Sanjay Lumpkin, Gavin Skelly and Nathan Taphorn to provide more production.
Dec 1, 2016; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Quinndary Weatherspoon (11) brings the ball up court against Oregon State Beavers guard Stephen Thompson Jr. (1) during the second half at Humphrey Coliseum. Mississippi State Bulldogs defeat the Oregon State Beavers 74-57. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
Quinndary Weatherspoon is…back…?
Remember when Mississippi State announced that sophomore guard Quinndary Weatherspoon was set to miss the entire 2016-17 season?
Yea, that was so last week.
Last night, Weatherspoon shockingly returned to the court and played with a tore ligament in his non-shooting hand.
Quinndary Weatherspoon is warming up in game shorts. I'm told he is going to try to play tonight. pic.twitter.com/WoyhlfaiFr
— Michael Bonner (@MikeBBonner) December 2, 2016
Weatherspoon wasn’t just active for the game, he played outstanding. The sophomore guard dropped 21 points on 6-of-7 shooting, grabbed four rebounds and snagged four steals in a Bulldogs double digit win over Oregon State.
If Weatherspoon truly is going to tough this injury out for the remainder of the season that is huge news for the Bulldogs. They aren’t an NCAA Tournament team with or without him in the lineup. However, if Weatherspoon plays, they won’t have to put too much burden on their freshman. Also, Weatherspoon can continue to develop his game to a certain extent (obviously there will be limitations with a torn hand ligament).
Weatherspoon is one of the best players in the SEC. He is currently averaging 19.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, while shooting 52 percent and 45 percent from three. Ben Howland has to be happy to have his All-SEC performer back in the fold.
Nov 30, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; USC Trojans forward Bennie Boatwright (25) dribbles the ball as San Diego Toreros forward Juwan Gray (12) defends during the first half at Jenny Craig Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Bennie Boatwright out six weeks due to a sprained knee
One of USC’s top big men and their fourth leading scorer, Bennie Boatwright will be out approximately six weeks. The sophomore forward has a Grade 2 MCL sprain and the injury will not require surgery.
Boatwright is one of six Trojans who are averaging double figures in points (10.8 per game) so far this season. On top of his scoring ability, Boatwright is recording 4.0 rebounds, dishing out 1.2 assists and is shooting 35 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc.
The Trojans rely on balance and their point guard Jordan McLaughlin, however, this is still a major loss for Andy Enfield and company.
Why? They are not deep up front.
Chimezie Metu is scoring 12 points per game and is the team’s leading rebounder and shot blocker, but they don’t have much talent beyond him. Nick Rakocevic has given Enfield a lift off the bench, but he still is a freshman that hasn’t scratched the surface of his abilities yet.
Due to his length, the Trojans could opt to move Shaqquan Aaron around. But would that really be beneficial for the rest of the roster? That would make USC ultra-small and while it could create match-up problems, it also presents issues defensively.
USC (7-0) already has quality wins over SMU and Texas A&M. Beyond their upcoming game against BYU, the Trojans don’t have any tests before conference play tips off at the end of the month. They very well could be undefeated heading into the New Year.
Mar 25, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward OG Anunoby (3) and North Carolina Tar Heels forward Brice Johnson (11) go after a loose ball during the first half in a semifinal game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
OG Anunoby “out indefinitely”
Collin Hartman is out indefinitely with a knee injury. James Blackmon Jr. missed a game due to a knee injury. And now, OG Anunoby is battling an ankle injury.
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Anunoby had a game ending dunk in Indiana’s win over North Carolina at Assembly Hall, but collapsed to the ground after landing on his ankle wrong. It looked serious at first, as he was in major pain and did not return to the game (although the injury happened in the final seconds).
The sophomore forward will definitely miss Indiana’s next two games against SIU Edwardsville on Friday and Southeast Missouri on Sunday. The Hoosiers do not face another challenging opponent until they play Butler at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
While Anunoby is one of the team’s most important players, they can afford to give him some time off to recover for the time being.
Anunoby has recorded a solid stat line so far this season. He is averaging 12.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.5 blocks and 0.8 steals per game, while shooting 57 percent from the field and 38 percent from three.
He is the anchor of Indiana’s defensive scheme due to his versatility, length, athleticism, lateral quickness and quick hands. He allows the Hoosiers to switch a lot of pick-and-rolls and also helps ignite their transition attack. Anunoby is a good rebounder, a slasher and a solid three point shooter on offense. He’s a bit raw on that end of the floor at this stage in his career, but he makes up 1/3 of Indiana’s “Big Three.”
Nov 18, 2016; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Lauri Markkanen (10) and Arizona Wildcats guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright (0) celebrate after scoring against the Sacred Heart Pioneers during the second half at McKale Center. Arizona won 95-65. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
Parker Jackson-Cartwright out for a “substantial amount of time”
OG Anunoby is the best player on this list, but Parker Jackson-Cartwright is the most important.
Arizona is in the midst of serious roster upheaval, and now they will be without their starting point guard for a “substantial amount of time” due to an ankle injury.
Beyond Lauri Markkanen, Arizona’s most consistent player has been Jackson-Cartwright. He isn’t flashy and doesn’t score at the level of Kobi Simmons, but he can distribute the ball, initiate the offense successfully and is a veteran in Sean Miller’s system.
Through seven games, Jackson-Cartwright is averaging 8.0 points, 5.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game. He only averages 1.6 turnovers per outing and is shooting 38 percent from the field overall.
He doesn’t have great size (5’11”), but he is pesky on defense and confident on offense.
Most importantly, Arizona is only down to seven scholarship players. With Allonzo Trier’s eligibility issues up in the air and Ray Smith retiring due to a torn ACL, the Wildcats are battling to find capable bodies.
It’s now up to Simmons, Kadeem Allen and Rawle Alkins to man the backcourt and play significant minutes. The Wildcats are not one of the favorites to win the Pac-12 with this roster.
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