Early Season Injuries and Illnesses Taking a Toll
Third Edition: Update on the Bulldogs
Drake sources are telling me that Tucker DeVries has tendonitis and the team is being patient with his condition and calling it ‘day-to-day’. Garrett Sturtz sat out the exhibition just to be on the safe while dealing with a tender ankle. As noted below, the team is taking a cautious approach to Penn’s recovery from foot problems and they are doing the same with D.J. Wilkins and his recovery from ACL surgery. Coaching and medical staffs believe Penn and Wilkins are making great progress and none of the four seem ‘long term’.
(St. Louis, MO) – Injuries and illnesses are taking a toll on the post season hopes of the Missouri Valley Conference. A wide-open league needs some teams to build air-tight resumes in hopes the of the league earning multiple bids to the NCAA Tournament.
Current health concerns among some of the league’s top teams, makes that problematic. Several Valley squads have the right mix of high major and outstanding mid-major programs on their schedules, but several have had their chances of winning those games deeply damaged.
How long some of the league’s star players will be out is of major concern.
Roman Penn’s Lingering Injury
League favorite Drake has concerns about point guard Roman Penn’s ability to play. He has missed practices and recently has been called ‘week-to-week’ as his foot slowly recovers from the fractures of last season.
Penn is the Valley’s best point guard and enables his Bulldog teammates to perform at their highest level. How much or how effective he can be early in the season will be a key factor to the Bulldogs ability to cultivate a tournament-worthy NET ranking.
With or without Penn, Drake should be 2-0 heading into the Paradise Jam. A difficult field awaits and without the grad student running the show, the Virgin Islands could be unkind. A mid-December run against Richmond, Saint Louis and Mississippi State would be extremely difficult.
Keep an eye on Penn’s progress. The conference favorites need him in the lineup to boost their postseason chances.
Austin Phyfe’s On-Going Struggles
Northern Iowa big man Austin Phyfe is expected to be out until at least Christmas. After dealing with ‘long-term covid effects’ last season, he began to improve only to find out he had blood clots in his lungs.
The sixth-year senior went to Mayo Clinic to have them removed, but subsequent exams have found he’s not blood-clot free. He is taking blood thinners and beginning light work outs, but the type of physical contact that occurs in a college basketball game could be very dangerous.
At last check his next evaluation is around Christmas which means the 6’9 space eater will miss at least two Valley games and contests against Richmond and number 18 Virginia prior to the Hall of Fame Classic where they will face a good San Francisco team and then Wichita State or Grand Canyon. Outstanding competition like Toledo, South Florida and Saint Bonaventure will likely all face a Phyfe-less Panther team.
Bradley is Mast-less
Earlier this week, Bradley center Rienk Mast went down with a knee injury. Arguably the Valley’s best center will be out a rumored four-to-eight weeks. We ranked Bradley the second best MVC team because it possessed the league’s best frontcourt. Now that advantage is eliminated early and questionable late.
Bradley center Rienk Mast at practice today. Darius Hannah took over his 5 spot in the starting lineup. Mast has an MCL sprain in his right knee. He had an ACL tear in his left knee at age 17. pic.twitter.com/DkcpgNjPBY
— Dave Eminian (@icetimecleve) October 28, 2022
If we project a six-week absence that means Bradley and UNI would face one another on November 30th, each without their star big men. Mast would miss Bradley opportunities to play giant killer against Auburn and Arkansas. The Braves play in the Cancun Challenge and they face Eastern Michigan, Auburn and either Liberty or Northwestern. Those are huge opportunities for Bradley to make national news, but they will be without their star center.
Brian Wardle would love to have his big man back when the conference season opens in earnest on December 28, but that would still be less than eight weeks from the injury.
Breaking News! Tucker DeVries in a Boot
While we are waiting to hear more about preseason Player of the Year Tucker DeVries’ lower leg issue. He, Penn, Garrett Sturtz and D.J. Wilkins all sat out Drake’s Thursday exhibition game and DeVries was wearing a walking boot. More to come.
Out at the Knapp Center for the start of Drake’s season.
Here’s the deal, these athletes will not play tonight: D.J. Wilkins, Roman Penn, Garrett Sturtz, Tucker DeVries, Issa Samake.
This, for starters, isn’t great. pic.twitter.com/e942aM5fXf
— Alyssa Hertel (@AlyssaHertel) November 3, 2022
Do Good
Twitter Feed
As we near the closing of the portal window, we've reached 1900. Some of them never to play college basketball again, earn a college degree and some to play at a much lower level than they did last season.
I guess we'll be seeing this in a @RacersHoops uniform this year. Glad AJ is staying in the @ValleyHoops.
