Could things get any tougher for the Boise State men's basketball team?
Earlier in the season, guard Eric Lane was stabbed in the side and teammate Tezarray Banks was arrested and later released on suspicion of credit card theft.
Lane and Banks are back in the lineup. Now, star forward Jason Ellis is out 3-8 weeks after surgery for an abdominal hernia. Doctors are uncertain about when Ellis will return because the recovery period varies by individual.
Ellis, a 6-foot-7 senior forward, averaged 11.1 points and a team-leading 7.5 rebounds in 10 starts. He is 34 rebounds shy of becoming the school's all-time leader in that category.
"Jason's kind of our mainstay," Boise State coach Greg Graham said. "He's been a starter for four years. "It obviously took a big chunk out of us. Anytime you lose a piece that good, it hurts. It just makes some other guys have to jump into the fire." Post player Kenney Gainous, 6-8, was lost in December to a season-ending knee injury (ACL). Other than the 6-8 Banks, Boise State doesn't have a player taller than 6-7 in the regular rotation. Andrew Green, a 6-6, 267-pound freshman, has the most bulk.
And Boise State (6-6, 0-1 in the Western Athletic Conference) faces 6-8 Anthony Price of Tulsa tonight. Price is coming off a career-high 39 points in an overtime loss to Southern Methodist.
"The league is extremely big, everywhere," Graham said. "That's something we're going to have to battle all year."
Earlier in the season, guard Eric Lane was stabbed in the side and teammate Tezarray Banks was arrested and later released on suspicion of credit card theft.
Lane and Banks are back in the lineup. Now, star forward Jason Ellis is out 3-8 weeks after surgery for an abdominal hernia. Doctors are uncertain about when Ellis will return because the recovery period varies by individual.
Ellis, a 6-foot-7 senior forward, averaged 11.1 points and a team-leading 7.5 rebounds in 10 starts. He is 34 rebounds shy of becoming the school's all-time leader in that category.
"Jason's kind of our mainstay," Boise State coach Greg Graham said. "He's been a starter for four years. "It obviously took a big chunk out of us. Anytime you lose a piece that good, it hurts. It just makes some other guys have to jump into the fire." Post player Kenney Gainous, 6-8, was lost in December to a season-ending knee injury (ACL). Other than the 6-8 Banks, Boise State doesn't have a player taller than 6-7 in the regular rotation. Andrew Green, a 6-6, 267-pound freshman, has the most bulk.
And Boise State (6-6, 0-1 in the Western Athletic Conference) faces 6-8 Anthony Price of Tulsa tonight. Price is coming off a career-high 39 points in an overtime loss to Southern Methodist.
"The league is extremely big, everywhere," Graham said. "That's something we're going to have to battle all year."
