Sprained ankle will be evaluated
The University of Louisville men?s basketball team might have to face Connecticut without arguably its most indispensible player.
Gorgui Dieng?s availability for Monday night?s contest at the KFC Yum! Center will be a game-time decision. Dieng suffered a sprained right ankle in the second half of Saturday?s victory over Rutgers. The center returned to play most of the rest of the game but was limping noticeably.
Coach Rick Pitino acknowledged that it would be ?very difficult? for the Cardinals (18-5, 6-4 Big East) to beat UConn (15-7, 5-5) without Dieng. The sophomore is second on the team in minutes played (31.4 per game) and in total minutes (723). Dieng had eight points, seven blocked shots and four rebounds in 31 minutes Saturday. Three rebounds and three blocks came after his injury.
Dieng (10.2 points per game, 9.5 rebounds) sat out practice Sunday and will be re-evaluated today.
Pitino was not available for comment Sunday, but Saturday he was asked what the starting lineup would look like if the 6-foot-11 Dieng is unable to go. Pitino paused before saying he was inclined to go with 6-10 freshman Zach Price because of the Huskies? 6-10 freshman, Andre Drummond. Drummond had seven points and seven blocks in UConn?s 69-46 victory over Seton Hall on Saturday.
?I?ll say this ? and he?s not totally ready ? but I?m not afraid to put Zach in in crucial situations,? Pitino said.
Last week Pitino said he firmly believes that U of L would have won at home over Notre Dame last month if Dieng hadn?t been in foul trouble. The center played 27 minutes before fouling out in the 67-65 double-overtime setback to the Fighting Irish. Dieng also fouled out in losses to Georgetown and Marquette.
Now the Cardinals might have to survive an entire game without Dieng, who has started every game this season.
On Saturday, Price played in just his fourth Big East game and fared well in limited action (one rebound, one steal in five minutes). Price has played a total of 52 minutes this season and has never started.
Pitino said that his reluctance to play Price had to do with the center?s passing ability and that he doesn?t want the freshman to lose confidence. Price, however, said he?ll be ready if called upon.
?My confidence is building and building,? he said. ?I?m getting in the gym and working on my execution with passing. Gorgui is a great passer. I?m just learning from him. I feel like I can bring a lot of things but mostly defensive effort. I still feel that I can bring that large presence.?
Price?s best game this season was a six-point, five-rebound effort in 15 minutes against Fairleigh Dickinson in December. The five minutes he played Saturday were his most in Big East action. But Price?s role has increased in recent weeks because of Rakeem Buckles? season-ending knee injury.
Tonight?s challenge would be something completely different. UConn has a tradition of developing centers (Hilton Armstrong, Josh Boone, Hasheem Thabeet, Emeka Okafor, etc.), and Drummond looks like the next great one.
He is averaging 10.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots per game. He is third in the Big East in blocks behind Dieng (3.5) and Syracuse?s Fab Melo (3.0). With seven double-doubles, Drummond is one away from tying Okafor (2001-02) for the most double-doubles by a freshman under Jim Calhoun. He has already recorded three straight to become the first UConn freshman to have that many double-doubles in a row since Corny Thompson in the last five games of 1978-79.
U of L fans saw freshman Chane Behanan go 11 for 12 f12 against Holy Cross for 24 points in December.
UConn will play its second game without Calhoun, who is taking an indefinite leave of absence to deal with worsening spinal stenosis, a lower back condition. The Huskies will be coached by George Blaney, who guided the team when Calhoun was suspended by the NCAA for the first three Big East games because of recruiting violations.
U of L has won four straight, but could the Cardinals win without Dieng?
?If he?s not in, we?ll find a way,? senior Kyle Kuric said.
Said Behanan: ?Zach?s starting to step up. He?s been excellent in practice.?rom the field for a career-high 23 points against Rutgers. Drummond went 11 for
The University of Louisville men?s basketball team might have to face Connecticut without arguably its most indispensible player.
Gorgui Dieng?s availability for Monday night?s contest at the KFC Yum! Center will be a game-time decision. Dieng suffered a sprained right ankle in the second half of Saturday?s victory over Rutgers. The center returned to play most of the rest of the game but was limping noticeably.
Coach Rick Pitino acknowledged that it would be ?very difficult? for the Cardinals (18-5, 6-4 Big East) to beat UConn (15-7, 5-5) without Dieng. The sophomore is second on the team in minutes played (31.4 per game) and in total minutes (723). Dieng had eight points, seven blocked shots and four rebounds in 31 minutes Saturday. Three rebounds and three blocks came after his injury.
Dieng (10.2 points per game, 9.5 rebounds) sat out practice Sunday and will be re-evaluated today.
Pitino was not available for comment Sunday, but Saturday he was asked what the starting lineup would look like if the 6-foot-11 Dieng is unable to go. Pitino paused before saying he was inclined to go with 6-10 freshman Zach Price because of the Huskies? 6-10 freshman, Andre Drummond. Drummond had seven points and seven blocks in UConn?s 69-46 victory over Seton Hall on Saturday.
?I?ll say this ? and he?s not totally ready ? but I?m not afraid to put Zach in in crucial situations,? Pitino said.
Last week Pitino said he firmly believes that U of L would have won at home over Notre Dame last month if Dieng hadn?t been in foul trouble. The center played 27 minutes before fouling out in the 67-65 double-overtime setback to the Fighting Irish. Dieng also fouled out in losses to Georgetown and Marquette.
Now the Cardinals might have to survive an entire game without Dieng, who has started every game this season.
On Saturday, Price played in just his fourth Big East game and fared well in limited action (one rebound, one steal in five minutes). Price has played a total of 52 minutes this season and has never started.
Pitino said that his reluctance to play Price had to do with the center?s passing ability and that he doesn?t want the freshman to lose confidence. Price, however, said he?ll be ready if called upon.
?My confidence is building and building,? he said. ?I?m getting in the gym and working on my execution with passing. Gorgui is a great passer. I?m just learning from him. I feel like I can bring a lot of things but mostly defensive effort. I still feel that I can bring that large presence.?
Price?s best game this season was a six-point, five-rebound effort in 15 minutes against Fairleigh Dickinson in December. The five minutes he played Saturday were his most in Big East action. But Price?s role has increased in recent weeks because of Rakeem Buckles? season-ending knee injury.
Tonight?s challenge would be something completely different. UConn has a tradition of developing centers (Hilton Armstrong, Josh Boone, Hasheem Thabeet, Emeka Okafor, etc.), and Drummond looks like the next great one.
He is averaging 10.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots per game. He is third in the Big East in blocks behind Dieng (3.5) and Syracuse?s Fab Melo (3.0). With seven double-doubles, Drummond is one away from tying Okafor (2001-02) for the most double-doubles by a freshman under Jim Calhoun. He has already recorded three straight to become the first UConn freshman to have that many double-doubles in a row since Corny Thompson in the last five games of 1978-79.
U of L fans saw freshman Chane Behanan go 11 for 12 f12 against Holy Cross for 24 points in December.
UConn will play its second game without Calhoun, who is taking an indefinite leave of absence to deal with worsening spinal stenosis, a lower back condition. The Huskies will be coached by George Blaney, who guided the team when Calhoun was suspended by the NCAA for the first three Big East games because of recruiting violations.
U of L has won four straight, but could the Cardinals win without Dieng?
?If he?s not in, we?ll find a way,? senior Kyle Kuric said.
Said Behanan: ?Zach?s starting to step up. He?s been excellent in practice.?rom the field for a career-high 23 points against Rutgers. Drummond went 11 for
