With one road game left, Mountaineers moving closer to full strength
Left in a foul mood, Appalachian State did receive better production from its fifth starter.
And the original starter in that spot is closer to returning.
App State (8-17, 3-11 Sun Belt) plays its final regular-season road game Monday night at Troy (15-12, 7-6). The Mountaineers were called for 32 fouls in an 87-74 loss at South Alabama on Saturday night, but VMI transfer Craig Hinton made his fifth straight start a strong one, as he tied for the team lead with 13 points.
Appalachian used the same starting lineup for its first 15 games, but a knee injury to freshman point guard Kelvin Robinson forced coach Jim Fox to shuffle his lineup, with 6-foot-5 guard Jake Babic starting the next five games before giving way to Hinton.
Robinson, who was only a few weeks into his recovery when he was suspended from the team in late January, returned to practice last week and dressed out Saturday night. He's missed 10 straight games, including six since being suspended.
?He?s getting better,? Fox said. ?He?s close right now, so hopefully it?s sooner rather than later.?
Hinton had a 10-point, 10-rebound debut as a starter, but he totaled eight points and five rebounds over the next three games, two of which were App State victories. In Babic?s five starts, he had an 11-point game and four scoreless outings.
Ronshad Shabazz and Emarius Logan have handled the ball more since the injury to Robinson, who is a physically strong perimeter defender.
Riding a three-game winning streak, Troy is led by double-figure scorers Jordon Varnado (16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds as a 6-6 wing), 6-3 guard Wesley Person (14.3 points, 71 of 180 on 3s) and 6-3 sixth man Jeremy Hollimon (12.1). The Trojans average 80.6 points per game.
Person?s father, also named Wesley, played at Auburn before making the NBA. Varnado?s brother, Jarvis, was a standout at Mississippi State.
Left in a foul mood, Appalachian State did receive better production from its fifth starter.
And the original starter in that spot is closer to returning.
App State (8-17, 3-11 Sun Belt) plays its final regular-season road game Monday night at Troy (15-12, 7-6). The Mountaineers were called for 32 fouls in an 87-74 loss at South Alabama on Saturday night, but VMI transfer Craig Hinton made his fifth straight start a strong one, as he tied for the team lead with 13 points.
Appalachian used the same starting lineup for its first 15 games, but a knee injury to freshman point guard Kelvin Robinson forced coach Jim Fox to shuffle his lineup, with 6-foot-5 guard Jake Babic starting the next five games before giving way to Hinton.
Robinson, who was only a few weeks into his recovery when he was suspended from the team in late January, returned to practice last week and dressed out Saturday night. He's missed 10 straight games, including six since being suspended.
?He?s getting better,? Fox said. ?He?s close right now, so hopefully it?s sooner rather than later.?
Hinton had a 10-point, 10-rebound debut as a starter, but he totaled eight points and five rebounds over the next three games, two of which were App State victories. In Babic?s five starts, he had an 11-point game and four scoreless outings.
Ronshad Shabazz and Emarius Logan have handled the ball more since the injury to Robinson, who is a physically strong perimeter defender.
Riding a three-game winning streak, Troy is led by double-figure scorers Jordon Varnado (16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds as a 6-6 wing), 6-3 guard Wesley Person (14.3 points, 71 of 180 on 3s) and 6-3 sixth man Jeremy Hollimon (12.1). The Trojans average 80.6 points per game.
Person?s father, also named Wesley, played at Auburn before making the NBA. Varnado?s brother, Jarvis, was a standout at Mississippi State.
