In a radio interview this morning on 1510 WAUK in Milwaukee, Tom Crean confirmed that freshman PF Trevor Mbakwe suffered a knee injury that will require surgery. Mbakwe will miss the entire 2007-2008 season.Mbakwe was expected to be a major contributor in the MU frontcourt this season. Absent Mbakwe's athleticism, Tom Crean will be forced to rely more on junior PF Dwight Burke, who has been ineffective in his first two seasons. Also, this means that Crean will likely have to play Lazar Hayward at the true PF slot more than expected, and freshman PF Pat Hazel. should see more time.
Check out the info on MUScoop.
Here's the audio of the interview from 1510AM
Rosiak blogs.
The official MU release.
What a stomach punch on a Friday morning. Oh well, nothing you can do now but hope Burke brings some toughness this year. And as for minutes for Fitzgerald, I think he'll have them now.
ReplyDeleteI guess the only optimistic point of this would be that our 2008/2009 recruiting class just got a ton stronger, what with Mbakwe basically being a freshman next year now.
nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!
ReplyDeleteAcker can be more effective at PF than Burke, this sucks.
USA Today came out with their Coaches' poll, which ranks Marquette at No. 12. More ominously, though, Sagarin gives us a preseason RPI of 46. I'm a little worried that high expectations may dog this year's team.
ReplyDeleteRemember, though. RPI vs. rankings is a big difference. The ranking of #12 is based on a popularity contest of where people think the team is at.
ReplyDeleteThe RPI rates where the team actually is based on the strength of their schedule and their opponents. I wouldn't put any stock at all into the RPI yet. Not at least until January. It won't be until then that you know how good teams are starting to look
Crean needs to tone down those practice sessions. Can we please have one season where a player doesn't get injured during practice. In the great words of Allen Iverson, "Its practice man, were talkin' about practice!"
ReplyDeleteInjuries happen in practice (basketball is a very rigorous sport, especially at this high level), and it sounds like this play was just as freakish as McNeal's thumb injury last season. Also, I think a lot of the reason Mbakwe probably needed the surgery was due to a pre-existing condition. It sucks that this happened, but there would be no legitimate blame to pass on anyone. Of course, that has never stopped the haters in the past or will in the future.
ReplyDeleteInjuries may happen, but I don't like the trend since Crean started. Diener's hand, McNeal and Matthews concusions, now this. There is something to be said that the team is run down at the end of the year also. Besides 2003, every year we limp into and out of the post season.
ReplyDeletewell now he'll be able to be with his child (born in a few months!)
ReplyDelete