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Post by Sixth Man on Jan 22, 2009 7:06:55 GMT -5
Duggins' finger sidelines him for seasonBy Marc Katz Staff Writer Thursday, January 22, 2009 FAIRBORN — Wright State basketball coach Brad Brownell received the call he was expecting but didn't want to take. It came late Wednesday, Jan. 21, when All-Horizon League junior guard Vaughn Duggins told Brownell he would take a medical redshirt and not play anymore this season after breaking his right ring finger on Thanksgiving Day. Because he has played in only four games, Duggins should receive a fifth year of eligibility from the NCAA should he want it after next season. "We had been going over reasons why he might and might not play," Brownell said. "He didn't want to let his teammates down. He wanted to play with (seniors) Will (Graham) and Gavin (Horne). "But he didn't feel right. He still doesn't have complete range of motion. The doctor told him it would take three months for him to be completely healthy. It was mostly his decision." Duggins wanted to return this season, but he has already missed 14 games and wasn't ready to play against visiting Loyola (Chicago) tonight or Illinois-Chicago on Saturday. The Raiders also have adjusted without him, winning 10 of their last 12 games. "It has a little bit to do with not being myself," Duggins said of the decision. "I live for today, but I want to play basketball as a career. This decision will be the best for me." Duggins, a 6-foot-3 guard from Pendleton, Ind., made the all-league newcomer team as a freshman in 2007, averaging 9.0 points while starting 32 of 33 games. Last season, averaging 13.8 points as a starter in every game, he was the only sophomore selected first-team all-league. He was again projected as one of the Horizon's top-five players this season, and scored 31 points over the Raiders' first three games, all losses. Before the fourth game, at Sam Houston State, Duggins "sprained" his finger in practice. With the swelling down, Duggins played with his finger taped, scoring 16, although the Raiders lost. His finger was X-rayed as a precaution, and the break was found. Two pins were inserted into the finger Dec. 3, and four weeks later he was cleared for limited practice. "To have an all-conference body in the lineup, it would be a shot in the arm for us," Brownell said. "But he's not going to be 100 percent right now. He's not going to be Vaughn Duggins." www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2009/01/22/ddn012209spwsubb.html
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Post by rock70 on Jan 22, 2009 8:17:56 GMT -5
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Post by riceownz2 on Jan 22, 2009 9:47:21 GMT -5
Like you rock70 I am not suprised but its hurts mentally. Thinking we could get VD back and make a tourny push had my hopes up. My hopes are still up because we have been playing really good bball lately, and Todd has stepped his game up. Well lets hope VD comes back next year better then ever
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Post by nybuckeye on Jan 22, 2009 10:18:29 GMT -5
Well, lets hope .... we can still find a way to get one of the top two seats in this year tournament without Vaughn. I hope we can get one of the top two seeds and if we do my friend and I will be sitting in two seats for the home game. ;D
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Post by Doliboabros on Jan 22, 2009 19:12:20 GMT -5
Duggins decision helps WSUBy Marc Katz Thursday, January 22, 2009 FAIRBORN — Is Wright State a better basketball team if Vaughn Duggins decides today to rethink his Wednesday night decision to take a medical redshirt this season because of his broken finger? Absolutely. But in the long run, is WSU better off? Same answer. Absolutely. As much as it hurts the Raiders not to have their best scorer, best defender, best player, in the lineup, look what it does for several others who are playing in his place. John David Gardner has emerged as a go-to guy. N’Gai Evans is getting minutes he’d never see if Duggins were able to play. Troy Tabler has played more valuable minutes. Even Todd Brown has been able to work his way out of an early-season slump because he has had to play. Even Scott Grote has logged time at guard, and has learned from the experience. Some of these players are playing well now because of what happened last season — none moreso than Evans, who was headed to a redshirt year when injuries forced him into the lineup. The more you play, the better you are. Which brings us back to Duggins. There are only two seniors on this year’s team — Will Graham and Gavin Horne. Graham is a starter and Horne a valuable reserve, but that’s not much to lose. Since everyone else is playing, that means a wealth of experience is returning — plus Duggins. Now, if you were to tell me the return of Duggins this season would assure the Raiders would win the Horizon League tournament and an automatic bid to the NCAA, I’d say, come back, son. Now. But in this league, nothing’s for certain. Winning the tournament is not a lock for any team, even Butler. Had Duggins played in the last 14 games, the Raiders would be better and maybe would look stronger for the tournament. But Gardner, Evans and Tabler wouldn’t be where they are, either. Wright State will have a winning record this season, and may even reach the coveted 20-win mark. But next year, with Duggins healthy and a more experience group around him, look for the Raiders to be better than ever. That’s a spin Raiders fans should be able to embrace. www.daytondailynews.com/o/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/wrightstatesports/
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Post by Sixth Man on Jan 26, 2009 16:40:14 GMT -5
Gardner undergoes testsBy Marc Katz Monday, January 26, 2009 FAIRBORN — Junior guard John David Gardner underwent an MRI exam of his right hip this morning to see if there is any structural damage or if he’s just experiencing a pulled muscle or some other type of injury. Gardner, who has become the team’s leading scorer and assist man as well as its best defender, came out of the Raiders’ game with Loyola on Thursday with more than seven minutes to play. He had had trouble with his hip to the point where he doesn’t practice every day, but in games, he plays as if nothing is wrong. Results are expected to be available sometime Tuesday. When he felt something wrong against Loyola, he limped off the court and looked questionable for Saturday’s game against UIC, but played anyway, for the first seven minutes. Then, he was taken out and given the rest of the night off as the Raiders won. Today, coach Brad Brownell said he couldn’t say if Gardner will play Thursday in Youngstown or Saturday at Cleveland State. “I don’t know,” Brownell said. “I’m just going to do what most of the people (doctors and trainers) tell me to do. I will think about sitting him down this week.” Gardner was at practice today, but dressed in sweats and not in his practice gear. He mostly stood on the sideline and watched. www.daytondailynews.com/o/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/wrightstatesports/
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Post by Doliboabros on Jan 27, 2009 19:25:54 GMT -5
Gardner’s MRI normal, but how much can he play?By Marc Katz Tuesday, January 27, 2009 FAIRBORN — Okay, the good news at the top. Junior guard John David Gardner’s right hip MRI came back this morning as normal. That means there’s nothing torn or so strained in there he can’t play another game of basketball this season. How much can he play? That remains to be seen. “He has the potential to play Thursday (at Youngstown State),” athletics trainer Jason Franklin said. It is Franklin, as much as anyone, who is keeping Gardner in the lineup. Gardner has had several foot and hip problems over the past four years, back to the time he originally signed on with North Carolina-Wilmington. It appeared he would be okay to play this season, but as a precaution — especially after Gardner became a starter early in the season — coach Brad Brownell keeps him out of the more demanding practice drills. Gardner plays, sees Franklin almost every morning and almost every late afternoon, and does what he can in practice in between. Gardner says there is hardly a day where he doesn’t have some kind of pain. He just plays through it. Only last Thursday, with a little more than seven minutes to go against Loyola, he couldn’t, and limped off the court. Franklin worked his magic and Gardner started the next game, Saturday, against UIC, playing a little more than seven minutes. On a team where there might not have been anybody to replace him, maybe he would have played more. Only this team has N’gai Evans and Troy Tabler waiting for playing time, and even Gardner’s defensive prowess wasn’t needed as much in the 57-31 demolishing of the Flames. He’ll be needed as the season progresses, only Brownell probably won’t know until each game time how much Gardner can play. That MRI means Gardner won’t have to be held out. That is says there is nothing major wrong doesn’t mean he won’t have pain. When you stub your toe, there may be nothing wrong with it, but, you know, it hurts. It’s up to Gardner how much pain he can sustain. It’s up to Brownell how well Gardner is playing — without much practice — to stay in the lineup. www.daytondailynews.com/o/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/wrightstatesports/entries/2009/01/27/gardners_mri_normal_but_how_mu.html
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Post by Sixth Man on Jan 28, 2009 22:44:44 GMT -5
We need JD this week unless we want to go 0-2 on the NE Ohio trip. Then again, if he can't go, he can't go. No reason to risk further damage. I bet he plays though. I'm hoping WSU can pull out to an early lead and get enough contribution from Troy and Grote so JD doesn't feel the need to play too much. Let's go Raiders!
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Post by riceownz2 on Jan 29, 2009 10:11:57 GMT -5
We are not going to go 0-2 even without JD. I bet JD plays like he did saturday. He will start the game and depending on how the game goes depends on how much he plays. I think with everyone's improved played, JD is not as important as he was earlier in the season. We need to get Cory back into the offense.
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Post by bballraider on Jan 29, 2009 18:51:20 GMT -5
We need JD this week unless we want to go 0-2 on the NE Ohio trip. Then again, if he can't go, he can't go. No reason to risk further damage. I bet he plays though. I'm hoping WSU can pull out to an early lead and get enough contribution from Troy and Grote so JD doesn't feel the need to play too much. Let's go Raiders! Well, lets hope we get enough contribution from Troy, as it is reported on RRB that Grote is out 2 games because of a suspension for breaking undisclosed team rules.
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Post by Sixth Man on Jan 29, 2009 18:59:19 GMT -5
Privacy or notBy Marc Katz Thursday, January 29, 2009 YOUNGSTOWN — A couple of private announcements were made regarding Wright State basketball before today’s game at Youngstown State. First, it was announced junior guard Vaughn Duggins — already out with a mending broken finger on his right hand — would undergo right ankle surgery today to remove calcium deposits. This, of course, is a privacy in medicine decision that should be between the patient and doctor. Hipple I think they call it. There is no need for the general public to know Duggins is having the surgery. Except Duggins is an athletic, a sports celebrity who is written about over the course of a basketball season. What he does is reported on daily. Nobody complains when he does something good. But all of the sudden, he’s not in the lineup, and it’s a medical situation, and nobody’s supposed to know? When he’s walking around on crutches the next couple of weeks, what are people to think? Well, it’s a minor operation (if any operation is minor), I’m told, and Duggins will be fit and ready to go by the summer, and certainly for next season. The other announcement regarded sophomore Scott Grote, who was suspended two games (tonight and Saturday) for violating some team rule or rules. This is standard operating wordage not only from college coaches, but pro coaches as well. Unfortunately, it takes in a wide range of violations, from falling asleep in class to drunken brawls and campus rapes. We protect the worst of the abusers when we say a person broke team rules. I’m guessing Grote did not do anything horrific. Sure, he was suspended for two games, but he was allowed to travel with the team, and he will be reinstated. You could be cynical and say coach Brad Brownell only suspended Grote two games because he needs him, but he needs him for these two games as well, especially with John David Gardner hurting from a hip injury. If Brownell had a history of abusive players here, I could be skeptical. But not now. He has suspended players before, and some have left his team after the season. He does it quietly and with class, and none of the players have yet to accuse him of being unfair. That’s not the best answer for what Grote did, but it’s the only one I’ve got right now. www.daytondailynews.com/o/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/wrightstatesports/
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Post by fizztharaider on Jan 29, 2009 19:24:43 GMT -5
WTF Scott Grote! ...If ain't one thing its at least two other things it seems...I bet he did something pretty bad, or just completely obvious to the point it could not be ignored. There is no question that the treatment of athletes varies by the sport. At wsu at least, the higher profile sport definitely demonstrate more leniency.
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Post by Raider Grad on Jan 29, 2009 19:27:29 GMT -5
He's been in trouble in the past for skipping class.
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Post by rock70 on Jan 29, 2009 21:11:05 GMT -5
Katz did not just say "Hipple" did he? That guy is a train wreck. Blitz, I believe a hipple is a combination of a sprained hip and nipple hence the term hipple.
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Post by Sixth Man on Jan 30, 2009 19:05:55 GMT -5
How about some dry pavementBy Marc Katz Friday, January 30, 2009 CLEVELAND — I understand this has a lot to do with Dayton’s location in the Midwest, but can’t we find at least one school to join the Horizon League where there isn’t snow on the ground when Wright State visits? This is getting real old. Next year, I’m thinking of lobbying for two tournaments in San Juan instead of one. Excuse me while I remove my mittens. Okay. As for the Raiders, John David Gardner’s situation has not changed, and coach Brad Brownell says it will remain day-to-day the rest of the year. “Him sitting down two weeks is not going to solve anything,” Brownell said. “If he feels good, I’ll let him play. If he doesn’t, he won’t. He didn’t practice one day the last week.” Gardner did suit up for Thursday’s game at Youngstown State, and ran through a few drills, but only at half speed. He never took off his warmup jersey. Saturday at Cleveland State, his playing again will be a game-time decision, but with his limited practice time, don’t look for him to play much, if he plays at all. His hip is bothering him, and while he can play through the pain, his effectiveness is limited. That leaves the Raiders with only one spare guard since Scott Grote is serving the second game of a two-game suspension for breaking team rules. Senior Will Graham and junior Todd Brown will continue playing more than 35 minutes a game, and with Gardner out, sophomore N’Gai Evans is also on the court most of the time. That leaves only sophomore Troy Tabler in reserve. That’s not very much, but the Raiders have now won five straight and 13 of 15 games. By the way, Detroit’s Thursday loss at Cleveland State officially eliminates the Titans from the Horizon League regular-season championship. They’re 0-10 and league-leading Butler is 9-0 with only nine league games left. Butler has a tough week ahead, too. After tonight’s ESPNU game with Valparaiso, the Bulldogs are at Green Bay on Monday, at Detroit on Thursday and at Wright State on Saturday, Jan. 7. www.daytondailynews.com/o/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/wrightstatesports/
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