A new article has been posted on www.latechsports.com:
After x-rays and a CT scan showed no bone fracture in Louisiana Tech junior guard Raheem Appleby's left ankle, an MRI on Monday revealed ligament damage.
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Discuss it here.
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A new article has been posted on www.latechsports.com:
After x-rays and a CT scan showed no bone fracture in Louisiana Tech junior guard Raheem Appleby's left ankle, an MRI on Monday revealed ligament damage.
More...
Discuss it here.
Even with this news my expectations for this team remain unchanged. Raheem is a valuable part of the team but, unlike many years, we have other options.
Originally Posted by hodo-tech70
next man up!
Yep, and last game Jaron said "that's me coach!"
Not surprised - when he went down I figured he would be gone a good amount of time
I think the injury could hamper us by 2 games in the win column -
You can replace him at home easier than you can on the road, I'm interested to see how the team responds Thursday KNOWING how long he will be out
His drive to the basket is very hard to replace and his leadership was invaluable
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
He'll be missed for sure.
It's hard to replace someone from Pulaski County (even if they're from Jacksonville).
That's why we should recruit as many as we can from that area.
Losing Heem and Speedy at the top of that press will hurt--both are extremely fast and anticipate well. Plus, when Speedy gets the steal he usually passes it off to Appleby who almost always converts. Raheem is one of the best I've ever seen at catching the ball at full sprint and either finishing at the rim or putting it on the court. When he gets in a scoring rhythm, he is as explosive as anybody in the country (due to the diversity of shots in his repertoire--midrange pull-up, teardrop, dunk, reverse lay-up, 3 pointer, etc.,...). It will take a couple of guys stepping up to compensate for the loss. And I still don't know if we can fully compensate.
Have you considered those Dogs?
Speedy has been trying to hit the floaters in the mid of the zones and they just aren't falling right now
Heem is just a tough tough player to defend
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
So far Johnson and McNeail are stepping up. We did win by 34 on Saturday. Granted, it's going to hurt more on the road, so let's see how the guys play this weekend, especially against USM.
Don't overlook Tulane - they have played a nice OOC schedule
''Don't be a bad dagh..."
Heem is really great at many things but the other guys bring different skill sets. Kenyon and Jaron are better perimeter shooters. Jaron will get a lot more rebounds. Kenyon plays defense extremely well. Speedy has been shooting more and he is a good shooter. I think all these guys will get extra minutes and their productivity will make up for the loss of Heem. I hope he is ready to play in 8 weeks. That will be just in time for the tournament and any postseason play.
My expectations remain as follows: 1) 25 regular season wins, 2) get a top 4 seed in the C-USA tournament, 3) win the C-USA tournament, and 4) advance in the NCAA tournament as far as we can.
JJ played great against FIU, no doubt. But Raheem's scoring outpoint has been more consistent than anybody else, he usually gets his points. He also has a penchant for hitting big shots. For example, Hamilton kept us in the game against OU but Raheem's late 3 (along with free throws) that was the difference b/t winning and losing imo.... Not one player has been as constant scoring as him, that's why it will take more than one to fill the void.
Have you considered those Dogs?
Yep, he's one you can count on to score double digits. Hamilton is becoming that as well. Noticed Speedy has looked more aggressive the game and a half without Heem. I also have much more confidence when he takes a 3 compared to the last two years. Kyser has started to produce more and more offensively, and Anderson has started playing like last year. CJ, JJ, and Kenyon should all be licking their chops as seniors. CJ was cold against FIU, but when he is shooting well he can put up points quickly. The good thing about this team is nothing changes with the philosophy with Heem out. Some teams have to change their offense a little when their leading scorer goes out. It's great to know the coaching staff and players won't use this as an excuse. Time to test Bill Simmons' "Ewing Theory."
As I told someone earlier this team is going to go as far as their D allows. Think they realized that after Lafayette. If we reach reach 70pts or more, I'm confident we'll win the majority of our remaining games. If we continue to play defense the way we have.
Here's to Appleby and full recovery without surgery. If he is able to come back for postseason it will be like picking someone up at the trade deadline.
They said on the post-game tonight that surgery will not be necessary.
Expected back this year. Halleluhah!
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