TGS UPDATE…WEEKEND COLLEGE HOOPS SPECIAL TICKER! by Bill Blackburn, Associate Editor

ARIZONA STATE…Sr. G Ty Abbott (left; 13.1 ppg-second on team), the Sun Devils’ best three-point shooter, sat out the second half of last Saturday’s loss at Stanford after re-aggravating a lingering back problem. AUBURN…6-10 soph C Rob Chubb (8.1 ppg & 4.1 rpg), who scored a career-high 18 points in the Tigers’ surprising victory at South Carolina Jan. 29, has missed the last two games and is suspended indefinitely. Declining to offer a specific timetable for the player’s return to action, head coach Tony Barbee says only that Chubb will “play at some point again, before the year is out.” BROWN…6-5 F Peter Sullivan (team-leading 13.1 ppg & 5.7 rpg), a senior stalwart who started 94 straight games, has missed the Bears’ last three outings and is sidelined indefinitely due to a dislocated right (shooting) shoulder. BUTLER…Star 6-8 sr. F/C Matt Howard, a top Horizon Player of the Year candidate who leads the Bulldogs in scoring (17.1 ppg) and rebounding (7.8 pg), was held out of Thursday’s home clash against Wright State after he suffered a concussion (as well as a deep gash in his head that required eight stitches to close) during Monday’s home victory over Illinois-Chicago. BYU…Starting frosh G Kyle Collinsworth (6.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.3 apg) didn’t play in easy romp at Air Force on Wednesday because of a concussion he sustained during last Saturday’s home win over UNLV. CINCINNATI…Powerful 6-9 jr. F Yancy Gates, the Bearcats’ second-leading scorer (11.1 ppg) and top rebounder (6.7 pg), returned to action at DePaul Tuesday night after serving a one-game suspension during last Saturday’s double-digit loss at Pittsburgh. Gates had 5 points, 3 rebounds, a steal, and a block before fouling out after only 16 minutes off the bench in the narrow road victory over the Blue Demons. CLEMSON…Springy 6-8 sr. F/C Jerai Grant (12.8 ppg on 60% FGs, team-leading 7 rpg & 2.5 bpg) tweaked his hamstring near the end of Tuesday’s home win over Boston College, although head coach Brad Brownell says Grant should be good to go when North Carolina visits Littlejohn Coliseum on Saturday. COLORADO…Starting jr. PG Nate Tomlinson (3.2 ppg & 2.4 apg) sat out Wednesday’s overtime home loss to Texas A&M after turning his ankle very early in double-digit loss at Missouri last Saturday. COLORADO STATE…Soph G Wes Eikmeier (10.1 ppg-third on team, 2.4 apg, 87% FTs), who dropped 25 points during home loss to BYU a few weeks ago, has missed three of the last four games (and played only 10 minutes in the other) due to a lingering foot injury. CORNELL…Starting sr. C Aaron Osgood (7.3 ppg & 4.5 rpg) sat out last weekend’s road trip to Yale (one-point loss) and Brown (double-digit win) because of a sore knee. DELAWARE…Sr. G Alphonso Dawson (7.6 ppg & 3.1 rpg) has been sidelined the last four games and is suspended indefinitely, plus 6-6 soph F Josh Brinkley (7.5 ppg & 5.2 rpg) was lost to a season-ending foot injury soon after Dawson’s suspension. DETROIT…Starting soph G Jason Calliste sat out Monday’s home win against Cleveland State after suffering a head injury during home victory over Loyola-Chicago last Saturday. FORDHAM…6-7 frosh F Marvin Dominique (shoulder; 4.5 ppg & 5.6 rpg) and 6-4 frosh PG Lamount Samuell (high-ankle sprain; 5.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.4 spg) have each missed the last two games. Dominique is not expected back this season. GEORGIA TECH…6-6 soph swingman Brian Oliver (10.9 ppg & 4.5 rpg), a dynamic offensive threat off the Yellow Jackets’ bench, didn’t play against Florida State on Thursday and will be sidelined for at least a couple of weeks after undergoing surgery to repair his broken thumb.

INDIANA…6-8 soph F Christian Watford (right), the Hoosiers’ leading scorer (17 ppg) and rebounder (5.8 pg), has missed the last three games and is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair his broken hand. Remember, 6-5 soph G Maurice Creek (8.3 ppg) suffered a season-ending knee injury last month, and 6-5 jr. G Verdell Jones (12.2 ppg) has been dealing with lingering knee problems of his own. INDIANA STATE…6-6 sr. G Jake Kelly (9.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.9 apg) hasn’t played in the last two games and is out indefinitely due to a bout with mononucleosis. IOWA STATE…6-8 frosh F Calvin Godfrey (4.1 ppg & 4.7 rpg) missed the last two games and will finish serving a three-game suspension at Kansas on Saturday before he’s eligible to return to action at Texas A&M on Feb. 16. KANSAS…Star frosh G Josh Selby (12 ppg, 3.2 apg, 1.2 spg, 44% from three-point arc) sat out the last two games to nurse a nagging foot injury, although Jayhawk scouts say he should be available for at least some limited action when Iowa State visits Lawrence this Saturday. KANSAS STATE…Rumors were circulating in Manhattan earlier this week about the status of 6-8 sr. F Curtis Kelly (9.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.2 bpg), who is reportedly facing expulsion from school for repeated violations of the university’s student-athlete code of conduct. Remember, KSU’s frontcourt depth has already been compromised by the earlier departures of touted 6-9 soph Wally Judge and 6-10 jr. Freddy Asprilla. LOUISVILLE…Sr. G Preston Knowles, the Cardinals’ leading scorer (14.9 ppg) and one of their best three-point shooters, returned to action in overtime loss at Notre Dame on Wednesday after sitting out last Saturday’s close home over downtrodden DePaul with a strained hamstring. LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT…6-8 jr. F Drew Viney, the Lions’ leading scorer (15.5 ppg) and rebounder (6.5 pg), was expected to back on the floor against Gonzaga on Thursday after he was held out of last Saturday’s loss at Saint Mary’s because of a migraine headache. MEMPHIS…6-9 jr. swingman Wesley Witherspoon (suspension & knee injury; 11.5 ppg & 4.9 rpg) has missed the last eight games, although Tiger scouts say there’s a good chance Witherspoon will see at least limited action in this Saturday’s home clash against Southern Miss. MIAMI-OHIO…The Redhawks suffered two major blows recently, as 6-4 sr. swingman Antonio Ballard (12.6 ppg & 6.6 rpg-both second on team) was lost for the rest of the season when he broke his wrist a couple of weeks ago, and starting frosh PG Quinten Rollins (4.7 ppg, 2.2 apg, 1.2 spg) has missed the last five games and is out indefinitely due to a foot injury he suffered in mid January. MICHIGAN STATE…Heading into Thursday’s home date with Penn State, the sputtering Spartans have lost five of their last six (and nine straight vs. the spread), and they’ve definitely missed the playmaking ability of recently-dismissed jr. PG Korie Lucious (6.5 ppg & team-best 4.1 apg) during that slide. MSU had just 11 assists and 16 turnovers in its lopsided loss at Iowa on Feb. 2 (a setback esteemed head coach Tom Izzo proclaimed “the worst performance of a team that I’ve coached since I’ve been at Michigan State”), then mustered just nine total assists a few days later in 82-56 stinker at Wisconsin. MINNESOTA…Starting sr. PG & defensive stalwart Al Nolen (8.4 ppg, 3.7 apg, 3.6 rpg, 2.4 spg) has missed the last four games and is out indefinitely due to a broken foot. Steady 6-4 sr. G Blake Hoffarber (team-leading 14.2 ppg & 4 apg, 81% FTs, 40% from three-point arc), who took over PG duties when Nolen went down, has been playing through a sore knee. Remember, 6-4 jr. PG Devoe Joseph (11.3 ppg & 3.5 apg) quit the team earlier in the campaign. MISSISSIPPI STATE…6-7 sr. G Ravern Johnson, the Bulldogs’ leading scorer (17.7 ppg), has missed the last two games and is suspended indefinitely because of recent comments he posted on his Twitter account that were critical of the team.

NEW MEXICO STATE…Star 6-8 jr. F Troy Gillenwater (left; 20.3 ppg-second in WAC, team-best 6.8 rpg) limped off late in Monday’s easy home win over Louisiana Tech with an apparent foot injury and is questionable for rematch with Bulldogs at Ruston this Saturday. 6-11 jr. C/F Hamidu Rahman (7.9 ppg & 5.4 rpg) didn’t play Monday after taking an elbow to the face in close loss at Fresno State the previous game. NORTH CAROLINA…Jr. PG Larry Drew II (4.4 ppg, 3.9 apg, 2.3 rpg) unexpectedly quit the team prior to Sunday’s easy home romp over Florida State. Drew had recently lost his starting job to scintillating frosh Kendall Marshall, who dished out 16 assists in the victory over the Seminoles. NORTH CAROLINA STATE…6-8 frosh F C.J. Leslie (10.7 ppg, team-high 7.3 rpg, 1.5 bpg) is expected to be back in action for Sunday’s trip to Wake Forest after he served a one-games suspension in blowout loss at Duke last Saturday. NORTHERN IOWA…Bruising 6-6 sr. F Lucas O’Rear (6.9 ppg on 56% FGs, team-leading 5.7 rpg) missed the last two games (losses at Drake and Evansville) and is out for the rest of the season after fracturing his ankle. The Panthers had won eight straight games prior to O’Rear’s injury. NORTHWESTERN…Sharpshooting 6-8 jr. F John Shurna (team-leading 17.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3 apg, 51% from three-point arc) has returned to action after sitting out one-point home setback to Ohio State on Jan. 29, although he’s still far less than 100% due to a lingering ankle injury. After tallying double-digit points in 17 of his first 19 games, Shurna managed just 8 in last Saturday’s one-point home win over Illinois, then only 4 in road loss at Michigan on Wednesday. OHIO…Star soph PG D.J. Cooper (team-leading 16.8 ppg, MAC-best 7.5 apg, 5.3 rpg, 2.4 spg) sat out nearly the entire second half of Wednesday’s game against Toledo after he turned his ankle just before intermission of the Bobcats’ double-digit home victory over the Rockets. OKLAHOMA STATE…6-8 F Darrell Williams (7.1 ppg & team-leading 7.3 rpg), a juco transfer who had recently cracked the Cowboys’ starting lineup, has been ruled out for this Saturday’s trip to Nebraska and is suspended indefinitely. PENN STATE…6-8 sr. F Jeff Brooks, the Nittany Lions’ second-leading scorer (13.5 ppg on 58% FGs) and top rebounder (7.2 pg), didn’t play in last Sunday’s close home loss to Michigan and was not expected to be available for trip to Michigan State on Thursday due to a separated shoulder. PEPPERDINE…Jr. G Keion Bell (team-leading 18.9 ppg-second in WCC) sat out last Saturday’s win at San Diego and is suspended for the rest of the season. PITTSBURGH…Jr. G Ashton Gibbs (16.3 ppg, 3.1 apg, 46% from three-point arc, 90% FTs), the Panthers’ leading scorer and best perimeter shooter, did not play in Monday’s victory at rival West Virginia and is expected to miss at least another week due to a sprained knee. SAINT JOSEPH’S…The lowly Hawks managed their first victory since New Year’s last Saturday despite the absence of soph G Carl Jones (team-leading 18 ppg-fourth in A-10, 3.2 apg), who sat out the close home win over UMass with a sprained ankle. SAN DIEGO STATE…Starting soph G Chase Tapley (8.5 ppg) sat out Tuesday’s home romp over Utah with a sprained ankle. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS…The struggling Salukis, who had lost five straight prior to Tuesday’s trip to Wichita State, managed to pull off major upset over the league-leading Shockers even though mammoth 6-9 soph C Gene Teague (9.1 ppg on 61% FGs, 5.6 rpg) and juco Gs Mykel Cleveland (3.5 ppg, 2.3 apg in 19 mpg) & Troy Long (3.4 ppg in 13 mpg) were all unavailable while serving three-game suspensions. That trio isn’t eligible to return until Feb. 16 home date with Indiana State, and 6-5 sr. G John Freeman (5.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.2 spg) is questionable for this Sunday’s trip to Creighton after hurting his wrist at WSU.

TCU…The hapless Horned Frogs have lost seven straight (and 11 of 12), the last four of those setbacks coming sans leading scorer jr. G Ronnie Moss (right; 15.7 ppg, 3.6 apg, 3.5 rpg), who is suspended indefinitely. TEMPLE…Stalwart 6-9 sr. F Lavoy Allen (10.7 ppg, team-leading 7 rpg, 1.7 bpg) suffered an apparent ankle injury late in Wednesday’s home win over Fordham. TOWSON…A bout with the flu kept bullish 6-8 jr. F Braxton Dupree, the Tigers’ second-leading scorer (12.8 ppg) and top rebounder (7.8 pg), out of Wednesday’s close loss at Northeastern, the 13th straight setback for beleaguered head coach Pat Kennedy’s squad. TULANE…6-5 sr. swingman Aaron Holmes (8.9 ppg & 4.1 rpg) has missed the last two games and is out indefinitely with a knee injury. UC DAVIS…6-8 sr. F Joe Harden, the Aggies’ leading scorer (15 ppg) and rebounder (6.1 pg), suffered a broken nose late in the first half of last Saturday’s loss at Santa Barbara, although he was expected to try to play in Thursday’s home date against Long Beach while wearing a plastic mask to protect the injury. UCF…Starting jr. PG A.J. Rompza (5.9 ppg, 3.4 apg, 1.3 spg) returned to action against Memphis on Wednesday after missing two games with a foot injury, although he contributed just 4 points & 2 assists in 9 minutes off the bench during the Knights’ one-point home loss to the Tigers, UCF’s eighth loss in a row (both straight up and vs. the spread) after opening the campaign with 14 straight victories. UC IRVINE…All-conference sr. F Eric Wise (14.6 ppg & team-leading 7.6 rpg) sat out last week’s losses at Fullerton & Northridge with a strained hamstring. The Anteaters were outrebounded by 16 in Saturday’s setback to the Matadors.WAKE FOREST…Starting 6-7 soph F Ari Stewart (10.2 ppg & 5 rpg) missed Wednesday’s one-point home loss to Miami due to a bout with the flu.