GEORGIA TECH…6-6 soph swingman Brian Oliver (right; 10.9 ppg & 4.5 rpg), a dynamic offensive threat off the Yellow Jackets’ bench, has missed the last three games and is sidelined indefinitely while recovering from surgery to repair his broken thumb. HAWAII…Sr. PG & team captain Hiram Thompson (8.7 ppg & 2.7 apg) has been ruled out for Saturday’s trip to UC Davis due to an elbow injury suffered early in the second half of Monday’s overtime home win against Nevada, and 6-7 soph Joston Thomas (10.3 ppg & 5.8 rpg) is questionable vs. the Aggies after playing only 9 minutes (with no points) in the victory over the Wolf Pack. INDIANA…6-8 soph F Christian Watford, the Hoosiers’ leading scorer (16.8 ppg) and rebounder (5.7 pg), returned to action last Saturday at Michigan after missing three games with a hand fracture, and he contributed 14 points & 3 boards in 22 minutes off the bench during the close loss to the Wolverines. IOWA STATE…6-11 sr. F/C Jamie Vanderbeken (11.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.8 bpg, 44% from three-point arc), one of the Cyclones’ best perimeter shooters, didn’t play Wednesday at Texas A&M after spraining his ankle in the first half of Saturday’s blowout loss at Kansas. However, 6-8 frosh F Calvin Godfrey (4.4 ppg & 4.7 rpg) returned to action after serving a three-game suspension, and he had 11 points, 6 boards, and 2 steals in 19 minutes before fouling out of the close loss to the Aggies. JAMES MADISON…Bruising 6-6 F Rayshawn Goins (10 ppg & 7.1 rpg) sat out Tuesday’s win at Towson due to a sore thumb. KANSAS…Touted frosh G Josh Selby (11.4 ppg, 2.9 apg, 1.3 spg, 42% from three-point arc) returned to action at Kansas State on Monday after sitting out three games with a stress reaction in his foot, although he contributed only 4 points (on 1 of 6 shooting) in 11 minutes off the bench during the upset loss to the rival Wildcats. Productive 6-9 soph reserve F Thomas Robinson (8.9 ppg on 63% FGs, 6.4 rpg in just 15 mpg) has missed the last two games and is out indefinitely while recovering from minor knee surgery. LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT…6-8 jr. F Drew Viney, the Lions’ leading scorer (15.5 ppg) and rebounder (6.5 pg), was back in the lineup against Pepperdine on Wednesday after sitting out three games due to migraine headaches, and he had 21 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal to lead the Lions’ narrow home victory over the Waves.
MASSACHUSETTS…6-5 soph G Freddie Riley (left; 8.4 ppg), one of the Minutemen’s top three-point shooters, didn’t play in Wednesday’s double-digit home loss to Duquesne after spraining his ankle early in last Sunday’s home setback to George Washington. MEMPHIS…6-9 jr. swingman Wesley Witherspoon (11.1 ppg & 4.5 rpg) finally returned to action against UAB on Wednesday after missing nine games due to a suspension and knee problems, and Witherspoon hit all 3 of his FG attempts for 6 points in 15 minutes off the bench during the Tigers’ hard-fought home victory over the Blazers. MICHIGAN STATE…Starting 6-8 jr. F Delvon Roe (6.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.2 bpg) played just eight minutes off the bench at far less than full strength in Tuesday’s loss at Ohio State due to a knee injury suffered late in double-digit home win over Penn State on February 10. NEW MEXICO STATE…Star 6-8 jr. F Troy Gillenwater (20.3 ppg-second in WAC, team-best 6.8 rpg) sat out last Saturday’s one-point win at Louisiana Tech with a sprained ankle. 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, hasn’t played in the last two games and is suspended indefinitely. OREGON STATE…Beefy 6-7 soph F/C Joe Burton (7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.2 spg) is expected to be available at rival Oregon this Saturday after serving a one-game suspension in last Saturday’s loss at UCLA. 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, has missed the last three games with a sprained knee, although Steel City sources say there’s a good chance Gibbs will see at least some limited action at St. John’s this Saturday. PORTLAND STATE…A sliver of good news for the struggling Vikings coming out of their lopsided loss at Weber State on Wednesday, as 6-5 F Chehales Tapscott, a juco transfer who contributed 11.7 ppg and a team-best 8.2 rpg through the first couple months of the campaign, finally returned to action after missing six games while recovering from minor knee surgery. Tapscott managed just 5 points on 1 of 7 FGs but also contributed 6 rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench against the Wildcats. PROVIDENCE…Starting 6-4 frosh G Gerard Coleman (10.4 ppg) was held out of last Sunday’s double-digit loss at Connecticut and was not expected to be available for home date with DePaul on Thursday due to academic problems.
SETON HALL…The Pirates are a little thin in the backcourt heading down the stretch, as sr. Gs Keon Lawrence (4.5 ppg & 3.1 rpg in 24 mpg) & Jamel Jackson (right; 4.6 ppg in 15 mpg) were both kicked off the team a couple of weeks ago. SOUTH CAROLINA…Starting 6-5 soph F Lakeem Jackson (8.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.7 apg) didn’t play in Wednesday’s loss at Tennessee and will miss at least two more games due to a lingering foot injury. SOUTH FLORIDA…6-4 soph G Jawanza Poland, the Bulls’ second-leading scorer (9.8 ppg), has been bothered by a back injury, and he played only 10 minutes (with no points) in Wednesday’s double-digit loss at league-leading Pittsburgh. UAB…6-8 jr. F Cameron Moore (15.6 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 1.4 bpg), one of Conference USA’s top frontcourt players, has missed the last two games and is out indefinitely after breaking his left (non-shooting) hand. UC IRVINE…Physical all-conference 6-5 sr. F Eric Wise (14.6 ppg & team-leading 7.6 rpg) has missed the last five games with a lingering hamstring injury. The Anteaters, who have only one major contributor taller than 6-3 without Wise, are struggling to hold their own the boards most nights, losing four of their last five both straight up and vs. the spread. UC RIVERSIDE…G Phil Martin (13.8 ppg, 5 rpg, 89% FTs) was back in action at Long Beach on Wednesday after he sat out last Saturday’s ugly 56-40 setback at Cal Poly with a leg injury, and Martin poured in 19 points in the Highlanders’ road loss to the league-leading 49ers. UTAH…Star 6-7 swingman Will Clyburn, a juco transfer who leads the Utes in scoring (18.3 ppg), rebounding (8.3 pg), three-point shooting (41%), and steals (1.2 pg), left midway through the second half of Wednesday’s home victory over Wyoming after hurting his foot. VILLANOVA…Sr. G Corey Stokes (14.6 ppg-second on team, 3.4 rpg, 94% FTs, 42% from three-point arc), the Wildcats’ best perimeter shooter, hasn’t played in the last two games and will be held out again at DePaul this Saturday in order to rest a painful turf toe injury. After Stokes-less ‘Nova hit just 36% from the field in a hard-fought home loss to league-leading Pitt last Saturday, 6-5 frosh G James Bell surprisingly stepped up with 21 points (on 7 of 9 FGs, including 4 of 6 from three-point arc) in 29 minutes off the bench to lead Tuesday’s narrow win at Seton Hall. Bell had contributed fewer than 2 ppg on the season prior to his explosion vs. the Pirates. WASHINGTON STATE…6-8 jr. F DeAngleo Casto, the Cougars’ third-leading scorer (11.2 ppg on 59% FGs) and top rebounder (6.4 pg) & shotblocker (1.7 pg), was expected to play at Arizona on Thursday, although he might not be 100% due to a sprained ankle. WESTERN MICHIGAN…6-7 jr. F Flenard Whitfield, the Broncos’ second-leading scorer (13.1 ppg) and top rebounder (6.3 pg), is very questionable for Saturday’s home date with Illinois State after spraining his ankle early in the second half of Tuesday’s double-digit victory at Northern Illinois. WMU has also been without 6-7 reserve jr. F/C Muhammed Conteh (torn calf) the last two games. WYOMING…Starting jr. PG JayDee Luster (6.3 ppg & 3.2 apg) has missed nearly all of the last two games with a sore hip, and reserve frosh G Joe Hudson suffered a concussion during Wednesday’s loss at Utah.