I really hope this isn't a sign of another injury-filled season for Purdue basketball because if this team is healthy, they could do some things.Lewis Jackson will be sidelined "indefinitely" after undergoing surgery today on his foot for last week's injury that kept him out of the opener against Cal State Northridge.
Foot problems are never good for basketball players. Say goodbye to Lewis for at least a month, but probably longer.
Addendum:
LewJack out until after February...at least.
11 comments:
I bet that's it for LewJack.
All of those who were frustrated by him won't have to deal with that this season.
I think this is a big blow to the team.
I'm fairly optimistic about this. Well, as optimistic as one could be when discussing an injured starter.
While Lew can do some magical things, he was a liability for us last year. Of course I wish he was healthy, but I feel that this will lead to more minutes for KG and a faster maturation of Barlow. I'm highly in favor of both of those.
Here's hoping this is the last stop of the injury train.
John, that's kind of silly talk. He wasn't a "liability" -- he was a freshman! Freshmen getting minutes is what got us to this point.
J,
You have a valid point. But, he never gave me that feeling of confidence that I get from even some of our freshman now (hello, DJ Byrd). I know he's talented and I know he helps our basketball team, but count me in the camp that was far more frustrated than encouraged by him last year.
I feel much more confident in our team's ability to win with a higher ratio of KG to LewJack.
That said, of course I hope he heals quickly. I also hope more information as to the scope of the injury comes out soon.
I'm with J on this one... exactly how much DJ have we seen so far? Since we've not played any tough games yet, I think it's premature to say he inspires more confidence than LewJack, who we saw for an entire season!
As for KG, I just hope we'll get a whole season of "good" KG a la 2 yrs ago. With LewJack out, he may have to put more minutes on his surgically repaired legs than he'd like.
John,
Sense of confidence that you get from DJ and other Frosh's might be premature. I would let the season play out before getting too excited. One whole yr of experience means a lot for kids out of high school.. Of course, this not to say then the new guys may not continue to improve but having LJ back gives us a better chance at success.
It's just a feeling i get. No real explanation. Debate on!
check out this link with more details and not good details
http://www.jconline.com/article/20091117/NEWS0901/91117025
Regardless of any of our confidence in him, having a shorter bench is never good, especially for an up-tempo team.
That's ridiculous John. Lew Jack is probably our best on-the-ball defender for very quick guards like himself. No one else on Purdue's team can initiate the offense like him because he get from point A to point B so quickly. Against solid zone defenses, Lew Jack is sometimes the only one who can use his quickness and slash through the lane to get to the bucket.
Is the season over because Lew Jack will be gone? Definitely not and we still have a great team. But to think he was a liability and that this won't affect us is just silly.
Here's hoping that he gets well as soon as possible.
N,
I didn't mean to suggest that we wouldn't be affected. That is, indeed, ridiculous. I just see a big silver lining here what with the seemingly-recharged KG. He looks like a thicker, meaner, stronger, tougher KG than we've ever seen before. Having him get more minutes is something that excites me in the face of a bad situation. Lest we forget, the team voted him MVP two years ago when he was healthy. He carried the team much of that season. He is also 100% again this season. In the words of J Money, choo choo!
Lewis has undeniable speed and gives our team something no other player on our roster does. I just don't think this is as bad a situation for our Boilers as it would seem at face value.
My assessment, from being 4 rows behind the bucket for the majority of the last three seasons and chronically addicted to Boilermaker hoops is this: my ideal starting 5 is the one we currently have-- KG, Kramer, Moore, Hummel, and Johnson. LewJack, for me, would be first off the bench.
My reasoning? Kramer is the floor general and commands the troops while being THE most punishing defender we have. His shutdowns of shooting stars the likes of Stephen Curry and Talor Battle are evidence of that. KG and Moore are both capable of slashing inside and nailing the long ball. They are both dual threats and good at finding open teammates. I agree that LewJack is a better slasher and better at finding teammates, but his lack of an outside game gives him fewer options on the offensive side. I think KG and E'Twaun are MUCH better free-throw shooters, too.
I don't feel that I have to say much about Hummel and JJ in this argument, as they are both themselves and play a very different roles than LewJack. Now I'm not the coach, of course, but I'd rather have LewJack being a major wrinkle than a staple in the Boilermakers game plan.
I think our depth at guard also plays to our favor in this situation. I expect big years from DJ Byrd, Kelsey Barlow and...drumroll please...Ryne Smith.
Get well, LewJack. Boiler up!
*Stepping off my now worn-out soap box for the time being*
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