Foot injury shelves Green for 6 weeks

PETE PERKINS
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

An injury to UALR sophomore guard Mark Green's right foot has been diagnosed as a fracture and will keep Green out for about six weeks, UALR trainer Jonathan Burch said Tuesday.
Green broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot in practice Sunday.
Green started nine of UALR's first 10 games and was fourth on the team in scoring with an average of 7.9 points a game.
UALR has lost two guards since Christmas. Freshman point guard Bryan Crislip quit the team last week when he said he wanted to be closer to his girlfriend, a student at Virginia Tech.
"It's a huge blow," UALR Coach Porter Moser said. "A week ago, between the one, two, and three spots [point guard, shooting guard, small forward], I had a five-guard rotation. Within a week, it's gone to three.
"That's one area we felt good about. They were all getting 24, 25 minutes. They were able to stay fresh and play defense harder. Now some guys are going to have to get into that 35-minute category.
"It's an old cliche, that injuries are a part of athletics, but when it happens to you, you almost throw up on that cliche."
Green rotated at point guard with sophomore Alex Finger in UALR's 59-53 victory over Missouri-Kansas City on Saturday, the Trojans' first game without Crislip.
Crislip averaged 5.3 points a game. Finger is averaging 3.7 points and 1.9 assists.
"I hope some people will step up," Moser said. "Some guys coming off the bench will have to help."
Moser said freshman Nick Zachery, walk-on freshman Jermain Speights and walk-on junior Cody Mears might see more playing time.
Zachery became eligible for the Missouri-Kansas City game but did not play. Speights has played in three games and averaged 1.3 points. Mears averaged 1 point in four games.
Moser said freshman power forward Co Willis might play some at small forward to help in the rotation that will include Finger and senior guards Alan Barksdale and Laverne Smith.
"It changes a lot," Moser said. "If you do move guys to different positions, you have to teach those guys the different presses and so on."
"It really hurts that I can't help the team on the court," Green said. "But I have total confidence that the guys will meet the challenge. Coach Moser has given us challenges all year, and we've met them. They'll handle this. They'll step up."
Freshman center Jake Yancey, who sustained a partial tear to the medial meniscus in his right knee in UALR's 48-46 loss at Marquette on Dec. 9, played two minutes against Missouri-Kansas City. Moser and Burch said Yancey is ready for more.
"Jake's fine," Burch said. "Some days it's more tender than others, but he's getting stronger."

This article was published on Wednesday, January 3, 2001

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