Zoubek breaks foot--again

[Highlander]

Dern. That certainly puts a damper on things. It is doubly unfortuante b/c we just made a change last game to shake up the lineup and give Brian the start. I'm hoping he's back by early March.

I saw this article today. Injuries are hitting a bunch of ACC teams hard. Not counting Zoub's injury:

-Clemson's Mays broke his non-shooting hand this week.

-UNC's Frazor is out for the year with a torn ACL.
-UNC's Stephenson expected back after taking time off to be w/ his family (ok, not an injury)
-UNC's Quentin Thomas's ankle not yet 100%

-FSU Freshman center Solomon Alabi has had surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right leg that could end his season.
-FSU Freshman forward Julian Vaughn is going to the Cleveland Clinic this week for medical tests because of unspecified symptoms.
- A third FSU player was suspended in November.

[tweeze]

How bout we get this guy: http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.db...&Q_SEASON=2007

he is 6'7 and 305 and played HS B-Ball and seems like a good athlete and he goes to Duke. Just send him in for some boards and fouls, basically the role of Zoubek.

[Clipsfan]

How bout we get this guy: http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.db...&Q_SEASON=2007

he is 6'7 and 305 and played HS B-Ball and seems like a good athlete and he goes to Duke. Just send him in for some boards and fouls, basically the role of Zoubek.

I could be wrong, but I would think that the offensive line is typically not the best place to find a basketball player. Although they can be quite athletic, I've always gotten the impression that their role is to not move, rather than run up and down a court.

Best wishes to Z for a quick recovery.

[tweeze]

O-Linemen tend to have very quick feet and have to move fast and I bet he would be good at getting inside position and boxing out.

[Jumbo]

O-Linemen tend to have very quick feet and have to move fast and I bet he would be good at getting inside position and boxing out.

OK, Duke has nine scholarship players, including several taller than said offensive lineman. No one's going to raid the football team for a body, nor is there a need to. So why are we talking about it?

[Clipsfan]

O-Linemen tend to have very quick feet and have to move fast and I bet he would be good at getting inside position and boxing out.

Perhaps, but I was thinking about the wind to run up and down the court. That's a lot of weight o-linemen carry, and not all of it is muscle.

[greybeard]

Dern. That certainly puts a damper on things. It is doubly unfortuante b/c we just made a change last game to shake up the lineup and give Brian the start. I'm hoping he's back by early March.

I saw this article today. Injuries are hitting a bunch of ACC teams hard. Not counting Zoub's injury:

-Clemson's Mays broke his non-shooting hand this week.

-UNC's Frazor is out for the year with a torn ACL.
-UNC's Stephenson expected back after taking time off to be w/ his family (ok, not an injury)
-UNC's Quentin Thomas's ankle not yet 100%

-FSU Freshman center Solomon Alabi has had surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right leg that could end his season.
-FSU Freshman forward Julian Vaughn is going to the Cleveland Clinic this week for medical tests because of unspecified symptoms.
- A third FSU player was suspended in November.

Injuries in all sports in the US from high school on up (probably before) are at ridiculously high levels. Added training, pliometrics, whatever, are a MAJOR contributor, as is high tech equipment, overcoaching so everybody does it like Barry (Saunders), and a general disregard by those who run sports for the well being of those who play them.

The people in charge of American sports as a collectivity must step up and look. They need to really see the carnage that takes place in the games that they are responsible for staging. That they don't is bad enough. But, when I hear these same guys go on the TV and say something like, "We said a prayer for him, and know that the Lord . . . ," well, then, I really, really get angry.

In the words of Bob Zimmerman:

Disillusioned words like bullets bark
As human gods aim for their marks
Make everything from toy guns that spark
To flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark
It's easy to see without looking too far
That not much
Is really sacred.

No one coach can make a difference. I've thought about this a lot (you think), and am convinced of that.

This is a grass roots issue; it begins at the dinner table, goes to the coaches' meetings in kids' leagues before the season starts, goes to the referees who too easily pass on dangerous play without metting out steep penalties to kids and coaches because the kid's were just "playing hard", whatever the hell that means, and extends most importantly to letting our kids "come back too soon.

And, oh, one other thing, that clapping when a player gets carted off with an injury; it really has to stop. You want to do something as a group? Be silent.

Sit for a moment with reverence for the loss of innocence that every single injury that ever happens on the field of play brings, no matter how old the player or how many injuries he or she might have endured before. If you've been there, you know exactly what I'm talking about, whether you thought about it in those terms or not.

Silence, maybe those of us who help run the sports our children play will at long last be able to hear that. Peace.

[Devilsfan]

But I don't think it's a major loss for the team because when it really matters K wasn't going to call #55. Lance needs to step up and show why he was recruited so highly.

[jimsumner]

Everytime Duke needs a big man, somebody comes up with the idea of raiding the offensive line. I think people seriously underestimate how difficult it is to take up basketball at the ACC level after not having played since high school 2, 3, 4 years ago and also seriously overestimate how attractive sitting on the bench is hoops is compared to preparing for the sport that is actually paying your way through school.

Sure Reggie Love made some contributions. But how valuable was D Bryant in 1999? And he was a freshman and a stud hoopster in high school.

Remember Dave Colonna? All-ACC tight end for Spurrier, 6'6", 245, strong, mobile, athletic. Joined the '87 team after Phil Henderson became academically ineligible. Played two minutes. Not averaged two minutes. Played two minutes the entire season.

That's about what we could expect from a football player.

[devildeac]

Vince Oghabaase, six feet, six inches. 310 lbs.

I thought VO had 'slimmed' down to about 295 to improve his speed/explosiveness

[monkey]

I think you're onto something. Elton had a foot injury his sophomore year (I think) and it was initially thought that he would be out the entire year. Boozer also missed significant time with a foot injury. And between Paulus last year, Marty last year and this year, and now Zoubek, that's a lot of foot/knee problems. I wonder if SI will start calling this the "Duke metatarsal curse"?

The good news is that in the case of both Elton and Boozer, their absense allowed other players to develop, and when they came back late in the year it provided a huge boost. Unfortunately, it's probably too late in the year for this to happen for Zoubek.

First one of these I remember was Brand. Any chance this is all related to the floor change in Cameron (if I recall occcurred after the 96-97 season)?

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

I thought VO had 'slimmed' down to about 295 to improve his speed/explosiveness

As long as Vince can "play the piano" or sack quarterbacks, he's at a good weight. Does he have any brothers or cousins?

[devildeac]

Everytime Duke needs a big man, somebody comes up with the idea of raiding the offensive line. I think people seriously underestimate how difficult it is to take up basketball at the ACC level after not having played since high school 2, 3, 4 years ago and also seriously overestimate how attractive sitting on the bench is hoops is compared to preparing for the sport that is actually paying your way through school.

Sure Reggie Love made some contributions. But how valuable was D Bryant in 1999? And he was a freshman and a stud hoopster in high school.

Remember Dave Colonna? All-ACC tight end for Spurrier, 6'6", 245, strong, mobile, athletic. Joined the '87 team after Phil Henderson became academically ineligible. Played two minutes. Not averaged two minutes. Played two minutes the entire season.

That's about what we could expect from a football player.

Does Reggie have any eligibility left?(I know the answer, just looking for a ray of sunshine here) Heal quickly , big guy!

[Lavabe]

I thought VO had 'slimmed' down to about 295 to improve his speed/explosiveness

Darn! I REALLY wanted to hear Dan Bonner try to pronounce VO!!

Is there any hope for Tauiliili?

While we're at it, perhaps we could get someone from the soccer team to hit field goals (or in this case, free throws).

Cheers,
Lavabe

[greybeard]

Darn! I REALLY wanted to hear Dan Bonner try to pronounce VO!!

Is there any hope for Tauiliili?

While we're at it, perhaps we could get someone from the soccer team to hit field goals (or in this case, free throws).

Cheers,
Lavabe

Actually, if Zoub had cross trained by playing soccer, his balance and weight distribution on his feet would ahve been much better and we wouldn't be having this conversation. Say, did I ever tell you guys about my theories about soccer and . . . .

[dukie8]

Everytime Duke needs a big man, somebody comes up with the idea of raiding the offensive line. I think people seriously underestimate how difficult it is to take up basketball at the ACC level after not having played since high school 2, 3, 4 years ago and also seriously overestimate how attractive sitting on the bench is hoops is compared to preparing for the sport that is actually paying your way through school.

Sure Reggie Love made some contributions. But how valuable was D Bryant in 1999? And he was a freshman and a stud hoopster in high school.

Remember Dave Colonna? All-ACC tight end for Spurrier, 6'6", 245, strong, mobile, athletic. Joined the '87 team after Phil Henderson became academically ineligible. Played two minutes. Not averaged two minutes. Played two minutes the entire season.

That's about what we could expect from a football player.

then maybe we should look at the soccer team. stan brunson and jay heaps played more than 2 minutes each when k needed their services.

[dukie8]

Actually, if Zoub had cross trained by playing soccer, his balance and weight distribution on his feet would ahve been much better and we wouldn't be having this conversation. Say, did I ever tell you guys about my theories about soccer and . . . .

like, say, akeem?

[monkey]

then maybe we should look at the soccer team. stan brunson and jay heaps played more than 2 minutes each when k needed their services.

All honor to the great Jay Heaps. What year was that comeback by the bench players versus UNC that fell short at Cameron? 1996?

[MChambers]

If you do, you're really old. He probably should have been mentioned in the Tate Armstrong thread, because he was pressed into service in 1977.
Maybe he's got eligibility. About 6'6", but not really an inside player.

[j.j. jones]

IMO, this will not hurt the team this year. In a close, important game, I don't think K would have played Zoubek more than 3 minutes.

Exactly. Zoubs was not going to get quality PT this season. (No more than 8 to 10 mpg.) Some say he should have redshirted. But it's too late for that now.

I usually avoid making predictions during the preseason due to situations like this. Inevitably, there will an injury or two (and/or mono) which will significantly effect the team and the season. Okay, now we know who bit the injury bug. Let us just hope against hope that Brian is the only one. We had a deeeeeep bench entering the season, but now... we're at the point where one more setback (as it relates to health) will severely cripple the team.

I agree with others, it's time for Lance to step it up big time. I have faith that he can and will rise to the occasion. And if for some reason he can't, I also have faith that our "small ball" style can git er dun.

It's a bummer, but it happens to loads of teams. How you deal with adversity is the sign of a true champion.