Mason Plumlee update: Could be back by Wednesday

[BlueintheFace]

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=204832280

(banging head on desk...)

[airowe]

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=204832280

Ouch.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

Wonderful! No Nolan and no Mason for the first 2 games. This year is getting off to a great start! Get better fast Mason! We love ya.

[Kedsy]

I guess Ryan Kelly is going to get more run than we anticipated...

[NSDukeFan]

I guess Ryan Kelly is going to get more run than we anticipated...

That was also my first thought. I guess that also applies to the rest of the bigs. This may also be an opportunity (especially the first 2 games) for Olek to get some time.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

I guess Ryan Kelly is going to get more run than we anticipated...

Yeah, which will be good for him. Didn't Tyler Zeller break his wrist last year for UNC and was out for a couple months? If this is the case, it's going to be a long 2 months for us.

[roywhite]

Aaarrrrrgggghhhhh!

Well, good opportunity for Miles, Ryan, etc.

Good luck, Mason; get well soon.

[BlueintheFace]

Scheyer, Dawkins, Singler, Thomas, Plumlee1 for Friday?

Later on:
Scheyer, Smith, Singler, Thomas, Plumlee1

Bench: Dawkins, Zoubek........Kelly?

[Jackson]

Does "indefinitely" mean season ending or just November ending? This indefinitely thing is too ambiguous for my liking.

[Bob Green]

Brian Zoubek is going to have to step up to the plate and perform like the experienced senior he is. I'm confident Zoubs is up to the task, but I'm really disappointed for Mason.

[Kedsy]

Scheyer, Dawkins, Singler, Thomas, Plumlee1 for Friday?

Later on:
Scheyer, Smith, Singler, Thomas, Plumlee1

Bench: Dawkins, Zoubek........Kelly?

My guess is Z will start on Friday and Dawkins will come off the bench. Once Nolan gets back, then either Z or Lance will start, depending on matchups.

If Kelly and/or Olek prove they can cut it defensively, they will see time. Hopefully Mason won't be out too long and this won't hurt his short term development too much.

[striker219]

Yeah, which will be good for him. Didn't Tyler Zeller break his wrist last year for UNC and was out for a couple months? If this is the case, it's going to be a long 2 months for us.

Zeller broke multiple bones in his wrist, if I remember correctly, and his injury required surgery. From the article, this doesn't sound nearly as severe.

[BlueintheFace]

My guess is Z will start on Friday and Dawkins will come off the bench. Once Nolan gets back, then either Z or Lance will start, depending on matchups.

If Kelly and/or Olek prove they can cut it defensively, they will see time. Hopefully Mason won't be out too long and this won't hurt his short term development too much.

yah, that sounds better.

[CDu]

That's definitely bad news. It puts a LOT more pressure on Thomas, Miles Plumlee, Zoubek and Kelly. One of the strengths of the frontcourt was that Plumlee was likely to be an impact player, and then we just needed one of the other four bigs to be a consistent presence. Hopefully he heals quickly, but it appears to be a big setback.

[roywhite]

Does "indefinitely" mean season ending or just November ending? This indefinitely thing is too ambiguous for my liking.

I'm no insider or othropod but was somewhat relieved to read:
Injury does not require surgery
Injury is to his left (non-shooting hand) wrist

We'll see.

[Battierfan01]

Zeller broke multiple bones in his wrist, if I remember correctly, and his injury required surgery. From the article, this doesn't sound nearly as severe.

Yeah I don't think this sounds as bad as Zeller's injury last year, and I think his recovery time will be shorter.

[BlueintheFace]

ummm here is an article talking about how Mason is Duke's most skilled player this season:

http://community.foxsports.com/goodmanonfox/blog/2009/11/12/duke_observations_new_orleans_to_go_d3_route_usc_s horthanded_early

[oldnavy]

"The fracture will not require surgery to repair and he will be evaluated by the Duke medical staff on a weekly basis."

Wait a minute it's his non-dominate hand, perhaps just a hairline fracture, no surgery and will be evaluated each week... makes me think he will be back sooner vice later. Here's hoping for a fast and full recovery!

[CDu]

"The fracture will not require surgery to repair and he will be evaluated by the Duke medical staff on a weekly basis."

Wait a minute it's his non-dominate hand, perhaps just a hairline fracture, no surgery and will be evaluated each week... makes me think he will be back sooner vice later. Here's hoping for a fast and full recovery!

I certainly hope so. This team loses a lot of its luster if Mason Plumlee is out for a long time, because so much of the excitement was how he'd change the team's frontcourt while Smith and Singler offset the losses in the backcourt. Without him, we go back to a lot of the same question marks in the frontcourt.

Hopefully it is a minor injury (at least it is to his non-shooting hand) and he's able to recover quickly. And hopefully this opportunity helps Kelly and Miles Plumlee establish themselves.

[Newton_14]

That's definitely bad news. It puts a LOT more pressure on Thomas, Miles Plumlee, Zoubek and Kelly. One of the strengths of the frontcourt was that Plumlee was likely to be an impact player, and then we just needed one of the other four bigs to be a consistent presence. Hopefully he heals quickly, but it appears to be a big setback.

Yes it is. And I am much more concerned about the long term effect. Mason needed these early games to help his development and get him ready for ACC play. Terrible set back.

Ok all of you doctors and medical experts. Since surgery is not required, how long will it take for this injury to heal and when can we expect to see him on the court again? I also wonder which wrist it is? Really hoping its the left and not his shooting hand.

Ok. I see now it was the left wrist, so that lessens the impact a bit. Still not good but could have been a lot worse. (See Zeller 08)

I really hope this is no more than a 4 to 6 week deal and he can play in those last 2 tune up games in late Dec.

[Greg_Newton]

I'm no insider or othropod but was somewhat relieved to read:
Injury does not require surgery
Injury is to his left (non-shooting hand) wrist

We'll see.

Definitely agree with that. This is still a heartbreaker though... it would have been good for him to get his feet wet a little bit and get comfortable before ACC play. Not to mention he can't afford to lose much muscle... oof.

I was really looking forward to seeing him play, this is a shame. Get well soon, Mason.:(

[eightyearoldsdude]

Yeah, which will be good for him. Didn't Tyler Zeller break his wrist last year for UNC and was out for a couple months? If this is the case, it's going to be a long 2 months for us.

sounds like it's not nearly as serious as Zeller's injury. No surgery. Who knows--maybe the additional PT that Kelly & MP1 get will pay dividends in march...

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

I'm no insider or othropod but was somewhat relieved to read:
Injury does not require surgery
Injury is to his left (non-shooting hand) wrist

We'll see.

The docs in the Duke Sports Medicine Clinic are superb and can offer cutting edge treatments. The PT's are also outstanding. Mason will receive the best care that encourages speedy and proper healing. (I can't provide a link for this information. It's an opinion based on my own experience at the Sports Medicine Clinic. :))

It's fortunate that such an injury occurred so early. In the meantime, some other players have an unplanned opportunity to contribute.

[BlueintheFace]

So, for the next two games Duke's bench will basically be, Andre Dawkins and Ryan Kelly (two freshman).... and maybe some olek.

Coastal Carolina is a VERY solid team. Could be quite a game.

[oldnavy]

I certainly hope so. This team loses a lot of its luster if Mason Plumlee is out for a long time, because so much of the excitement was how he'd change the team's frontcourt while Smith and Singler offset the losses in the backcourt. Without him, we go back to a lot of the same question marks in the frontcourt.

Hopefully it is a minor injury (at least it is to his non-shooting hand) and he's able to recover quickly. And hopefully this opportunity helps Kelly and Miles Plumlee establish themselves.

Yea, I am not a orthopod either, but the statement that he will be evaluated weekly by the Duke Medical staff is reassuring. If it were a significant injury, I would expect that a longer interval would be appropriate for re-evaluation. Weekly seems to imply that they would expect to see progress towards being able to play again... at least that is what I WANT TO THINK!

[oldnavy]

So, for the next two games Duke's bench will basically be, Andre Dawkins and Ryan Kelly (two freshman).... and maybe some olek.

Coastal Carolina is a VERY solid team. Could be quite a game.

Don't underestimate Olek! This might be a confidence booster for him if he gets some serious PT and has modest success against UNCG and Coastal.

[NYDukie]

I know all teams deal with injuries but is it me or that for the most part this decade there always seems to be a injury that throws the season into chaos at some point?

If it isn't a broken foot, it's concussion and now a wrist.

[Duvall]

Coastal Carolina is a VERY solid team. Could be quite a game.

The Chanticleers went 11-20 last year. What are you basing this on?

[BlueintheFace]

The Chanticleers went 11-20 last year. What are you basing this on?

hysteria... and also that they have one player in particular who is quite good... but mostly hysteria. ;)

They lost one starter, gained some pieces, and are expected to challenge for their conference title this year. Maybe I should not have capitalized the word "very"...

[airowe]

Good thing it wasn't a guard and thankfully it's early in the season.

Also, Mason couldn't be in better hands than he is with the Duke Medical staff. If they can heal Brand like they did, this one should be better quickly.

Glass is still half full.

[juise]

The Chanticleers went 11-20 last year. What are you basing this on?

Agreed.... they're picked to be 8th in the Big South on the conference's media day. Radford is first. If Duke can't handle them with "only" Scheyer, Singler, and company, it will be a long year for our boys in blue.

[oldnavy]

hysteria... and also that they have one player in particular who is quite good... but mostly hysteria. ;)

They lost one starter, gained some pieces, and are expected to challenge for their conference title this year. Maybe I should not have capitalized the word "very"...

Got a decent enough coach, Cliff Ellis...

[BlueintheFace]

Here's a question, does the Duke medical staff have a yearly meeting to prepare for the inevitable injury? Do they get the press releases made ahead of time with spaces blank for the player name and injury type?

In all seriousness, the MSG trips might get a little tense, but at least Kelly will get game experience.

[CameronDuke]

That's so unfortunate for Mason and for Duke. I hope his wrist heals fully and completely before he starts playing in games for Duke. A recurring wrist injury can be painful and nagging.

It seems to me that Duke has a player hurt almost every year in either preseason practice or regular practice during the season. Greg Paulus broke his foot, Brian Zoubek broke his foot twice I believe, Elton Brand broke his foot, and I think these were all in practice. There are more broken bone injuries, I believe, that have happened in Duke's practices over the years. I am curious to know how intense and rough these practices are that such a large number of players have broken bones in the practices. I know basketball is a rough sport, but it doesn't seem nearly as many bones have been broken in the games Duke has played in these past few years as compared to the amount of broken bones and injuries they have sustained in practice.

[ScreechTDX1847]

I have broken both wrists and it took me a couple of months each time before i got the cast off. Very small fractures. He probably won't be playing for 8 weeks or so.

DAAAAAAMMMMMMMIIIIIITTTTT!!!!!!

[buddy]

8 weeks is mid-January, or just in time for BC. Means he might only miss Clemson in the conference. My bet is he is back for Clemson, although in a very limited role. The important thing is to be back, healthy, and contributing at tournament time.

[whereinthehellami]

Thats not a good way to start the season. That wrist needs to be fully back with the way Mason plays the game, explosive dunks and all.

[dukelifer]

I have broken both wrists and it took me a couple of months each time before i got the cast off. Very small fractures. He probably won't be playing for 8 weeks or so.

DAAAAAAMMMMMMMIIIIIITTTTT!!!!!!

Kelly will step up. Duke has a lot of depth up front so the early games should not be an issue- perhaps a tad closer but who knows. The main problem is that this will impact Mason's development and as such he will be much farther behind than expected by January. Some injuries do tend to bring teams together and may even take some pressure off- ala 2001 - so we need to see how this plays out.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

I talked to my orthopedic surgeon (he's operated on my right knee three times, so we're buddies) and he said that generally, non-surgery fractures of the scaphoid bone take 6-8 weeks to heal, plus a couple of weeks of PT because your hand and fingers are pretty apathied after. There is a good treatment called "external fixation" that involves use of the surrounding ligaments to put less pressure on the fracture and casts are not needed for as long, so that lessens the amount of PT.

At least he can thank God that he didn't pull a Brian Urlacher and dislocate his ulna bone. Ouch!!

[BlueintheFace]

...it's all about the ligaments. Torn= ~8-10 weeks. Not Torn=~3-4 weeks

[Tim1515]

if this were a senior or junior it would be one thing...they would know the system and be able to return quickly as long as they stayed in good shape.

Mason was raw to begin with and he definitely needed time to develop if Duke is going to make a good run in march.

The plus could be seeing more of Kelly and Olek...both who could use game time to gain some confidence

[CEF1959]

I talked to my orthopedic surgeon (he's operated on my right knee three times, so we're buddies) and he said that generally, non-surgery fractures of the scaphoid bone take 6-8 weeks to heal, plus a couple of weeks of PT because your hand and fingers are pretty apathied after. There is a good treatment called "external fixation" that involves use of the surrounding ligaments to put less pressure on the fracture and casts are not needed for as long, so that lessens the amount of PT.

Good report. Thanks. We know you meant "atrophied."

So what does "out indefinitely" mean? It has a weird sort of doomsday sound to it that sounds worse than "6-8 weeks" for example.

Does it mean, "We have no clue, and it could be resolved next week"? as in "We don't have a definite time for it to be resolved, but we just don't know if it'll be tomorrow or a year from now."? Or is is more like, "He's not coming back anytime in the foreseeable future, so you might have to forget about this guy for the season."? As in "out for the foreseeable future"?

Injuries are the one thing that can take down any promising team. K has been pointing out all fall how lucky they've been to have people developing in the off season without significant rehab.

[Bob Green]

So what does "out indefinitely" mean?

I interpreted "indefinitely" to mean the medical evaluation is incomplete.

[Troublemaker]

The main problem is that this will impact Mason's development and as such he will be much farther behind than expected by January.

Yeah, this injury could mean the difference between Mason being a high-quality starter at the end of the season and Mason being a useful bench option, which is a fairly significant difference. It's common for a player returning from injury to be hesitant, out of game shape, and in a situation where his teammates has gotten used to playing without him and he needs to be slowly integrated back in with a bench role and gradually increasing minutes. If no broken wrist, maybe he solidifies a starting job out of the gate and grows from there. The good thing is, we'll never really know without a time machine, so I'm not going to spend too much time in regret. You play the cards that are dealt; I just hope one of those cards is Lance Thomas with an improved offensive game.

[MulletMan]

Alrighty there second-hand MDs. Let's simmer down with all the rampant speculation about how long MP will be out.

His wrist is fractured, and he will be re-evaluated on a weekly basis. That doesn't mean he's out 8 weeks. It doesn't mean that he's out 3 weeks. It doesn't mean that he does or does not have torn ligaments. It means his wrist is fractured. And if anyone suggests that they heard the details of Mason's injury from a doctor or staff member at Duke, then that person is implicating someone in a HIPAA violation... so I doubt that actually happened. Sheesh.

Oh, and your muscles don't become "apathied" (which I don't think is even a word). Muscles become atrophied. From the root atrophy, meaning the loss of mass in a muscle and wasting of the muscle tissue due to things like under use and/or malnourishment.

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

So does anyone know exactly how long?

[oldnavy]

...it's all about the ligaments. Torn= ~8-10 weeks. Not Torn=~3-4 weeks

Excellent point, ligaments are the harder of the two to heal.

[MChambers]

Oh, and your muscles don't become "apathied" (which I don't think is even a word).

I think Sam Cassell said that the wine and cheese crowd at the Dean Dome was apathied.

[oldnavy]

I think Sam Cassell said that the wine and cheese crowd at the Dean Dome was apathied.

Like in having had a stroke, not as in excited....

[Olympic Fan]

Let's keep the hysteria to a minimum.

Is this injury worse than the broken foot that freshman Carlos Boozer suffered before he played his first game? Or the broken foot that freshman Elton Brand suffered in December of his freshman year?

With a broken foot, you can't run and have to work hard to stay in shape. Mason will be able to stay in shape ... he'll be at practice and he'll even go through walk-throughs.

It's a setback yes -- and further evaluations will tell us how much of a setback. But it's not a disaster.

And if Duke can't beat the No. 8 team in the Big South without Nolan Smith and Mason Plumlee, then our hopes for a great season are sadly misplaced.

[Duke12]

My sons have fractured their wrists 3 times without surgery (playing b-ball). Hairline fracture of the scaphoid bone in the wrist is a common wrist injury which can be diagnosed by a MRI scan. The scaphoid does not get much blood flow so hand doctors typically immobilize the wrist for around a month and then order a follow up x-ray to see if the fracture has heeled. Once out of the soft cast, does take a couple of weeks to stregthen wrist muscles to use (off left hand-may help). Key is to make sure scaphoid is completely healed before starting up again. My guess, if a scaphoid is the diagnosis, is mid January before he can contribute.

[mr. synellinden]

So does anyone know exactly how long?

Nobody knows exactly - even with a diagnosis of the severity of the fracture we won't know how fast he'll heel. Assuming it's a non-displaced fracture (and it sounds like it is if he doesn't need surgery) a good estimate is 5 weeks. I had a non-displaced fracture of the wrist and was in a small cast for 5 weeks. It took another two to get the strength and mobility back. Looking at the calendar, he should get his cast off in mid- December. I think him coming back for Gonzaga is optimistic but not out of the question. Then we have 10 days off before Long Beach State, and I would bet he is back and ready to play by then, or by the Clemson game at the latest. Unfortunately, this means he'll most likely miss the NIT and Wisconsin game, where he'll be most missed.

[DevilHorns]

This sucks. Oh well. Mason was the player I was most looking forward to.

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

Nobody knows exactly - even with a diagnosis of the severity of the fracture we won't know how fast he'll heel. Assuming it's a non-displaced fracture (and it sounds like it is if he doesn't need surgery) a good estimate is 5 weeks. I had a non-displaced fracture of the wrist and was in a small cast for 5 weeks. It took another two to get the strength and mobility back. Looking at the calendar, he should get his cast off in mid- December. I think him coming back for Gonzaga is optimistic but not out of the question. Then we have 10 days off before Long Beach State, and I would bet he is back and ready to play by then, or by the Clemson game at the latest. Unfortunately, this means he'll most likely miss the NIT and Wisconsin game, where he'll be most missed.

Thanks

[CEF1959]

Having two starters out is never good, but I'm looking forward to a bit more Czyz and Kelly. Those guys will be fun to watch, and we'll see more of them in the coming weeks. I'll also be glad if Lance and/or Zoubek starts some games. They've both paid some dues.

[Indoor66]

Got a decent enough coach, Cliff Ellis...

A perfect place for that maven of beach music.

[MChambers]

Nobody knows exactly - even with a diagnosis of the severity of the fracture we won't know how fast he'll heel.
He'll never heel.

[DukeSince'77]

The rest of this week/weekend can not continue like this!!!

[RelativeWays]

As long as he's not rushed back the way GP was from his foot injury a couple of years ago, I think he struggled mightily the first couple of months that season. If Duke takes its lumps early, good, they'll be stronger for it.

[oldnavy]

Let's keep the hysteria to a minimum.

Is this injury worse than the broken foot that freshman Carlos Boozer suffered before he played his first game? Or the broken foot that freshman Elton Brand suffered in December of his freshman year?

With a broken foot, you can't run and have to work hard to stay in shape. Mason will be able to stay in shape ... he'll be at practice and he'll even go through walk-throughs.

It's a setback yes -- and further evaluations will tell us how much of a setback. But it's not a disaster.

And if Duke can't beat the No. 8 team in the Big South without Nolan Smith and Mason Plumlee, then our hopes for a great season are sadly misplaced.

Well said. Yet I am a little bummed for Mason and for myself selfishly. I really wanted to see him play now. It has been a very long off season!!!

[sagegrouse]

It is about time, isn't it?

Mason's absence will give Miles and Zoubs both an opening to put a death grip on a starting spot.

Nolan's enforced time out will provide a trial-by-fire for Andre as an entree to the college game. He may not start, but he will play a lot the first two games, no matter how things go.

sagegrouse

[RockyMtDevil]

Dude, here we go again. How do our major injuries stack up against other teams, sure does seem like we have more.

I hope this isn't the first of a series of bad news coming out of the Duke camp...

[devildeac]

Bummer for Mason. Great time for the other players to gain valuable experience.

My wife had arthroscopic surgery today on her left knee and had a small portion of her lateral meniscus removed and a few arthritic spurs "trimmed." She'll not be able to dance for about 2 months. I expect her back on the dance floor in 4-6 weeks. In the meantime, she'll be working on a deal with Mason. If he will agree to do her dancing, she'll agree to do his shooting and dunking.:rolleyes:;):D

[airowe]

I'm hearing we're looking at 2-3 weeks on this. Let's hope it's right...

[oldnavy]

Having two starters out is never good, but I'm looking forward to a bit more Czyz and Kelly. Those guys will be fun to watch, and we'll see more of them in the coming weeks. I'll also be glad if Lance and/or Zoubek starts some games. They've both paid some dues.

Need more CZYZ! I am getting silly I know, but this made me think of the SNL cow bell skit.:p

[roywhite]

A perfect place for that maven of beach music.

In honor of Cliff Ellis, to brighten the mood around here a little, and best wishes to Mason Plumlee:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ57iatrkSs&feature=related



yeah, I know the Tams had this one first...

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

I wonder how this will effect Miles P. on court performance.

[Indoor66]

In honor of Cliff Ellis, to brighten the mood around here a little, and best wishes to Mason Plumlee:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ57iatrkSs&feature=related



yeah, I know the Tams had this one first...

And they did it better. (http://popup.lala.com/popup/648799877416101048):mad:

[Saratoga2]

I think we are were hoping that Mason would develop into a stellar player this year and give us a greater post presence than we have had in recent years. That can still happen, but as others have noted, the development will be delayed and he may be hesitant for a while.

So this year we have excellent players in Singler and Scheyer and probably a much improved Smith coming in as of the 3rd game. I can't really say this team will not feel the loss of Henderson and Williams. Will we be better this year? That remains for us to find out.

The hope is for Mason and Miles to be very good players and that Kelly can hold his own and offer some offensive presence. Others are unlikely to show the degree of improvement needed to make a significant impact in my estimation.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

In honor of Cliff Ellis, to brighten the mood around here a little, and best wishes to Mason Plumlee:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ57iatrkSs&feature=related



yeah, I know the Tams had this one first...
The beat on this rendition lends itself to the state dance of South Carolina better than the original version.

[Wheat/"/"/"]

Hate to see any kid get hurt, was really looking forward to seeing him play after all the pre-season talk about his game.

As others have noted, the Duke medical staff is top notch and he will get the best treatment possible.

Hopefully he will get back to the court soon.

[Greg_Newton]

NO!!! That thread WILL REMAIN SANE GOSH DARNIT!!!

Lol... despite your valiant efforts, I have a feeling it'll look a little more like this if things go south... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N26pjIsOYx0

[ChicagoCrazy84]

I hope we found out more on the extent of his injury tomorrow after the game (and after Harrison puts a Duke hat on). We can not afford to have him out for an extended period of time. As Goodman said, he is our most talented player. I would love to hear 6 weeks or so.

[PSurprise]

than in January/February/March. Give him time to heal, and some other guys good minutes. This may be beneficial in the long term for the team, although certainly not for Mason.


Here's to a great game and some great news on the Recruiting front tomorrow!!

GTHC!

[superdave]

I'm hearing we're looking at 2-3 weeks on this. Let's hope it's right...

Hope you are right. You can still run up and down the floor with a wrist injury, so conditioning should be ok.

[NSDukeFan]

Dude, here we go again. How do our major injuries stack up against other teams, sure does seem like we have more.

I hope this isn't the first of a series of bad news coming out of the Duke camp...

I am pretty sure we are not the only team with injuries and I believe there are others that are worse off than we are at this early stage of the season.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4594988
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4635942


Michael Roll joined the list of injured UCLA basketball players when he sprained his right ankle.
The Bruins already have five scholarship players on the inactive list because of injury.

J'mison Morgan (left knee), Jerime Anderson (left groin), Malcolm Lee (concussion) and d Brendan Lane (left ankle) have all missed a week of practice. They will be re-evaluated Monday.

Mike Moser (lower back) and James Keefe (left shoulder) both returned to practice last week.


UCLA's Tyler Honeycutt will be out 3 to 4 weeks with a stress reaction in his right tibia.
This is bad news to start the year for Mason, but we have frontcourt depth and we will get a chance to see how others will perform. I agree with posters who have said the bigger issue is that this would have been a great chance for Mason to get used to playing with the team so that he would be prepared to make an impact during the ACC season. Hopefully, he heals up fully and gets a little bit later start on having an impactful first year.

[Edouble]

Mason: "Z, now is your time to step up!", ala Elton to Roshown. Here's hoping.

[ChicagoHeel]

Dude, here we go again. How do our major injuries stack up against other teams, sure does seem like we have more.

I hope this isn't the first of a series of bad news coming out of the Duke camp...

My sense is that Duke has been relatively fortunate with regard to injuries that last few years. Nolan had the concussion last year and Henderson had a wrist problem maybe two years ago, but my sense is that most of your main guys have been healthy. As a UNC fan, I've felt that we had the injury bug the last couple of seasons (e.g Lawson & Frazier go down in 07-08 leaving us only with Q. Thomas for much of the year, our best defender Ginyard goes down last year when our Achilles heel is defense).

In any case, I wish Mason the best of luck and a speedy return. It would be unfortunate if, like Zeller last year, he loses a good portion of his freshman year. Zeller looked great before the injury, but when he came back he looked like someone who could have used a lot more action in ACC games. He never really made up the missed time. I hope Mason's back in time for conference play.

[BD80]

This is classic manipulation by Coach K and the staff.

With Harrison pondering his life's direction, and on the cusp of a decision, we present an example of how fragile a human body can be, and a demonstration of how sensational the medical care at Duke can be.

As Harrison weighs his decision, he should be reminded that his medical well being is best served at Duke!




save the sanctimony, i am kidding

[oldnavy]

This is classic manipulation by Coach K and the staff.

With Harrison pondering his life's direction, and on the cusp of a decision, we present an example of how fragile a human body can be, and a demonstration of how sensational the medical care at Duke can be.

As Harrison weighs his decision, he should be reminded that his medical well being is best served at Duke!




save the sanctimony, i am kidding

Have you been cruising IC again??:)

[BD80]

Have you been cruising IC again??:)

Well, I guess I should confess, my posting name over there is HowCanUTrustInHuck.

Of course, on the IC board, Mason's wrist isn't fractured, his hand was amputated in a sacrificial ceremony conducted by Coach K as the High Priest. Wojo was revealed to be Coach K's son and removed his prosthetic hand to reveal he had been honored his sophomore year to sacrifice a hand so Duke could get Battier and Burgess.

Further, the cretins at IC do not appreciate the level of medical knowledge and skill required to replace the human hand with a functioning prosthetic, particularly during the season.

[CEF1959]

I'm hearing we're looking at 2-3 weeks on this. Let's hope it's right...

Where did you hear that? Not doubting; just wondering.

[elvis14]

Wow, this isn't how I expected to start my day at all. I hope Mason heals quickly, I'm sure he's worked very hard and was looking forward to the season almost as much as I am. Anyone else think that it would be great if Ryan Kelly slid right into Mason's spot for now? That way Kelly could get some valuable in-game experience and we would have Z and Lance coming off the bench. Just a thought.

Getting HB to commit to Duke would really help even things out today :D

Oh and one of the best things for Duke is having Cliff Ellis coach one of our first two opponents. Ellis was the coach at Clemson when I was there.

[drksuh]

With a typical non-displaced fracture of the wrist, at least eight weeks recovery time for a contact athlete would be expected. Those who see him back in two, three, or four weeks are overly optimistic, non-medical guessers.

Any physician who allows him to return in less than eight weeks time, is stretching beyond the standard of care and would be subject to severe scrutiny if a recurrent wrist injury occurred.

Bottom line, he is medically unable to play for at least eight weeks.

[BD80]

With a typical non-displaced fracture of the wrist, at least eight weeks recovery time for a contact athlete would be expected. Those who see him back in two, three, or four weeks are overly optimistic, non-medical guessers.

Any physician who allows him to return in less than eight weeks time, is stretching beyond the standard of care and would be subject to severe scrutiny if a recurrent wrist injury occurred.

Bottom line, he is medically unable to play for at least eight weeks.

Could he play (or practice) with a cast?

[drksuh]

He can, of course, work out aerobically to keep his cardio up, but he will not likely be allowed any contact drills with a cast in place.

[Huh?]

Maybe this will help in the long run??? I'm sorry I promised myself I would keep the glass half full today.

[flyingdutchdevil]

This is why I love Duke. We have a doctor, with clear knowledge on the subject, contributing.

Just another reason for Barnes to come here ;)

[feldspar]

Nobody knows exactly - even with a diagnosis of the severity of the fracture we won't know how fast he'll heel.


Hopefully never.

[BlueDster]

In the new Coach K Blue Planet video linked on the front page, Coach said that Mason's injury was a weeks not months thing, and hopefully less. I took that to be encouraging and I have a feeling we'll see him playing again before the year is out.

[mr. synellinden]

If people really want to look at this optimistically rather than negatively, think of it this way:

If Mason is really our most talented player, his development into a star player will occur eventually - just maybe on a slightly delayed basis. If he was set to start, he will likely start when he is healed.

He will miss several big games (NIT - possibly UConn; Wisc.; Gonzaga) but should be ready for the start of the ACC season. Those games matter more than games during the pre-ACC schedule.

Championships are won in March and April not in November/December.

This shouldn't affect his conditioning. Maybe playing 7-10 less games will keep him from hitting any kind of "freshman" wall like Singler seemed to do two years ago.

We have frontcourt depth and other players will have a chance to contribute/develop.

It's his non-shooting hand.

Hopefully, the number 1 recruit in the country will commit to Duke today.

[striker219]

Of course, on the IC board, Mason's wrist isn't fractured, his hand was amputated in a sacrificial ceremony conducted by Coach K as the High Priest. Wojo was revealed to be Coach K's son and removed his prosthetic hand to reveal he had been honored his sophomore year to sacrifice a hand so Duke could get Battier and Burgess.

The way I read it at IC Mason cut off his own hand in a ceremony meant to bring K back to power, and then he cut Tyler Hansbrough to add his blood to the cauldron so that K would have his power and then when K came back all of his old supporters showed up and then he made a silver hand for Mason out of magic and Tyler got away.

But that could have been something else.

[ncexnyc]

I've always been one for getting our younger untested players into meaningful game situations at the start of the season and while I hate for it to come at the expense of Mason's wrist, I feel a Casey Sanders moment coming on.

[juise]

8 weeks from today is January 8th. On the January 9th, Duke is at Georgia Tech. It would sure be nice to have Mason around to D-up on Derrick Favors.

Get well soon, Mason! You are definitely a valuable piece of the puzzle for Duke.

[phillyheel]

The way I read it at IC Mason cut off his own hand in a ceremony meant to bring K back to power, and then he cut Tyler Hansbrough to add his blood to the cauldron so that K would have his power and then when K came back all of his old supporters showed up and then he made a silver hand for Mason out of magic and Tyler got away.

But that could have been something else.

So possibly at some point in the future in the NBA Mason will have the opportunity to block a Hansbrough game wining shot but Mason will have pity on him and pull back and then the silver hand will turn on him.

[jpfrizzle]

Get well soon Mason, we love ya!!!

[SilkyJ]

apologies if this was posted elsewhere, but any update here?

[ChicagoCrazy84]

Yeah, he is going to be out for the year so we're going to redshirt him.

Just kidding, I am pretty sure it's 4-6 weeks, so hopefully middle of December he'll be good to go.

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

Yeah, he is going to be out for the year so we're going to redshirt him.

Just kidding, I am pretty sure it's 4-6 weeks, so hopefully middle of December he'll be good to go.

That's not funny

[jimsumner]

He'll be revaluated later this week.

I've heard nothing to suggest that he'll be out anywhere near eight weeks.

[airowe]

I'm pretty sure the reevaluation will take place tomorrow. I saw Mason at the football game and his arm was in a sling, but not last night. He also has a nice shiner on his right eye. Brotherly spat?

[uh_no]

any update here?

[jpfrizzle]

Get well soon Mason, praying for a quick recovery!!

[SilkyJ]

any update here?

See below. Jim is about as close to the program as anyone and airowe seems to know a thing or two as well. They both posted in the ~24 hours prior to your post (airowe's was an hour before). I suggest more thorough reading prior to posting.


He'll be revaluated later this week.

I've heard nothing to suggest that he'll be out anywhere near eight weeks.


I'm pretty sure the reevaluation will take place tomorrow. I saw Mason at the football game and his arm was in a sling, but not last night. He also has a nice shiner on his right eye. Brotherly spat?

[uh_no]

See below. Jim is about as close to the program as anyone and airowe seems to know a thing or two as well. They both posted in the ~24 hours prior to your post (airowe's was an hour before). I suggest more thorough reading prior to posting.


I'm not sure if your concept of time is off, but previous to my post, no one had posted since yesterday. And, this previous post suggested that there would be an update available today, which, I believe, makes it completely reasonable to query the availability of said update. I suggest more thorough checking of timestamps before criticizing the posting of others.

[RainingThrees]

I don't think anyone has a timetable, all I know is that when he does come back I'm predicting our frontcourt will as good as Shelden and Mcbob was.

[drksuh]

I think we are being overly optimistic to think that our medical staff will allow him to play in a contact sport prior to eight weeks from the casting.

Allowing a probable future professional athlete to return to contact sports prior to an eight week period for a fracture of the radius and ulna would be outside the standard of accepted medical practice. i.e. malpractice.

Mason will only begin practicing in about eight weeks, and quite frankly cannot be expected to immediately begin to play on a high level. It will take some time for him to develop proper proprioception (which means the sense of coordination regarding various body parts) and dexterity. As much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, it is unlikely that he can make significant contributions until at least February and perhaps March. And, of course, there could be issues with team chemistry. As in the case of Zeller at UNC, the issue of redshirting Mason will be considered.

I have no direct knowledge of his individual case, and could not state any privileged information if I did; but I am stating what would be standard medical scenario with people of similar injuries.

[airowe]

From what I've heard and read this wasn't a displaced fracture and no casting is needed.

What would your revised diagnosis be based on this info?

[Turtleboy]

Allowing a probable future professional athlete to return to contact sports prior to an eight week period for a fracture of the radius and ulna would be outside the standard of accepted medical practice. i.e. malpractice.Do we know that he has those fractures?

[BlueintheFace]

So (a) the damage is not as bad as expected, (b) the damage is to the back of the left wrist, and (c) there is no ligament damage. No word yet on an exact time frame... though I think it is safe to say that he will miss the NIT tourney and most games through December.

[roywhite]

So (a) the damage is not as bad as expected, (b) the damage is to the back of the left wrist, and (c) there is no ligament damage. No word yet on an exact time frame... though I think it is safe to say that he will miss the NIT tourney and most games through December.

Well, that sounds reasonably good. Is this being reported somewhere?

[sagegrouse]

See below. Jim is about as close to the program as anyone and airowe seems to know a thing or two as well. They both posted in the ~24 hours prior to your post (airowe's was an hour before). I suggest more thorough reading prior to posting.

Moderator tryouts are not for a few more weeks. Why don't you wait until then to discipline other posters?

sagegrouse

[BlueintheFace]

Moderator tryouts are not for a few more weeks. Why don't you wait until then to discipline other posters?

sagegrouse

Where do i pick up an application? ;)

[devilboomer]

I think we are being overly optimistic to think that our medical staff will allow him to play in a contact sport prior to eight weeks from the casting.

Allowing a probable future professional athlete to return to contact sports prior to an eight week period for a fracture of the radius and ulna would be outside the standard of accepted medical practice. i.e. malpractice.

Mason will only begin practicing in about eight weeks, and quite frankly cannot be expected to immediately begin to play on a high level. It will take some time for him to develop proper proprioception (which means the sense of coordination regarding various body parts) and dexterity. As much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, it is unlikely that he can make significant contributions until at least February and perhaps March. And, of course, there could be issues with team chemistry. As in the case of Zeller at UNC, the issue of redshirting Mason will be considered.

I have no direct knowledge of his individual case, and could not state any privileged information if I did; but I am stating what would be standard medical scenario with people of similar injuries.

Are you an orthopedist? I've had a fracture before, and the timeframe was more like 4-6 weeks. Maybe my doc was a quack, though. Honest question.

I did see that Mason doesn't have a hard cast. He has a soft cast, which is how they're able to re-evaluate it each week.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

I think we are being overly optimistic to think that our medical staff will allow him to play in a contact sport prior to eight weeks from the casting.

Allowing a probable future professional athlete to return to contact sports prior to an eight week period for a fracture of the radius and ulna would be outside the standard of accepted medical practice. i.e. malpractice.

Mason will only begin practicing in about eight weeks, and quite frankly cannot be expected to immediately begin to play on a high level. It will take some time for him to develop proper proprioception (which means the sense of coordination regarding various body parts) and dexterity. As much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, it is unlikely that he can make significant contributions until at least February and perhaps March. And, of course, there could be issues with team chemistry. As in the case of Zeller at UNC, the issue of redshirting Mason will be considered.

I have no direct knowledge of his individual case, and could not state any privileged information if I did; but I am stating what would be standard medical scenario with people of similar injuries.


We're being overly optimistic? I believe you are being overly pessimistic considering we're just going by what has been reported by FoxSports, ACCHoops, the Fay Observer, and Coach K himself. I am still crossing my fingers that he'll be good to go by the Gonzaga game on Dec. 19, but if not, I'll take the Iowa St. game on Jan. 6 so I can see him live.

[jipops]

The report during the game last night said something like 'not a complete fracture'. I would take this to mean this bodes well for Mason and Duke. The wrist was wrapped, and not in a cast. I think there is plenty of reason for optimism here. Remember Boozer was back from a foot fracture in about 4-1/2 weeks back in '01. Unless Mason enjoys crawling, it's not like he's putting any weight on his wrist.

Though I have nothing to base this on, I'd hazard a wild guess that he'll be back by 12/15 for Gardner Webb. My own baseless speculation, which means absolutely nothing.

[Greg_Newton]

FWIW, a poster on the TDD free board sat behind the team last night and overheard Mason saying he would only be out a couple weeks. Hopefully that is correct.

drksuh, not to gang up on you and shoot the messenger, but it sounds like you are describing the standard treatment for a full-on broken forearm. From the various rumblings, it sounds like Mason's injury is just a small hairline fracture with no ligament damage, and is in one of the wrist bones rather than the forearm.

I'm obviously not a medical person, but I just can't see Mason being out for more than 6 weeks for that. Even that long, these days, I'd be surprised.

I tend to agree with jipops on the 12/15 game, but we'll see.

[devilboomer]

drksuh, not to gang up on you and shoot the messenger, but it sounds like you are describing the standard treatment for a full-on broken forearm. From the various rumblings, it sounds like Mason's injury is just a small hairline fracture with no ligament damage, and is in one of the wrist bones rather than the forearm.


drksuh is correct regarding the radius/ulna fracture. The wrist is a joint, meaning that it is not a bone itself but rather a point at which two different sets of bones meet -- i.e. the bones of the forearm (radius, ulna) and the bones of the hand (carpals). Most "wrist" fracture occur to the radius or ulna.

I'm just not sure it will actually be 8 weeks. Especially since we are hearing a much shorter timeframe of 2-4 weeks.

[Greg_Newton]

drksuh is correct regarding the radius/ulna fracture. The wrist is a joint, meaning that it is not a bone itself but rather a point at which two different sets of bones meet -- i.e. the bones of the forearm (radius, ulna) and the bones of the hand (carpals). Most "wrist" fracture occur to the radius or ulna.

I'm just not sure it will actually be 8 weeks. Especially since we are hearing a much shorter timeframe of 2-4 weeks.

Gotcha... I guess I just assumed otherwise because both times I have fractured my "wrist", it has been something in that mess of carpal bones. The second time it was from being undercut and landing on the heel of my palm (which sounds like Mason's fall), and they weren't even sure if it was the bone or ligament because the X-rays were inconclusive (which also sounds similar to Mason's situation), and the treatment was just a few weeks in a brace (also similar), so I wondered if that was what had happened to Mason. Ah well, as long he's back sometime in December I could care less...

[Edouble]

Gotcha... I guess I just assumed otherwise because both times I have fractured my "wrist", it has been something in that mess of carpal bones. The second time it was from being undercut and landing on the heel of my palm (which sounds like Mason's fall), and they weren't even sure if it was the bone or ligament because the X-rays were inconclusive (which also sounds similar to Mason's situation), and the treatment was just a few weeks in a brace (also similar), so I wondered if that was what had happened to Mason. Ah well, as long he's back sometime in December I could care less...

...couldn't care less.

[Newton_14]

My apologies if this has been noted in one of the other threads but I have not seen it mentioned anywhere yet.

I was listening to the local news Sunday morning and during the recap of the Radford game they showed Coach K making comments and Coach said that he is expecting Mason to come back ready to go after exams. Would that mean he is available for the Gonzaga game or does it mean he comes back in the first game after Christmas?

[tbyers11]

My apologies if this has been noted in one of the other threads but I have not seen it mentioned anywhere yet.

I was listening to the local news Sunday morning and during the recap of the Radford game they showed Coach K making comments and Coach said that he is expecting Mason to come back ready to go after exams. Would that mean he is available for the Gonzaga game or does it mean he comes back in the first game after Christmas?

Exams this semester run from Tue Dec 8th-Sun Dec 13th. I would guess that Coach K's comments meant he expects Mason back for the Gardner Webb game on the 15th and Gonzaga on the 19th. This seems in line with what a few other posters have been saying for awhile now. Very exciting to me as I didn't watch either exhibition and can't wait to see Mason play and the team play with Mason in the lineup.

[Battierfan01]

Great news!! I actually went to the Radford game Saturday and heard Mason say after the game that he hopes to be back in a few weeks. I am ready to see him play. I think that MP1 will be even better with MP2 on the floor! :)

[Jumbo]

My apologies if this has been noted in one of the other threads but I have not seen it mentioned anywhere yet.

I was listening to the local news Sunday morning and during the recap of the Radford game they showed Coach K making comments and Coach said that he is expecting Mason to come back ready to go after exams. Would that mean he is available for the Gonzaga game or does it mean he comes back in the first game after Christmas?

I'd certainly expect him back for the Gonzaga game and maybe even sooner.

[BlueintheFace]

Word is that Mason can now catch the ball with less pain than last week (when he basically couldn't). Good signs people.

[millerecu]

I know its probably not possible.....but it sure would be nice to have Mason back against UConn-victs.

[Indoor66]

I know its probably not possible.....but it sure would be nice to have Mason back against UConn-victs.

I agree with your sentiment but I doubt we will rush Mason to play before he is ready for any reason. It is a long season.

[camion]

Agreed.

It would be nice to have Mason back for UConn, but it's much more important to have a healthy Mason in January.

[Jumbo]

Agreed.

It would be nice to have Mason back for UConn, but it's much more important to have a healthy Mason in January.

I think we'll have a healthy Mason in December. Early December.

[Kewlswim]

Hi,

I am sure we all concur that what we really want is for Duke to peak at the right time of the season (late February and March) and not peak too early. With that in mind lets not get Mason in there until he is ready to fully contribute and no chance (unless by fluke) of re-aggravating the injury. I'd love us to beat UCONN (if we play them) or whomever, but it is better to lose in December, January, or February than in March. I want us playing like lions in March and not only in the beginning of the season. I know how much it hurts to lose, period, but I (and the team) have our eyes on big prizes. :D

GO DUKE!

[Newton_14]

Hi,

I am sure we all concur that what we really want is for Duke to peak at the right time of the season (late February and March) and not peak too early. With that in mind lets not get Mason in there until he is ready to fully contribute and no chance (unless by fluke) of re-aggravating the injury. I'd love us to beat UCONN (if we play them) or whomever, but it is better to lose in December, January, or February than in March. I want us playing like lions in March and not only in the beginning of the season. I know how much it hurts to lose, period, but I (and the team) have our eyes on big prizes. :D

GO DUKE!

I totally agree with your premise, but it is key for Mason to get back in December for his development. It takes Freshman a bit longer to come into their own and Mason really needed to play in as many of these "Pre-Season/Conference" games as possible. That was my biggest worry with his injury.

But it looks like all signs point to this week being the last 2 games Mason misses which once again speaks to just how good the medical care is at Duke. I can't wait to see the team with Mason back in the rotation!

Go Duke!

[Heelkiller1]

Really glad to hear he will be back soon. I still havn't got a chance to see him play ,and i am looking forward to doing so.

[Kane]

What's his status . . . when will he return? Isn't Durham called "the City of Medicine? or something like that . . . where is a doctor when we need one?

[sagegrouse]

Try this thread (http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17782&page=7). -- sagegrouse

[MulletMan]

Search function!!!!

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

What's his status . . . when will he return? Isn't Durham called "the City of Medicine? or something like that . . . where is a doctor when we need one?

The official web site of the athletic department (www.goduke.com) often has information about everything from ticket availability to status reports on athletes who have been injured.

[devilboomer]

What's his status . . . when will he return? Isn't Durham called "the City of Medicine? or something like that . . . where is a doctor when we need one?

Patient privacy. Nobody knows anything about Mason's injury unless he chooses to share it himself. Nobody knows anything about his timetable for return unless Coach K decides to share it.

[wisteria]

From Herald-Sun


Krzyzewski said that Plumlee's brother, freshman Mason Plumlee, is recovering well from a wrist injury suffered in the preseason. "My hope is that after exams, he'll be ready to go," Krzyzewski said. Duke will play four games, including the two in New York, before exams, then returns to the court Dec. 15 against Gardner-Webb.

[meloveduke]

Try this thread (http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17782&page=7). -- sagegrouse

Wow that's funny. I was wondering what you would link.

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

Good thing he will get some burn before Acc play.

[Greg_Newton]

Heyo.


Mason Plumlee likely to return for Duke within the next 2 weeks, per sources.
about 4 hours ago from web

[roywhite]

Even better?

From Nolan Smith's twitter page

My boy, Mason Plumlee may be back, and ready to play by Wednesday!! I cant wait for his debut!
14 minutes ago from web

[Hancock 4 Duke]

Via Twitter:
NdotSmitty

My boy, Mason Plumlee may be back, and ready to play by Wednesday!! I cant wait for his debut! 20 minutes ago from web

This was written by Nolan Smith on Twitter that I noticed a couple minutes ago.

[Heelkiller1]

Great news can't wait to see him play.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

I am so excited for Mason to play, whether it be Wednesday or in the next 2 weeks. I would prefer Wednesday because Wisconsin is still a tough team and the Kohl Center is a tough environment. I will be there though and will do my best to make some noise for my Dukies!!!

If this was some kind of fracture, I don't want the staff to be pushing it, so just be careful and 100% sure. We love you Mason!

[BlueintheFace]

Mason running drills and practicing... very possible

Mason playing against Wisconsin... I wouldn't count on it

[Cameron]

As long as we have him back for Gonzaga on the 19th, I'll be elated. Wisconsin will be tough at the Kohl, no doubt; the Badgers have won 113 of their last 121 games there. But, I'm confident that our guys can get out of Madison with a double digit win. Last year's game at Purdue calms my nerves quite a bit.

[duke09hms]

yeah I would definitely take an early-season loss to Wisconsin to make sure Mason fully heals and doesn't play tentative when he returns. I REALLY hope he's back at full strength for the 12/19 Gonzaga game at MSG. Just bought 8 tix for me and my fellow '09 dukies yea!

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

Mason running drills and practicing... very possible

Mason playing against Wisconsin... I wouldn't count on it

Why not?

[moonpie23]

penny wise and pound foolish

[BD80]

penny wise and pound foolish

Stuck in his thumb and pulled out a plum

[juise]

penny wise and pound foolish

I know that some people feel that K is "penny wise and pound foolish" whe divvying out playing time, but when has the staff ever rushed someone back from injury? I can't remember a player with a broken bone aggravating the same injury.

[Duke_Blue_Devil]

I know that some people feel that K is "penny wise and pound foolish" whe divvying out playing time, but when has the staff ever rushed someone back from injury? I can't remember a player with a broken bone aggravating the same injury.

Agreed, it's Duke and their medical staff, they'll do the right thing. It would be nice for him to see some action before Gonzaga so we can see a heathy Duke team against them. The more MP2 the less Zoubs, that's good for Duke.

[Kedsy]

The more MP2 the less Zoubs, that's good for Duke.

I'm very excited for Mason to return and get quickly to full strength, but I have to disagree that less Z is good for Duke. There's an entire thread on this, however, so I won't say any more here.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

I'm very excited for Mason to return and get quickly to full strength, but I have to disagree that less Z is good for Duke. There's an entire thread on this, however, so I won't say any more here.

There will always be PT this year for Zoubs, Mason or no Mason. Everytime I get frustrated with Z, he does something to redeem himself offensively or defensively. He's a solid contributor. With that said, LT, Zoubs, and Miles all fouled out against UCONN. I don't want to have to rely on just one of them in a game in case there is foul trouble. Having Mason around will put any uneasiness aside.

[mo.st.dukie]

The more MP2 the less Zoubs, that's good for Duke.

People can say what they want but without Zoubs no way we beat Texas last year and we probably wouldn't have beaten uconn on Friday either. He's not very athletic and therefore not much fun to watch but is big and productive.

[UrinalCake]

Like everyone else I hope he returns on wednesday, but I do not expect him to contribute much. He's a freshman, playing on the road, after missing several games and being injured. We'll need to be patient.

I'm actually less concerned with how many minutes he plays and more concerned about his conditioning and strength training. Hopefully these will be back to 100% soon.

[oldnavy]

I just hope that I/we are not building him up with too high of expectations. I want to be fair to him when he does come back and not expect too much!

Having said that, I am looking forward to seeing him and MP1 play together. If he is "just" as good as Miles I will be thrilled. If he is better, then I will be elated!

I am sure this has been discussed, but has Duke ever had brothers that were both starters at the same time?

[CDu]

I just hope that I/we are not building him up with too high of expectations. I want to be fair to him when he does come back and not expect too much!

Having said that, I am looking forward to seeing him and MP1 play together. If he is "just" as good as Miles I will be thrilled. If he is better, then I will be elated!

I am sure this has been discussed, but has Duke ever had brothers that were both starters at the same time?

Worst case scenario is that he provides an additional 10-15 minutes of athleticism at the 4/5 spot so that Miles Plumlee, Thomas, and Zoubek can continue to play aggressively and we don't have to worry as much about foul trouble in the post. That's all I'm expecting right now, though I'm hoping for more.

But if nothing else, he allows us to have another athletic big so that our options at the 5 aren't just Miles Plumlee or "go slow." If we want to keep an up-tempo lineup on the floor when Miles is in foul trouble, we'll be able to do so.

And if he brings more to the table (like good passing, some offense, etc), that's great. Though I do think it means we'll see little of Kelly and none of Czyz.

[wisteria]

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/duke/story/6519700/

[BlueintheFace]

Well, consider me shocked. After hearing how he was just recently able to catch a ball without pain, I figured he would be out until at least Gardner Webb...

I was wrong:

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/duke/story/6519700/

I'd encourage everybody to keep expectations very low for his first game back... coming off a hand injury... going up against a quality opponent... without logging very many minutes in practice with the team. Temper people, temper.

[RainingThrees]

Excellent. I can't wait to see Duke at full strength and seeing the brothers blocking shots left and right.

[airowe]

well, consider me shocked. After hearing how he was just recently able to catch a ball without pain, i figured he would be out until at least gardner webb...

I was wrong:

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/duke/story/6519700/

i'd encourage everybody to keep expectations very low for his first game back... Coming off a hand injury... Going up against a quality opponent... Without logging very many minutes in practice with the team. Temper people, temper.

yeah, boy!

[Duvall]

I'd encourage everybody to keep expectations very low for his first game back... coming off a hand injury... going up against a quality opponent... without logging very many minutes in practice with the team. Temper people, temper.

Nonetheless, analysts have upgraded Duke from "Alarmingly Unathletic" to "Scrappy and Tenacious."

[RainingThrees]

If Mason is anywhere close to his brother in vertical leap and shot blocking I will be ecstatic. When was the last time Duke had 2 real shot blockers.

[Indoor66]

If Mason is anywhere close to his brother in vertical leap and shot blocking I will be ecstatic. When was the last time Duke had 2 real shot blockers.

Tyson & Buckley?

[DukieTiger]

Tyson & Buckley?

Randolph and Williams?

Brand and Battier?

[roywhite]

Randolph and Williams?

Brand and Battier?

Brand and Battier, certainly, and the rest of the 1998-99 team were no slouches.
http://goduke.statsgeek.com/basketball-m/seasons/season-stats.php?season=1998-99

More recently, Shelden Williams and Josh McRoberts in the 2005-06 season were a good pair.
http://goduke.statsgeek.com/basketball-m/seasons/season-stats.php?season=2005-06

[RainingThrees]

Brand and Battier, certainly, and the rest of the 1998-99 team were no slouches.
http://goduke.statsgeek.com/basketball-m/seasons/season-stats.php?season=1998-99

More recently, Shelden Williams and Josh McRoberts in the 2005-06 season were a good pair.
http://goduke.statsgeek.com/basketball-m/seasons/season-stats.php?season=2005-06

I was thinking back to Brand and Battier. All I could remember from Mcbob his freshmen year was him dunking the ball.

[G man]

They are both saying he will be in uniform come wednesday. How much he plays is yet to be seen, but still good news!

[striker219]

If Mason is anywhere close to his brother in vertical leap and shot blocking I will be ecstatic. When was the last time Duke had 2 real shot blockers.

Well, in fairness, Miles has an inch on Mason in high school high jump records (6'8" vs 6'9") but Mason is no slouch.

[flyingdutchdevil]

In all honesty, I really hope that Mason doesn't play much on Wednesday. Nothing against him or his game - but coming off a serious hand injury and playing significant minutes against a great team? That sounds like not so good news. We have a string of not so good teams coming up (St. Johns, Gardner-Webb) and I would love to see Mason play a lot then. Obviously, the Duke Medical staff know better, but I really hope they take as many precautions as necessary. I'm willing to wait on Mason in order to get him back 110% in a few weeks.

We can remain "alarmingly unathletic" for a little while longer ;)

[devilboomer]

In all honesty, I really hope that Mason doesn't play much on Wednesday. Nothing against him or his game - but coming off a serious hand injury and playing significant minutes against a great team? That sounds like not so good news. We have a string of not so good teams coming up (St. Johns, Gardner-Webb) and I would love to see Mason play a lot then. Obviously, the Duke Medical staff know better, but I really hope they take as many precautions as necessary. I'm willing to wait on Mason in order to get him back 110% in a few weeks.

We can remain "alarmingly unathletic" for a little while longer ;)

To be honest, I don't think it matters against which team he returns. We're Duke, and every team we play brings 100% against us. The likelihood of aggressive and physical play is just as high against Wisconsin as it is against Gardner-Webb. Everybody tries to make a statement against us. Period.

If anything, I would argue that Wisconsin is a good time to return, as B10 teams like to slow things down. St. John's, on the other hand, (which is now looking like it could be a tourny team), brings an aggressive brand of basketball.

[flyingdutchdevil]

To be honest, I don't think it matters against which team he returns. We're Duke, and every team we play brings 100% against us. The likelihood of aggressive and physical play is just as high against Wisconsin as it is against Gardner-Webb. Everybody tries to make a statement against us. Period.

If anything, I would argue that Wisconsin is a good time to return, as B10 teams like to slow things down. St. John's, on the other hand, (which is now looking like it could be a tourny team), brings an aggressive brand of basketball.

While I completely agree that teams bring 100% against us, there is a huge difference between UCONN 100% and Gardner-Webb 100%. Just because teams bring 100% doesn't make them aggressive / physical. 100% means you're playing at the highest ability possible; not the most aggressive.

[slower]

The likelihood of aggressive and physical play is just as high against Wisconsin as it is against Gardner-Webb.

I'd say it's significantly higher against Wisconsin.

[greybeard]

I wouldn't be too sure that you've heard the last from this wrist. I hope so, but wrists are nasty complicated.

[Tim1515]

I don't think the game matters either. In fact i think most stupid injuries happen against bad teams when you're not 100% focused.

I just hope people don't have expectations too high for Mason. I honestly don't expect him to give us more then Miles this entire year...he was a little raw to begin with and miss the beginning of the season...it will most likely take time for him to develop.

[ChicagoCrazy84]

I wouldn't be too sure that you've heard the last from this wrist. I hope so, but wrists are nasty complicated.


You think? I disagree. This wasn't a serious injury really at all. If he had hurt his ulna bone which Brian Urlacher did this year, then there is a possibility for some sort of aggravation because it is basically keeping the whole wrist in place. Also, this isn't a foot, heel, or ankle where you are constantly putting pressure on it and testing it. Lastly, it is his non-shooting hand so he can probably play with some sort of brace. I am in the belief that he'll only aggravate it if he falls on it again.

[flyingdutchdevil]

You think? I disagree. This wasn't a serious injury really at all. If he had hurt his ulna bone which Brian Urlacher did this year, then there is a possibility for some sort of aggravation because it is basically keeping the whole wrist in place. Also, this isn't a foot, heel, or ankle where you are constantly putting pressure on it and testing it. Lastly, it is his non-shooting hand so he can probably play with some sort of brace. I am in the belief that he'll only aggravate it if he falls on it again.

Knock on wood

[jipops]

I wouldn't be too sure that you've heard the last from this wrist. I hope so, but wrists are nasty complicated.

Yeah, like the way it hampered DeMarcus his entire freshman year. Unlike DeMarcus however this is his non-shooting hand, so maybe we won't hear too much about it.

[BD80]

I wouldn't be too sure that you've heard the last from this wrist. I hope so, but wrists are nasty complicated.

Not to jump on you Greybeard, nor to question the medical background or personal experiences of other posters, but do you really think that the Duke medical staff, with the benefit of x-rays and hands-on examination is making a hasty or injudicious decision?

I apologize if those speculating as to the severity of the injury or the length of recovery have more information than has been revealed in the press or on this board, but I hereby proclaim my faith in the Duke medical staff and my excitement to see Mason on the court for as many minutes as Coach K deems he should play.

[greybeard]

I don't think that the Duke medical staff would put a player at risk, absolutely, positively not. No way.

All I suggested is that the doctors' clearing M to play is not the same as their saying, "All better." I'm sure that the doctors are convinced that M has nothing discernible to gain from more therapy or rest at this time. Perhaps they also know that the pain will not reappear and exactly what caused it. Given the complexity of wrists (just look at a picture), I tend to doubt it. So, for me, the longer he plays without a recurrence of pain the better.

[BlueintheFace]

I will be surprised if he gets over 12 minutes. How much time he gets will be very interesting.

[jpfrizzle]

It's still great news to hear that Mason may possibly play tonight!

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/story/219504.html

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

Is he going to start tonight?

[Heelkiller1]

Is he going to start tonight?

I hope so , I haven't seen him paly yet and I would love to get a look at this guy in action. Even if it is for a few minutes.

[Kedsy]

Is he going to start tonight?

That would surprise me immensely. He'll probably be starting soon enough, but I can't imagine it will be tonight.

[jpfrizzle]

Is he going to start tonight?

I can't confirm that. Will have to wait and see.

[Memphis Devil]

I'd encourage everybody to keep expectations very low for his first game back... coming off a hand injury... going up against a quality opponent... without logging very many minutes in practice with the team. Temper people, temper.

I agree here. I certainly don't expect to see any Vince Carter-esque left handed dunks where he stuffs his arm through the hoop and hangs there by his elbow. His right hand, now that is a different story!! :D

I can't wait to see MP2 in action tonight!

[Wheat/"/"/"]

I hope Mason gets to play tonight. I have yet to see him on the floor against college competition and I am looking forward to seeing how he looks...

Win one for the ACC!

[rhcpflea99]

I expect play 15 to 20 min. Can't wait to see the chemistry him and his brother have. I doubt coach K suits him up if he wasn't close to 100% healthy.