KeaneyBlue - The URI Basketball Forum

It's been six months since EC got injured, and about six months until the start of next season. Any official, or unofficial word on how he is doing?

I would like to hear about an update

Yes please post if anyone has an update

I'm thinking (hoping) that no news is good news on this front.

There was video posted in his thread and the schedule thread in mid March that showed him shooting around. Don't think there's been anything since, and I imagine at this time of the year we won't hear much more.

Seems most of the guys are home with family for the next few weeks until summer sessions start. Per social media EC looks in good spirits.

Good news indeed, I hope we can get at least 15 Ppg from EC next year

Hass was hurt too. Don't forget that.

Looking forward to seeing some monster dunks from Hass next year and can't wait to see him swat a couple shots into the third row

Jon's on the injury report today... tweet after tweet of injury news.

Some may say I'm pessimistic but I would call it realism...

But if you think the E.C. is to be going as good or better than what he was based on resuming full activities in September, then I think you're overestimating things. He'll basically have 45 days to get into full, Division One basketball shape, tone, explosiveness, timing, confidence, etc.

In reality, it may take him the entire season to feel and play like his old self.

Who thinks he will be the old healthy EC in the season opener? Not sure I've seen that written here.

My point is you may not see "old healthy" all season.

I expect a period where he is working off the rust, but if he is 100% healthy heading into the season I think he will play himself back into the basketball form we've come to know from him at some point. One thing I know for sure, he will work his ass off to get there. If he isn't fully Old EC by the end of the year, it won't be because he didn't do everything he could to get there. That is enough for me to be feel good about what we will get from him this year.

Until he plays in a real game, it will be hard to tell.

This also isn't 1995...guys come back from ACL surgeries due to advances in medicine, treatment, training regiments, etc in a different way than in the past. Just for a local reference Rodney Bulluck came off ACL surgery and had a pretty good first year for PC. Of course it won't be immediately, but I would be shocked if he isn't close to 100% by the new year.

And Bullock had the added challenge of missing the season before the injury to suspension.

Trust me, I'm not questioning anybody's work ethic in returning from injury. I'm pretty sure he's doing everything the doctors, trainers, strength/conditioning coaches, etc. are asking of him.

But I've also seen many more guys come back from an ACL and never being as good as they once were. They can still play but they lost a whole lot. Some of it was mental but I believe it was more physical. Brain and heart say yes but the body may say no.

I (this is me personally) am not counting on E.C. to play like old E.C. I think his shooting percentages will be down, his style of game may change, and he won't be able to make some of the explosive plays he once did. That's my expectation for this year.

We shall see...long way to go. I hope to come on the board in mid-January and have a full plate of crow to eat. That would be nice.

Maybe he didn't tear it that bad? I mean, he was walking around perfectly fine and shooting around by January and is doing drills looking close to full speed right now.
I think there's a great chance he'll be as good as he was

I don't think any of these things you mentioned are indicative of the severity of the injury, unfortunately. I think his injury was pretty serious.

He had nearly the maximum recovery time you could have. I would be more worried about the guy with the broken leg.

EC also relies on his height and actual skill than he does on superior agility or speed. Its like set shots outside. elbow pull ups. floaters or lay ups that finish high off the glass.

[EDIT] Unless you guys are close to the program and are tempering expectations of course.

Seawrightspostgame wrote:He had nearly the maximum recovery time you could have. I would be more worried about the guy with the broken leg.

EC also relies on his height and actual skill than he does on superior agility or speed. Its like set shots outside. elbow pull ups. floaters or lay ups that finish high off the glass.

[EDIT] Unless you guys are close to the program and are tempering expectations of course.

That spin move was one he liked a lot too. That's the one he got hurt on. I wonder if that's one he might be reluctant to use.

Marc Upshaw was a talented URI player in the early '80s. Blew out his knee and lost a potential NBA career. Today, he would have a good chance of getting fully healthy.

Thanks to modern medicine he should be fine. Although Rondo took longer to rehab, I think [same Doctor/same procedure.]

I was thinking of E.C. the other day when learning of Ali's passing..................I had my MCL repaired and cartilage removed the day of the Liston/Clay fight. I was in my room, anesthesia had worn off, and watched the fight. Yes, there were TV sets in hospital rooms those many years ago. It was prior to my Junior year, and I graduated before I could play again.

E.C. has the benefit of better surgical techniques, and a different world when it comes to rehab.

Billyboy78 wrote:

Seawrightspostgame wrote:He had nearly the maximum recovery time you could have. I would be more worried about the guy with the broken leg.

EC also relies on his height and actual skill than he does on superior agility or speed. Its like set shots outside. elbow pull ups. floaters or lay ups that finish high off the glass.

[EDIT] Unless you guys are close to the program and are tempering expectations of course.

That spin move was one he liked a lot too. That's the one he got hurt on. I wonder if that's one he might be reluctant to use.

This is something I'm worried about. In addition to the rust and getting back to full fitness, he's going to have to get over some mental hurdles. Practices, secret scrimmages and exhibitions could help, but I imagine those first couple regular season games are going to be tough for him to fully trust his knee. Hopefully with a few games under his belt he won't be thinking about his knee come the Cincinnati game and can just play. And hopefully he'll be back to totally being himself for conference play. I wouldn't be totally heartbroken either if most of our toughest conference games were at the very end of the schedule.

I have no real reason to feel this way, but I don't think EC will have any issue with the mental aspect of his recovery. He just strikes me as someone that won't hesitate to try anything and will operate off of instinct from the first time he is on the court after he is cleared.

Rhody Guy wrote:I have no real reason to feel this way, but I don't think EC will have any issue with the mental aspect of his recovery. He just strikes me as someone that won't hesitate to try anything and will operate off of instinct from the first time he is on the court after he is cleared.

Any athlete who has a severe injury impacting performance has many mental hurdles to overcome.

The pitcher coming off elbow surgery...takes time to trust his curveball and command.
The sprinter or soccer player coming off hamstring injury...do they want to push it to the next gear
QB with shoulder surgery...can he throw it like he wants and is accurately as he used to? Is he afraid of getting sacked or running with the ball?
Hockey goalie with a groin injury...side to side movement puts a lot of strain.

I can speak from personal experience that coming off of injury is not as simple mentally as you make it out to be.

Rhody Guy also has personal experience coming off of injuries as well. Every athlete is different.

There are plenty of examples of Athletes returning to form well ahead of expectation as well. Adrian Peterson, Tom Brady, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin...All hit the ground running with little to no sign of mental hesitation.

If we have any shot at the tournament EC is going to have to be close to 100% before conference play, preferably before the Cincy game (wishful thinking.) All these preseason rankings are heavily weighted on EC's return to 100%, as I don't think we are a Top 25 team without him (might be stating the obvious.)

(music when you press play)

Is nicola intentionally high-stepping in that video on the bottom left, or is that just how he runs when he goes full speed? Still very baby giraffe-ish! Excited to see how much he improves this year, I think he can certainly be a big contributor during his time here.

The baby giraffe is back!

A broken leg usually recovers stronger than pre-injury - not so with a torn ACL.

ACL injuries aren't what they use to be.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketb ... tball-team
Another article with Rhody press.
Crazy seeing us mentioned in stuff like this all the time now.

Hey now! Shortest clip ever but I'll take it �

Oh man just can't wait for the season!!

I admit to not being an injury expert, but that seems like a remarkable amount of athleticism to be showing 7 months after the injury (and 6 months after the surgery). Can't help but be encouraged by it.

RhowdyRam02 wrote:

That's great to hear. Obviously, we won't know anything for certain until we see him in a game, but to hear he already looks close to 100% is encouraging. All the hard work that he's been putting in has been paying off.

Encouraging news 2 full months before Sept where EC can get himself mentally prepared before he gets to close to 100 %

I think it's safe to say EC has his explosiveness back...check his Instagram...

Good to see him mastering the art of landing on his left leg, at least for now.

it's probably a lot more of a mental thing at this point than a physical thing