NCAA Basketball: Injury Report (OG Anunoby out for remainder of season)

Jan 8, 2017; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack forward Abdul-Malik Abu (0) with the ball as North Carolina Tar Heels forward Luke Maye (32) and forward Tony Bradley (5) defend in the second half. The Tar Heels defeated the Wolfpack 107-56 at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

What NCAA basketball injuries should we keep an eye on as we head into the weekend?

Significant injuries are starting to sweep through the nation like wild fires. We still have a month and a half to go until conference play switches to the postseason conference tournaments, and that next step in the road to Phoenix can’t come soon enough for some teams.

Meanwhile, others have already been dealt the brunt of their blow. Ray Smith is done in Arizona. Ben Carter is done in Michigan State. Duke has dealt with injuries since the preseason practices and the Spartans have dealt with the same adversity. Also, Creighton just lost their heart, soul, and engine in Maurice Watson Jr. to a torn ACL.

Obviously, teams, coaches, and players want to avoid injuries at all costs. However, it doesn’t always work like that. Some rosters will continue to get ravaged by them, while others will continue to be pristine clean.

Duke was playing with six guys just a month and a half ago, but now the Blue Devils have all three of their freshman back (even though Harry Giles and Marques Bolden are still playing limited minutes).

This is why it’s important to look at the key injuries in college hoops every week. This week, we will continue with five critical updates (and by critical, I mean that this is a must read).

Jan 8, 2017; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Tony Bradley (5) on the court in the second half. The Tar Heels defeated the Wolfpack 107-56 at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

5. Tony Bradley to return vs. Boston College

Freshman forward Tony Bradley has missed the last two games for the North Carolina Tar Heels due to a concussion. However, UNC’s best rebounder off the bench is set to return on Saturday versus Boston College.

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Bradley is not a necessary piece that the Tar Heels need to have in order to win tomorrow’s game versus Boston College, but it is good news that he is finally returning to the lineup.

Even though Luke Maye did a solid job in Bradley’s absence (15 rebounds versus Florida State), the freshman big gives the Tar Heels a different dimension. He runs the floor well, is averaging just over eight points a game and is grabbing 5.7 rebounds per night. He is also blocking 0.7 shots per game.

Boston College doesn’t have the front court prowess to challenge Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks alone, so getting Bradley back on Saturday will just be a bonus. He can work back into game form in anticipation for North Carolina’s home game against Virginia Tech next week.

Mar 18, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Matt Costello (10) and forward Gavin Schilling (34) interact during the second half of the first round against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

4. Gavin Schilling ’99 percent’ done for season

Finally, we have an update on Michigan State big man Gavin Schilling.

Even though it is not much of a surprise, the forward is not expected to return this season, according to head coach Tom Izzo.

From Michigan Live:

Spartans coach Tom Izzo said on Tuesday that he thinks it’s “99 percent definitive” that Schilling will miss the entire 2016-17 season with a right knee injury suffered in the preseason.

“In my mind, it’s 99 percent definitive,” Izzo said. “I think in his mind it is, too. So I guess we could almost say that his chances of coming back are slim this year.”

Schilling, like his partner Ben Carter, hasn’t played in a single game this season for the Spartans. The big man was expected to be one of Michigan State’s starting veteran bigs, but as mentioned in the Michigan Live article, he suffered a serious knee injury during the preseason and had to undergo knee surgery.

Carter has already been ruled out for the season, so it looks like the Spartans will have to continue to play without their two best bigs.

The good news: Nick Ward has become a force in the paint and Schilling could receive a redshirt year.

Ward is averaging 13.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game for a team that is starting to hit their stride. He has gained more confidence as the season has gone on and his physical presence has been a very valuable asset for Tom Izzo and company.

Meanwhile, if Schilling can be granted a redshirt year, that would be a huge coup for the Spartans. With Ward and Schilling back and Jaren Jackson Jr. and Xavier Tillman joining the roster as freshmen, the Spartans could have a sneaky good front court in 2017-18.

Jan 11, 2017; Louisville, KY, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Chris Jones (12) and forward Michael Young (2) attempt to strip the ball from Louisville Cardinals guard Quentin Snider (4) during the first half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

3. Quentin Snider out 2-to-3 weeks

Yes, Louisville demolished Clemson on Thursday night without point guard Quentin Snider. And yes, Donovan Mitchell is playing great basketball right now.

However, that doesn’t mean that the Louisville Cardinals won’t miss their starting point guard, veteran Quentin Snider.

Snider will be out 2-to-3 weeks with a hip injury that he suffered against the Duke Blue Devils.

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This injury was overshadowed by many earlier this week, but it may not be under the radar following Louisville’s two upcoming road games against Florida State and Pittsburgh. Louisville has averaged 85 points per game in their last three outings, as their offense is finally starting to improve after a season-long drought.

Their highest scoring total in ACC play has come without Snider (versus Clemson), but that doesn’t mean the Cardinals can win without him when March rolls around. They need Snider to fully recover as soon as possible because, like many other point guards across the country, he’s the heart and soul of their offensive attack.

Snider makes good decisions with the basketball in his hands and initiates the offense on a nightly basis. He is averaging 12.1 points (2nd on the team), 4.0 assists and 0.8 steals per game. He’s also valuable commodity because of his big game experience.

Jan 19, 2017; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks forward Dillon Brooks (24) looks to the bench following a three point shot against the California Golden Bears at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

2. Dillon Brooks in a walking boot, questionable status moving forward

Oregon’s season flashed right before their fans’ eyes on Thursday evening as Dillon Brooks suffered a lower left leg injury in the 1st half of the Ducks’ beat down against Cal. The forward did not return in the second half, and according to the school, Brooks is currently in a walking boot.

No one has given a timetable in regards to Brooks’ return. That’s not the worst of news, but let’s be honest this doesn’t sound good.

Remember, Oregon’s best player suffered an injury to the same foot during the offseason and it required surgery. He missed all of Oregon’s preseason practices, the first three games of the season and really didn’t become the Dillon Brooks of old until the Ducks’ game against UCLA at the beginning of Pac-12 play.

Oregon is National Title contender with Brooks in the lineup, but without him, they are nothing more than just another top 25 team.

Why? Because Brooks helps the Ducks space the floor. He gives them the versatility necessary to run Dana Altman’s spread system to perfection. And he also gives the Ducks a swagger and competitive fire that gives them the confidence that they can beat any team in the country.

This season, Brooks is averaging 13.4 points, 3.1 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game. He hit a game-winning shot with less than a second left to beat UCLA and dropped 28 points a few night later in a romping of USC. Oregon is in the class with the likes of Kentucky, UCLA, Villanova, Kansas and others if Brooks is in the lineup. If not, like mentioned above, they are just another team.

Jan 18, 2017; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions forward Payton Banks (0) and Indiana Hoosiers forward OG Anunoby (3) chase after the loose ball during the first half at Bryce Jordan Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports

1. OG Anunoby out for the season due to knee injury

After Maurice Watson Jr. was ruled out for the season on Tuesday, the horrors of this week continued with more bad news on Friday. In Bloomington, Tom Crean and the Indiana program announced that OG Anunoby is done for the season with a significant knee injury that will require surgery.

In Bloomington, Tom Crean and the Indiana program announced that OG Anunoby is done for the season with a significant knee injury that will require surgery.

Coach Crean on OG Anunoby: pic.twitter.com/oEZOMdzMD9

— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) January 20, 2017

Anunoby went down with a non-contact injury against the Penn State on Wednesday evening. When Crean was crying postgame and Indiana announced on Thursday that their versatile forward was out indefinitely, you knew this news was coming sooner rather than later.

But it’s still brutal to think about.

First of all, Anunoby was projected to be a lottery pick in the 2017 NBA Draft coming into this season. He hasn’t been able to live up to expectations because of an illness that limited him in the Fort Wayne game, a nagging ankle injury that zapped him of some explosiveness for a few games and ineffective play.

It’s rather obvious that Anunoby is having difficulties adjusting to life as the “alpha dog.” Last year, he came off the bench as a role player and wasn’t counted on to create offense or be a presence in the locker room. This year, it’s completely different. Not only is Anunoby asked to guard the opposing teams’ best player on a nightly basis, but he is counted on to score offensively and be a leader off the court.

Anunoby is averaging 11.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, while shooting 56 percent from the field, 31 percent from downtown and 56 percent from the free throw line. He’s improved his jump shot and is efficient from the field overall, but he still struggles at the line and he has more turnovers than assists.

The sophomore will have an option at the end of the season: he can either come back and play at least one more season, or he can opt to enter a loaded 2017 NBA Draft and hope for the best. It seems more realistic for Anunoby to stay one more season and take advantage of another year under Crean, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him use the new draft rules to his advantage and then make a decision from there.

Meanwhile, for Indiana, this is terrible news. They were already a bad defensive team with Anunoby in the lineup — just imagine what they are going to be like without their best perimeter defender. This could truly start to get ugly for the Hoosiers. They still have a lot of talent, but if they are going to turn the ball over and not defend on a nightly basis, they will get carved up in the Big Ten.

The Hoosiers are hanging their hat on two wins: Kansas and North Carolina. However, they currently have six losses and are just .500 in the Big Ten. They were one James Blackmon Jr. miss away from being 2-4 in the conference.