Before basketball, let me slip in some baseball news:
- Reliever Logan Hoch had surgery on his torn labrum on Thursday, likely knocking him out 2009 plans. Hoch did not throw this fall as he tried to rehab his way out of the injury. He will be missed on an already young pitching staff. I thought Hoch had a better 2008 than his numbers (2-1, 5.16 ERA) reveal and his 2009 would have been better.
- Reliever Tyler Fleming had shoulder surgery in July and is doing well with his rehab. There is a slight possibility he will throw this spring. It is too early to get too excited, but it is not out of the question, acccording to pitching coach Brent Kemnitz.
- Redshirt freshman Cameron Maldonado, also battling shoulder problems, had bone chips removed. Kemnitz reports Maldonado reports no pain.
Basketball
- Aaron Ellis is practicing again. Mantas Griskenas is not. Expect Ellis to play some Sunday against Florida A&M. Griskenas is not likely to play.
- The Rattlers, who play at Kansas State tonight, are small and fast and they shoot from the outside. “It’s more of perimeter-oriented, and very fast, athletic team that shoots the three,” coach Gregg Marshall said. “It’s going to be a challenge.”
- FAMU freshman Dale Hughes came off the bench to score 30 in Tuesday’s exhibition win over NAIA Warner Southern. “He really shoots the ball well,” Marshall said.
Here’s some opening-day trivia, courtesy of WSU director of media relations Larry Rankin.
- Maurice Evans scored a career-high 38 in WSU’s previous meeting with the Rattlers, a 91-72 win in 1998.
- WSU is 0-3 when playing on Nov. 16. The Shockers lost to Houston 67-66 in the 1989-90 Preseason NIT (Mike Cohen made his debut and chased the timekeeper down the tunnel, believing WSU was cheated of a few seconds at the end). Delaware defeated WSU 62-47 in Alaska in 2001. Baylor defeated WSU 64-55 last season in the Virgin Islands.
- WSU is 83-18 in home openers and 59-8 when the season opener is at home.