WKU Men’s Basketball Head Coach Hank Plona gave an injury update on one of the Hilltoppers’ top scorers Tuesday at his weekly press conference.
Plona confirmed guard Julius Thedford suffered a dislocated kneecap in Saturday’s loss at MTSU. He said Thedford MRI showed an obvious ligament tear as well, but showed “no additional damage.” Plona said there is no surgery necessary for Thedford’s injury.
“It’s just rehabilitation from here,” Plona said. “He’s certainly out for a little bit … I guess we’re hoping Julius can be back in about a month I guess is what I would say as a random guess.”
Thedford, a 6-foot-4 freshman from Memphis, Tennesse, is WKU’s third-leading scorer this season, averaging 12.4 points per game. Thedford’s play in his first semester on the Hill earned him two Conference USA Freshman of the Week awards in December.
“In my opinion, Julius has had a great year, he’s an important part of our team,” Plona said. “While having a great year, I thought he was on the verge of taking a jump, another step forward. It’s definitely a tough one for us. At the same time, it’s all part of it.”
Plona also updated the status of Babacar Faye, a 6-foot-8 forward who suffered an MCL injury against Murray State on Dec. 14. He is not sure about Faye’s status but said WKU is looking at mid-February for a possible return.
“He’s not running or sprinting or jumping or anything like that yet,” Plona said. “I think we’re probably looking at another three to four weeks.”
Before his injury, Faye averaged 15.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, second and first on WKU respectively.
Plona said WKU cannot feel sorry for themselves after losing two of their top-three scorers.
“If we go into a game thinking ‘woe is us’ or ‘sorry for us,’ we’re not gonna succeed,” he said. “I know we’re getting hit by an injury bug at a level I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced … The guys that are healthy need to focus on going to Louisiana Tech and trying to win Thursday.”
WKU is 2-3 in CUSA play and will continue the quest for back-to-back conference championships at Lousiana Tech Thursday.
Sports Editor Jake McMahon can be reached at [email protected].