University of Memphis sophomore forward Austin Nichols suffered a shoulder injury in practice, Monday.
After receiving a MRI Tuesday night, results displayed only a sprain. The Collierville native is expected to sit out 10 days to recover.
Head Coach Josh Pastner addressed the issue Wednesday afternoon in a press conference, assuring that it was a minor setback.
“It’s no different than something with an ankle or an ankle sprain,” he said. “It’s a shoulder sprain. Could he come back before ten days? Yes, but it’s just for safety reasons. To give an opportunity to strengthen him, so we can be extra precautionary for the shoulder.”
Nichols, who started every game last season, averaged 9.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in his freshman campaign.
With a very inexperienced team this year, Nichols, the reigning American Athletic Conference freshman of the year, is expected to anchor the Tigers alongside junior big man, Shaq Goodwin. The two are not only expected to be leaders for the 2014-15 squad, but they are also expected to pick up the workload for a team that lost five seniors to graduation.
Though they haven’t played a game yet, Pastner believes his team has plenty of potential.
“A lot of people ask me about this group,” he said. “I can tell you one thing about this group. We are going to play hard, we are going to compete. We’re going to defend. We’re going to get after it. I love this group. We have a lot of potential and a lot of opportunity to do well.”
However, the sixth-year coach cautioned that no can know, for sure, how good the Tigers are until they start playing games.
The biggest criticism against Nichols, last year, was that he was not strong enough to hang around with bigger players. He often struggled with rebounding, but, over the offseason, Nichols has reportedly put on close to 20 pounds.
Now that Nichols has a year under his belt and added strength, Memphis should have one of the top frontcourt duos in all of college basketball.
The sophomore forward will be back in time to play in the Tigers’ “secret scrimmage” against St. Louis, Saturday, Nov. 8, according to Pastner.
“He’ll be back in time for the secret scrimmage, but it is a 10 day injury,” Pastner said.
The team returned to practice Monday after the much-anticipated Memphis Madness festivities Saturday.
Pastner explained, how in the six years as head coach the practice after Madness is always one of the season’s worst.
“The Monday after Memphis Madness, that practice has been one of the worst practices of the year,” he said. “This Monday has been no different. We are not a good team that plays after Memphis madness. We are 0-6 against Memphis madness.”
After Memphis’ scrimmage, which the press is banned due to NCAA regulations, the Blue and Gray open the season against Christian Brothers on Nov. 12.
