Justin Minaya dislocated his thumb in the win against Mizzou. Gamecock Central reporting that he will likely need surgery.
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Minaya likely to need surgery on his thumb
- Thread starter markymark550
- Start date
Yes it does. While he's been up and down offensively, he's played good defense all year and rebounds at a good clip.
FurmanCock
Grand Poohbah
Here's hoping for a quick and full recovery for Justin!
doublea1971
GCF Top Poster
It's going to depend on what kind of surgery he is having as to the effect it will have on him and his time on the court. He did continue to play some on Saturday with the thumb taped, and played well defensively. Obviously, surgery could affect his shooting. But, if it's something where the post-surgical wound seals up quickly (so that he doesn't get sweat into the incision), he could foreseeably play with the hand in a brace. Since he's not necessarily a huge offensive presence for us (though he's a threat from behind the arc), I could see him giving quality minutes DEFENSIVELY for us even with a surgical procedure.
Regardless, Justin's presence and maturity defensively will be missed if/while he's out.
Regardless, Justin's presence and maturity defensively will be missed if/while he's out.
I am glad you chimed in on this. I am curious to see who you think may be able to step up and fill that void if/while he is out?
A month ago, I would have had serious doubts about our season after hearing this.
The team seems to have improved a lot since then, though.
Right now it's, "Next man up."
The team seems to have improved a lot since then, though.
Right now it's, "Next man up."
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doublea1971
GCF Top Poster
That's truly a tough one for the Gamecocks. Minaya is far and above our best defensive asset, with the exception of Maik Kotsar. Minaya also is a pretty good rim protector, as you've seen recently with a number of his blocked shots. The only other person I think who might come close with the presence of Minaya is Jayln McCreary, but Jalyn is prone to too many fouls. But for my money, if Justin is out for a few weeks, due to surgery, you give Jalyn the opportunity to step up and put in the hard work. I think in the next year, you'll see Jayln mature into a defensive machine. He's showing all the tools right now, just making Freshman mistakes. (But Frank is really high on the kid).
My first thought was that we will see more Couisnard, Bolden, Lawson lineups with Bryant and Kotsar in the post. I think that Frank would like to keep Bolden as the first guard off the bench though. Of McCreary, Frink, and Leveque, I don't know which will start, but they'll all have to step up in Minaya's absence.
If Minaya is out, I think I would start one of our bigs off the bench. Leveque has started some games. So has Frink. I don't think McCreary has started any games, but I would have no problem starting him. Any of those three would be fine with me. We won't get any threes out of those guys, but we will be stronger in the post.
Anybody heard anything on Keyshawn?