|
|
|
Posting Up - Scoreboard - Top 25 - Features - Notables - Team of the Week - Live Audio |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
An in-depth look at Division III Posted Dec. 2, 1999 |
Notebooks Great Lakes Midwest Northeast Check out D3football.com |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
in Jannuzzi's ligaments
By Mark Simon Wilkes men's basketball coach Jerry Rickrode was convinced that his team was worthy of the No. 3 ranking in the D3hoops.com poll. "This year," said Rickrode, whose team is 4-0 heading into a Saturday matchup with archrival Scranton, "more than ever." And then senior point guard Dave Jannuzzi, who had averaged 18 points through the first three games this season, heard a pop in his ankle, just after making a 3-pointer eight minutes into Wednesday's 68-51 win against Delaware Valley. Now, one-half of what Rickrode called the best backcourt in all of Division III is out for a minimum of four to six weeks with torn ligaments. He will be re-evaluated approximately a month from now and could be lost for the entire season. "It's more like losing Michael Jordan," said Rickrode, when asked if losing Jannuzzi was the equivalent of the Philadelphia 76ers losing Allen Iverson. "Dave is not only a great player, he's our leader in timeouts, in huddles and in the locker room. He's also the most gifted player I've ever coached." The challenge for the Colonels will be in raising their level of play. Wednesday, Rickrode said his players seemed to be in a state of shock for the next 12 minutes after the injury. But once they went into the locker room, they were able to make the necessary adjustments. Senior shooting guard Chad Fabian now becomes the go-to player, as evidenced by his 27 points on Wednesday night. He's averaging 18.2 points per game, though now defenses will key on him even more. Jannuzzi's injury means more playing time for sophomore point guard John Boylan, a transfer from Lock Haven. The reason Rickrode was so high on his team was that its depth was at its peak, not just in the backcourt, but also up front. The Colonels rotate four sophomore big men, all of whom are either 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7. Two years ago, Wilkes was exposed for its lack of size during its appearance in the Final Four. Just when Rickrode was confident that was no longer a problem, a new one developed with the injury to Jannuzzi. Regardless, the Colonels hope to be in the hunt, whether or not Jannuzzi returns. The schedule doesn't offer any breaks. A potential holiday tournament matchup with No. 4 ranked William Paterson has lost some of its luster but not any of its difficulty, now that Jannuzzi won't get to play against WPU guard Horace Jenkins, who is regarded as one of the best players in the nation. "I'm curious to see how we'll play," Rickrode said. "If you asked me where I thought we'd be with David, I'd say undefeated. We had the ability to beat teams soundly. Now, we're going to have to try to manufacture wins." Meanwhile, the Scranton game looms large on the weekend slate. "Wilkes-Scranton is the most heated rivalry in this region. I think it's because we're only 10 miles apart. The year we went to the Final Four, we played on three straight Saturdays. They've been second in the league to us the last two or three years." |
Other
Features
– Webster's Cinderella Story 1998-99 Stories
1999-00 Season More Features
Contact Us |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
