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Wright will be a game-time call vs. Pitt
Sprained ankle has kept the Flyers' second-leading scorer off the court for the better part of the last nine days.
Friday, December 28, 2007
DAYTON — The University of Dayton basketball team is facing its most athletic opponent in years Saturday night, but the team is going into the game still wondering whether it will have its most athletic player.
Although an X-ray taken Monday revealed Chris Wright's sore ankle is just a sprain — and an MRI confirmed that Thursday — he hasn't played or practiced extensively in nine days. And the Flyers' second-leading scorer and top rebounder will need to make a quick recovery to be ready for sixth-ranked Pittsburgh.
Extras
"The most important thing is to get him healthy," UD coach Brian Gregory said. "We have a long season in front of us — we've only played one-third of the year. You don't want to be short-sighted on that."
Wright's injury has lingered for about three weeks, and the Flyers probably won't know before Saturday whether the freshman forward will be cleared to play.
"That decision comes from the trainers and the doctors and then from Chris," Gregory said.
The sixth-ranked Panthers lost 7-footer Aaron Gray and two other starters from last year's 29-8 team that reached the Sweet 16, but they've replaced the slow-footed Gray with an athletic behemoth in 6-foot-7, 275-pound freshman DeJuan Blair and surrounded him with battle-tested veterans.
"I think they're better than last year," Gregory said. "They're more explosive on offense, and I think they're even better on defense. I don't say that because they don't have Gray. I say that because those other guys are a year older and are hungrier.
"When you have seniors who have that hunger — and I've seen that — there's not a lot that can stop them."
Blair had 15 points and 20 rebounds in a win over Duke last week.
"He's a unique player — maybe one of a kind right now in college basketball with his strength and agility," Gregory said. "He's got as good a feet as I've seen in a big man in a long, long time. He's special."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125
or at dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com
Next game
Who: No. 6 Pittsburgh (11-0)
at Dayton (10-1)
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
TV: ESPN2
Radio: WHIO 1290-AM, 95.7-FM
