Kevin Pritchard will wear a knee brace during Friday night’s first-round NCAA basketball game against Xavier.
So says Kansas trainer Mark Cairns who had the Jayhawk sophomore fitted on Tuesday.
“He’ll have it taped and also wear the brace. It’s precautionary in case it gets hit again,” said Carins, referring to Pritchard’s right knee, sprained in last Friday’s first-round Big Eight tournament win over Oklahoma State.
“He’s got mobility. Today he put the brace on, jogged on it and even shot around some. He felt he could do some things. These things heal pretty fast.”
Knees heal quickly when athletes, like Pritchard, abide by their trainer’s edicts.
“Kevin has been averaging four hours a day,” Cairns said of whirlpool treatments and bicycle riding. “He’s right on schedule. Today in the weight room he indicated he was without much soreness and had full range of motion.
“Tomorrow (today) he’ll have a light practice workout and that will continue into Thursday…
Xavier has won the MCC postseason tournament three straight years. The Musketeers, 26-3, beat Detroit, 122-96, to take this year’s crown a nd grab the league’s automatic bid. Guard Byron Larkin scored 38 points on 15 of 22 shooting. He was named meet MVP for the third consecutive year…
Larkin, a 6-3 lefthanded shooting guard from Cincinnati who averages 25.6 points, was signed by former Xavier coach Bob Staak, now head coach at Wake Forest.
Current Xavier coach Pete Gillen recruited David Rivers when he was an aide under Digger Phelps at Notre Dame. Gillen is in his third year at the Jesuit school in Cincinnati.
“Gillen is my favorite coach to watch,” CBS television announcer Brent Musberger said of the fiery redhead, oft-seen waving his arms and shouting instructions…
Xavier boasts three starters from hometown Cincy – Larkin, 6-9 sophomore forward Tyrone Hill and 6-4 senior forward J.D. Barnett. Another starter – 5-11 junior guard Stan Kimbrough, hails from Cleveland. Center Derek Strong, 6-10, is from Los Angeles…
Xavier, ranked fourth nationally in scoring offense, has compiled a 22-1 record since Christmas. The Musketeers lost to Evansville, a school with a 20-7 record, plus to Providence, 11-17, and to Marquette, 10-18…
