More injuries in WBB (merged)

[VA Huskie]

And yet another WBB program looking for walk-ons

I remember Stewie recruiting on campus one year. Think we got a decent walk on.

 

[CalWBBfan]

The majority (68.2%) of ACL injury occurred during the 2 steps phase (only two steps can proceed after ball retention in basketball, so we defined them as two steps) in the offense action, and most notably during the first step (80.0%). 73.3% of players who were injured during the 2 steps phase got contact to an area other than the knee (Indirect contact) at the IF-1, with 81.8% of contact being located in the upper body contralateral to the respective knee injury. The probability of players with ACL injuries during the 2 steps at the IF-1 who got Indirect contact was statistically significantly greater than those who got no contact with other players (p = 0.042).

The above is from a recent study done and relates to NBA athletes, but I would assume it could apply to others playing basketball as well. Analyses of actions which cause anterior cruciate ligament injuries in the national basketball association players

So it would seem that driving to the basket is the leading "cause" of these injuries at least in terms of NBA which is obviously a very physical level of play. From other things I've read certain training exercises can help but don't seem to be as effective in terms of basketball but this is an older study (2014) Effects of knee injury primary prevention programs on anterior cruciate ligament injury rates in female athletes in different sports

 

[VA Huskie]

At one point last year I remember hearing that Iowa had started the same 5 players for more than a year. Other than Clark, most of their players weren’t top recruits. Might that have something to do with their lack of major injuries?

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Interesting thought. The moment of injury may not be a result of contact, at least not contact in a game. If the “wear and tear of practice” is part of the problem, some of these seeming non-contact injuries may be connected to contact in practice. But maybe direct contact in practice is not a factor at all.

If I focus on “lower leg injuries” I’m reminded of the sequence of injuries Paige endured. She’d been plagued by ankle problems in high school but managed to play through them. Finally, after her freshman year at UConn, she had surgery to correct the lingering ankle problem. She returned stronger than ever and seemed ready to have an even more dominant season… and promptly blew out her knee in the ND game. She endured plenty of hard contact in that game, including a heavy blow to the head, but none of it on her knee.

Seen as an isolated event, her knee gave out in a way apparently unconnected to what she was doing at that moment. Many ACL injuries appear this way, though Paige’s tibial-plateau fracture may have been a bit different. Cue another surgery and a perhaps too-early return to play that March and a stunning march to the NC game led by a rickety star. Cue a second even more devastating knee injury the following summer, also presumably non-contact and suffered outside of game competition.

In an interview during her last rehab stint, Paige talked about how much more thoroughly she approached every aspect of her athletic life including changes to nutrition and gait analysis. She mentioned that her therapists told her that injuries like hers often occur in a familiar pattern — ankle, knee, knee. I was reminded of something my dad said after he had knee replacement surgery: “Now my hip hurts.” He was a doctor and said this is a recognized pattern: when you change any one thing it affects the architecture of the other joints.

I’ve been watching the way Paige positions her feet in preparation for a shot to see if I can notice anything different. The TV coverage isn’t really good enough for an amateur like me to see anything definitive. But I still wonder. We often hear about kids like Paige and Azzi and even Ash that they position their feet early to get off a shot quickly. It’s practically a signature move. Are they putting more torque on their joints by doing this? And are there other ways in which they might be stressing their knees in order to gain some other tiny advantage?

I’m thinking too hard about this and it’s giving me a headache.

Everyone all ways says Paige’s knee injury vs Notre dame was non contact but I’ve watched that moment over again at least a dozen times. Moments before she is dribbling the ball down the court when she got hurt, her knee was crushed under a pile of bodies on the ground. I’ve always thought the injury occurred in that moment and became as issue as she as dribbling the ball alone in the backcourt.

 

[BRS24]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ladeeeeda]

When I saw your name posted in this thread, my first thought was

Can't be scaring me like that

I would def break that news in a DM! Family 1st!

 

[MilfordHusky]

I don't think so. I think a couple of players have missed a game or two for rest or mild injuries like ankle sprains but they've been injury free, along with Iowa. Iowa did seem to have a minor injury issue with Hannah Stuelke but she only had to miss 4 games. Stanford lost Brink for a couple of games but has been injury free otherwise. That's 3 of your top 4 teams and I don't think thats a coincidence.

Three years ago, I was expecting that the national champion would be the team that managed Covid the best. It may be that the winner this year avoided major injuries the best.

 

[MilfordHusky]

really sad to see so much talent sitting out so much of their collegiate careers......Azzi injured her knees several times during her high school career.....I'm pretty sure her initial knee surgery took place before she had committed to UConn........not sure about the second one.......Aubrey hurt her knee before she committed to UConn before her sophomore year in high school and Ducharme tore her ACL in the summer after eighth grade and tore her labrum in the summer after her freshman year in high school both before committing to UConn.........she then had hip surgery after her freshman year at UConn......

I think Azzi had only 1 serious knee injury in high school. She tore her ACL (and possibly more) at USA Basketball and required surgery after her sophomore season, when she won some NPOY awards. I think she played a little at the end of her junior season, which seems like a short recovery time. Her senior season was basically eliminated by the pandemic. I think SJC played 2 exhibition games, or something like that. Her injury during her freshman year at UConn was to the foot or ankle, I believe. As far as I know, that was a new injury.

In terms of predicting a recruit's vulnerability, her mother's bad knees were highly publicized. In that context, I'm not surprised that Azzi has had ACL problems. But as I've written before, Azzi Fudd would be a huge asset to UConn (or any school) because of the type of person she is, even if she never played basketball.

 

[Reypl21]

An update on Betts.

 

[cancontent]

An update on Betts.

Day to day is a lot better than indefinitely. Hopefully this continues to trend in a positive direction.

 

[cancontent]

So true and if I recall correctly, their challenge with the roster wasn't due to injuries but the coaching transition.

 

[BRS24]

Another ...

 

[JstVisiting]

Three years ago, I was expecting that the national champion would be the team that managed Covid the best. It may be that the winner this year avoided major injuries the best.

Certainly helps if one of the teams that best avoids major injuries is also the best team.

 

[JstVisiting]

UCLA

Day to day is a lot better than indefinitely. Hopefully this continues to trend in a positive direction.

UCLA doesn't even look like a top 30 team without her. Hope she makes it back

 

[nwhoopfan]

UCLA

UCLA doesn't even look like a top 30 team without her. Hope she makes it back

They have most of the same pieces as last year when they won 27 games and got to the Sweet 16.

 

[Bone Dog]

They have most of the same pieces as last year when they won 27 games and got to the Sweet 16.

One important piece from last year was Bessoir. Without Betts, her injury looms large for them.

 

[nwhoopfan]

One important piece from last year was Bessoir. Without Betts, her injury looms large for them.

True. I guess they are missing Sontag now as well, and the perpetually injured Anstey. Their once very deep front court has been thinned out a lot.

They also had Conti last year in the back court, who was a nice player but I wouldn't think irreplaceable.

 

[Bone Dog]

Was Betts at the game today? I didn't see her on the bench, though I might have missed her. The camera angles at maples are not very good.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Was Betts at the game today? I didn't see her on the bench, though I might have missed her. The camera angles at maples are not very good.

I thought I saw somewhere she didn't travel with the team this weekend.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

They have most of the same pieces as last year when they won 27 games and got to the Sweet 16.

They looked bad today, but that is my thought too.

I wish SCar had played Stanford this year just to see what that looked like.

 

[dabears17]

UCLA only dressed 8 players today. Not quite as snakebitten as UConn, but UCLA has been shorthanded for good portions of 3 of the last 4 seasons.

 

[Bone Dog]

And pretty sure the camera angles don't affect seeing who's sitting on the bench...

They do if the angle is the height of the camera placement which means they're distant, and at Maples the camera is quite high.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

UCLA only dressed 8 players today. Not quite as snakebitten as UConn, but UCLA has been shorthanded for good portions of 3 of the last 4 seasons.

They looked exhausted. Lot of short shots and a lot of mental "wtf" moments.

 

[BRS24]

Betts update - "A school spokesperson confirmed that Betts has returned to team activities and is considered day-to-day. UCLA has not elaborated beyond that on her condition or status."

UCLA star Betts due back this season, Close says

Star forward Lauren Betts, who has missed UCLA's past four games because of an undisclosed medical reason, is expected to return this season, coach Cori Close said after the team's 80-60 loss to Stanford on Sunday.

www.espn.com

 

[Heytherego]

Betts update - "A school spokesperson confirmed that Betts has returned to team activities and is considered day-to-day. UCLA has not elaborated beyond that on her condition or status."

UCLA star Betts due back this season, Close says

Star forward Lauren Betts, who has missed UCLA's past four games because of an undisclosed medical reason, is expected to return this season, coach Cori Close said after the team's 80-60 loss to Stanford on Sunday.

www.espn.com

Cori Close also said she believes Betts will play again this season