Columbus North and Columbus East are entering the stretch run of their boys basketball seasons facing injuries to key players.
North junior Blake Barker and East senior Seth Chandler were injured Friday night in losses by their respective teams. Both players and their coaches are hopeful that they can return this week.
Barker was going for a steal midway through the first quarter and got his right (shooting) hand between the ball and a Mooresville player’s jersey. The hand flexed all the way back and tore ligaments in the thumb.
The 6-foot-1 guard finished the game, but scored a season-low 12 points. He did not practice Monday morning and was fitted for a brace Monday afternoon by team doctor Cary Guse at Southern Indiana Orthopedics.
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“It’s a week-to-week thing,” said his father, North assistant coach Lance Barker. “He doesn’t have to be in a cast. It will be how much pain he can take. Right now, we’re trying to get the color and swelling out of it. He just has to get a ball in his hand and get used to shooting with the brace and handling the ball with the brace.”
Barker leads the 11-3 Bull Dogs, who were ranked No. 9 in last week’s The Associated Press Class 4A poll, with 19.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.4 steals. He is regarded as an Indiana Junior All-Star candidate and Division I prospect.
“Blake’s had a tremendous season,” North head coach Paul Ferguson said. “He leads us in so many ways, even moreso than in statistical categories. The energy and the passion that he plays with and the confidence that our guys have when he’s on the floor has been great this year.”
Meanwhile, Chandler went up for a rebound and came down hard on his left shoulder late in the third quarter of the Olympians’ game against 4A No. 2 Bloomington South. He was down on the court for about 10 minutes before being helped to the training room.
Chandler did not dress for Saturday’s loss to Seymour. He also visited Dr. Guse over the weekend and did some shooting at practice on Monday.
“They just wanted the nerve in his shoulder to calm down a little bit,” East coach Brent Chitty said. “They’re going to check him again, and we’ll go from there.”
The 6-7 Chandler, one of only two seniors on the team, has been in and out of the starting lineup for the 3-10 Olympians this season. He did start Friday’s game.
“He had a big game at Evansville Central for us,” Chitty said. “He gives us an inside presence. He played defensive end in football for us, so he has some toughness. He brings it every night. Against Bloomington South, he was competing. He brought it hard that night.”
The good news for both North and East is that they don’t play again until Saturday. The Bull Dogs host Perry Meridian at 4:30 p.m., and the Olympians visit Jeffersonville at 7:30 p.m.
Ferguson and Chitty said Barker and Chandler will be reevaluated before Saturday’s games to see if they can participate live with contact.
