Your worst injuries of the decade

[TheDude1]

Okay, so this is obviously being touched on in several threads... what’s your team’s worst injuries... like, the season-altering type... over the last decade?

For Duke, Harry Giles was bad for us. Kyrie too. Not sure yet about Zion, I guess it depends on how he comes back. People might laugh, but Ryan Kelly getting hurt ended up being pretty bad too.

What about for the rest of you? I know one or two (Kendall Marshall, for instance) but what about other ones?

 

[MGC_07]

Kalin Lucas. Or pretty much our entire 13-14 squad that started 5 NBA players but almost everyone was hurt.

 

[Tampa_cat54]

Ooof. Not sure. Injuries cost us 2 titles in the last few years IMO.

Losing Willie Cauley-Stein during our 2014 NCAA tournament run, and then watching UCONN's guards get to the rim over and over again in the national title game really hurt. With WCS we win that game comfortably IMO.

And losing Poythress in 2014-2015 (almost undefeated season). Dekker killed us in the semi-final game. Poythress did a great job on him in the Final Four the year prior. Wisconsin was just so unbelievably motivated because of what happened the year before, and Trey Lyles just couldn't guard him that night.

But, plenty of teams have had title opportunities squandered by injuries in the past so, as the saying goes, it is what it is.

 

[LetsGoDuke301]

I had a fractured skull, separated shoulder and a severed nerve that took away most of the use of my left arm. Just a little over 10 years ago actually. I would say that was my worst injury. But seeing how it was more than a decade ago, I guess it doesn't qualify.

 

[schoonerwest]

I had a fractured skull, separated shoulder and a severed nerve that took away most of the use of my left arm. Just a little over 10 years ago actually. I would say that was my worst injury. But seeing how it was more than a decade ago, I guess it doesn't qualify.

I sometimes get blisters when I do yard work.

 

[LetsGoDuke301]

I sometimes get blisters when I do yard work.

Oh man. I planted some rose bushes this weekend. Those prickly fvckers got me like, 3 or 4 times. I put some hand sanitizer on this morning and felt every one of them.

 

[Tampa_cat54]

Oh man. I planted some rose bushes this weekend. Those prickly fvckers got me like, 3 or 4 times. I put some hand sanitizer on this morning and felt every one of them.

I currently have a slightly ingrown toe nail and that thing hurts like a b*tch.

 

[LetsGoDuke301]

I currently have a slightly ingrown toe nail and that thing hurts like a b*tch.

Don't get me going on toe nails, bro. I got this wrong turn looking toe nail from dropping a car battery on it 2 years ago.

 

[kluegs17]

Kalin Lucas. Or pretty much our entire 13-14 squad that started 5 NBA players but almost everyone was hurt.

Yep, Kalin Lucas tore his achilles that year against Maryland in the tournament and we were able to make the Final 4 anyway. If he was healthy, I think we would have won the whole thing. That was the year (2010) the relatively weak Duke team beat Butler.

 

[schoonerwest]

2011 - Josh Selby. He missed some games because of a suspension but he was also injured throughout most of the year. At the time he was thought of in the same category of player as Kyrie Irving was. That Kansas team was 35-3 and lost in the Elite 8.

2014 - Joel Embiid. I think rushing him back from injury may be the biggest mistake of Bill Self’s career while at Kansas. He wasn’t projected to come back until around early March but Self played him in a game at Texas Tech around February 22 or something. The Big 12 title race wasn’t over yet but Kansas was probably gonna win it. He ended up injuring himself again and was out for the year. When he was at 100% people talked about that team being the best in the country. If he plays in the tournament who knows what ends up happening.

2015 - Perry Ellis. He was back by the tournament but he just wasn’t the same. Averaged something like 22/8 for quite a few games late in the year then gets hurt. Kansas goes onto lose in the 2nd round and he doesn’t do much to help them win and it’s likely because he’s not 100%.

2017 - Udoka Azuibuike. Out for the year and out of the tournament. Still a freshman so at times he’s a liability but he’s still a force to be reckoned with and it leaves Kansas with Landon Lucas down low as their main big man. Best starting back court in the country (Mason and Graham) with a guy down low who is a 5th year redshirt and was meant to be a role player at best.

I’m sure there’s more but those are some pretty significant ones I can remember. The worst is probably 2003 when Wayne Simien goes out in a freak accident. Lost the title game by 3 points that year without him and because of shooting 12-30 at the FT line (Ugh).

 

[imajericho]

The only injury that cost someone a championship was Kendall Marshall's wrist.

 

[829305]

The only injury that cost someone a championship was Kendall Marshall's wrist.

Be careful. This one really pisses off the delusional UK fan. And whatever you do, don't mention that we only lost by 1 to them in Rupp.

 

[Tampa_cat54]

The only injury that cost someone a championship was Kendall Marshall's wrist.

That UNC team was really good, and anything can happen, but they would not have been the favorites over that Kentucky team.

 

[Tampa_cat54]

Be careful. This one really pisses off the delusional UK fan. And whatever you do, don't mention that we only lost by 1 to them in Rupp.

No doubt that was a great UNC team. But that was like our 5th game of the season, starting 3 freshman and a sophomore.

Kentucky was a completely different team in February/March/April. We weren't very good early on. We won games, but weren't even close to what we were at the end of the year.

 

[TheDude1]

The only injury that cost someone a championship was Kendall Marshall's wrist.

Probably not, but that's okay

 

[coryfly]

I've got golfer's elbow in my left arm pretty bad. A compression sleeve helps some but then when I'm on the course I get an uneven tan.

 

[hawkit3113]

Wrestling my D1 wrestler buddy at 3AM drunk. He broke my knee, lol

 

[hailtoyourvictor]

Michigan’s is 2013/14 Mitch McGary. The team went 15-3 in the Big Ten without him and then lost by 3 to Kentucky in a game where Kentucky murdered Michigan on the glass. McGary’s biggest strength was being an elite elite bounder so that could’ve helped a lot and who knows what happens from there.

 

[829305]

No doubt that was a great UNC team. But that was like our 5th game of the season, starting 3 freshman and a sophomore.

Kentucky was a completely different team in February/March/April. We weren't very good early on. We won games, but weren't even close to what we were at the end of the year.

I'm just busting balls. Who knows what would've happened. Doesn't matter, though. You guys got number eight.

On that note, no one does getting-better-throughout-the-year than Roy. But, that UK team was a different beast, especially with all the youth, as you mentioned.

 

[Sevro]

Kendall Marshall was pretty devastating. Henson was already banged up, but anyone who knows anything about Roy Williams, knows that PG play makes the team work. We were dead in the water after that.

 

[829305]

Kendall Marshall was pretty devastating. Henson was already banged up, but anyone who knows anything about Roy Williams, knows that PG play makes the team work. We were dead in the water after that.

Signed,
Raymond, Ty, and Joel

 

[CardinalBoiler]

This thread is tailor-made for Purdue fans in the past decade.

2010 - Robbie Hummel tears his ACL on Feb. 24 at Minnesota with Purdue ranked No. 3 and heading towards a one seed. The Boilers still win a share of the B1G, but end up being a four seedand losing to Duke in the Sweet 16

2011 - Robbie Hummel tears his ACL in the first practice of the season. Purdue still has a really successful regular season led by B1G POY JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore and get a three seed. But they get piped by VCU in the Round of 32 during the three weeks that made Shaka Smart way too much money.

2018 - Isaac "the walking petri dish" Haas fractures his elbow during 2-Seed Purdue's Round of 64 boatrace of Cal State Fullerton. Purdue goes on to lose in the Sweet 16 to Texas Tech and their coach who loves to break Boiler hearts in March. The play that caused the injury spawned the hook-and-hold rule that has cost all of us way too many hours watching official reviews this season.

 

[RipThru]

Ooof. Not sure. Injuries cost us 2 titles in the last few years IMO.

Losing Willie Cauley-Stein during our 2014 NCAA tournament run, and then watching UCONN's guards get to the rim over and over again in the national title game really hurt. With WCS we win that game comfortably IMO.

And losing Poythress in 2014-2015 (almost undefeated season). Dekker killed us in the semi-final game. Poythress did a great job on him in the Final Four the year prior. Wisconsin was just so unbelievably motivated because of what happened the year before, and Trey Lyles just couldn't guard him that night.

But, plenty of teams have had title opportunities squandered by injuries in the past so, as the saying goes, it is what it is.

Bogans and Dale Brown were game changers too.

 

[Quavarius]

Okay, so this is obviously being touched on in several threads... what’s your team’s worst injuries... like, the season-altering type... over the last decade?

For Duke, Harry Giles was bad for us. Kyrie too. Not sure yet about Zion, I guess it depends on how he comes back. People might laugh, but Ryan Kelly getting hurt ended up being pretty bad too.

What about for the rest of you? I know one or two (Kendall Marshall, for instance) but what about other ones?

Forgot about Ryan Kelly. Also, Amile Jefferson was primed for a breakout season in 2016 as a senior. Didn’t he re-injure himself in 2017 as well and missed a few games?

 

[JC for 3]

Perry Ellis' injuries were simply due to old age.

 

[Demarcus Kidd-Miller]

Not this decade, but Derek Anderson in 97. Could've been a 3-peat.

 

[coryfly]

I feel like the big ones are the ones that actually impact a title run chance. Haven't seen many that fit that. Maybe Hummel 2010. Zion would this year though. Kendall would have for UNC. There are others for UNC but they are all farther back.

 

[ExitFlagger]

2011 - Josh Selby. He missed some games because of a suspension but he was also injured throughout most of the year. At the time he was thought of in the same category of player as Kyrie Irving was. That Kansas team was 35-3 and lost in the Elite 8.

2014 - Joel Embiid. I think rushing him back from injury may be the biggest mistake of Bill Self’s career while at Kansas. He wasn’t projected to come back until around early March but Self played him in a game at Texas Tech around February 22 or something. The Big 12 title race wasn’t over yet but Kansas was probably gonna win it. He ended up injuring himself again and was out for the year. When he was at 100% people talked about that team being the best in the country. If he plays in the tournament who knows what ends up happening.

2015 - Perry Ellis. He was back by the tournament but he just wasn’t the same. Averaged something like 22/8 for quite a few games late in the year then gets hurt. Kansas goes onto lose in the 2nd round and he doesn’t do much to help them win and it’s likely because he’s not 100%.

2017 - Udoka Azuibuike. Out for the year and out of the tournament. Still a freshman so at times he’s a liability but he’s still a force to be reckoned with and it leaves Kansas with Landon Lucas down low as their main big man. Best starting back court in the country (Mason and Graham) with a guy down low who is a 5th year redshirt and was meant to be a role player at best.

I’m sure there’s more but those are some pretty significant ones I can remember. The worst is probably 2003 when Wayne Simien goes out in a freak accident. Lost the title game by 3 points that year without him and because of shooting 12-30 at the FT line (Ugh).

The Embiid injury absolutely destroyed that team. The difference was night and day. They had to go through a good Florida team to get to the final four, but I think they would've had a great shot.

2015 probably wasn't going far with or without a healthy Ellis.

2017 had a great shot to win it all with Azubuike.

 

[coryfly]

Forgot about Embiid. That was a big one.

 

[bkingUK]

Not this decade, but Kenyon Martin at UC might be worst timing I recall. He was unarguably best player that season and gets injured in early March. UC gets a two seed with 28-3 record and loses in 2nd round.

 

[ChiTownSean]

Darryl 'Truck' Bryant getting hurt forced Joe Mazzulla into being the only point guard getting minutes. He played great and Kentucky couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat, helping us to the final four.

 

[TheDude1]

Embiid, Hummel, Marshall... those were really bad.

 

[Sevro]

Not this decade, but Kenyon Martin at UC might be worst timing I recall. He was unarguably best player that season and gets injured in early March. UC gets a two seed with 28-3 record and loses in 2nd round.

This was probably the most notable. Huggy Bear gets a title with a healthy Martin.

 

[JC for 3]

This was probably the most notable. Huggy Bear gets a title with a healthy Martin.

....sounds like something all UC fans say. What is forgotten about that UC team is that they didn't have much of a supporting cast and a strong Mich St. team was waiting.

 

[brooky03]

Arinze Onuaku getting hurt in 2010 cost Syracuse a surefire National Championship. So I'd say that one was the worst.

 

[LetsGoDuke301]

Arinze Onuaku getting hurt in 2010 cost Syracuse a surefire National Championship. So I'd say that one was the worst.

Best team won that year. Time to get over it.

 

[Sevro]

Best team won that year. Time to get over it.

Worst collection of talent across the NCAA IMNSHO

 

[LetsGoDuke301]

Worst collection of talent across the NCAA IMNSHO

2017 bro

 

[LetsGoDuke301]

 

[Sevro]

2017 bro

2017 UNC delittles 2010 Duke