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BALL STATE...Leading scorer jr. G/F Julien “Skip” Mills (left; 13 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.6 spg) has missed the last 2 games after suffering a concussion during a car accident on February 6. Mills scored just 4 points and sat out the second half in 66-44 loss at Miami-Ohio Feb. 10, did not play in 57-55 win at Northern Illinois Feb. 13 or in 70-57 loss at Illinois State Feb. 17, and is questionable for Central Michigan. Two players who had been starting were relegated to the bench in the last couple games. 5-9, 150 frosh PG Steve Horton, who’s hitting just 22% (!) of his shots, and sr. swingman Chris Ames saw hardly any action against the Huskies & Redbirds. Touted frosh G Ahmaad Cook (6-0, 175), who was MVP of recent national prep power Westchester High (Los Angeles) last season, scored 16 points in loss at ISU. “We're just trying to find a scoring punch, and Ahmaad can get shots and do some things,” explains Cardinals’ head coach Ronny Thompson. BAYLOR...Scott Drew’s Bears are banged up heading into their February 21 clash against Nebraska at Waco. Jr. G Aussie Aaron Bruce (12 ppg, 4 apg), the team’s top three-point gunner, sat out the last 2 games (7-point loss at Mizzou Feb. 14 and 1-point home loss to Texas Feb. 17) and is still questionable due to lingering high-ankle sprain. Blue-collar 6-6, 245 sr. F Tim Bush (7 ppg & 4 rpg), a physical defender, is probably through for the season after fracturing his foot in the final minutes of the heartbreaking setback to the Longhorns. And, although 6-9 soph Kevin Rogers (13 ppg on 54% FGs, 8 rpg) is expected to be available against the Cornhuskers, insiders say that BU’s top low-post threat could be less than 100% after banging his knee vs. UT. Drew complains, “We’ve had more injuries this year than my first three here combined. It’s been difficult because we never know who is going to be available to practice.” CENTRAL MICHIGAN...A little over a month ago, the Chippewas lost 6-8, 240 soph Chris Kellermann (9 ppg, 43% from the arc; missed the last 10 games through February 21) to a foot injury. Now, 6-6 sr. swingman Eddie Spencer (7 ppg, 4 rpg) sat out 22-point Bracket Buster loss at lightly-regarded Horizon rep Illinois-Chicago Feb. 17 and is suspended indefinitely after scuffling with police last week. DAYTON...Starting 6-6 sr. F Monty Scott (10 ppg—second on the team, 4.4 rpg) is through for the season after undergoing knee surgery. Scott played only 19 minutes with 3 points during 77-69 home loss to UMass February 18. And frosh G Marcus Johnson (7 ppg & 4 rpg) managed only 5 minutes against the Minutemen due to a knee problem of his own. Johnson is questionable at Saint Louis Feb. 21. EAST CAROLINA...The downtrodden Pirates are hoping to regain the services of 6-9 frosh John Fields for Feb. 21 home game against Marshall. Fields (9.4 ppg & 5.6 rpg), who leads C-USA in shooting accuracy (64% FGs) and is fourth in blocked shots (2 pg), sat out the last 2 games with a sore knee. ECU has lost 12 straight, and 19 of its last 20.

GEORGE MASON...Jr. G Folarin Campbell (right) & soph G John Vaughan, two of the Patriots’ top 3 scorers, were held out of Mason’s final home game, a 60-54 win over Georgia State Feb. 20. Campbell (team-leading 14 ppg, 4 rpg, 4 apg, 1.4 spg) was sidelined after hurting his hamstring very late in disappointing Bracket Buster home loss to Kent State, and Vaughan (9 ppg) served a one-game suspension for violating team rules. ILLINOIS...Soph G Jamar Smith (8 ppg), one of the team’s top three-point shooters, has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to injuries & criminal charges stemming from a car accident he was involved in a couple weeks ago. Smith did not play in the Illini’s 48-37 home win vs. Northwestern last Sunday. And banged-up soph PG Chester Frazier, whose been playing through injuries most of the season, went 0-9 from the field during victory over the Wildcats and 4-point loss at Indiana while struggling with his latest hurt, a dislocated finger. INDIANA STATE...6-8, 240 soph F/C Jay Tunnell (9 ppg & 6 rpg) returned to action in 12-point setback against Miami-Ohio February 17, although scouts report that the Sycamores’ top frontcourt player is still compromised by a lingering foot/ankle injury that caused him to miss 68-53 home loss to Illinois State Feb. 14. Tunnell had only 4 points & 1 board in 22 minutes during the disappointing Bracket Buster defeat to the RedHawks at Terre Haute. IOWA STATE...Star 6-7 frosh F Wesley Johnson (12 ppg & 8 rpg) has been significantly less than 100% in the last couple games due to a bout with the flu. He scored just 10 total points (0-7 from the arc) and grabbed only 2 boards during 58-51 home win over Oklahoma Feb. 13 and 65-47 road loss at Kansas State Feb. 17. LOUISVILLE...Big East insiders say 6-8, 250 starting jr. F Juan Palacios (back spasms; 9 ppg, 5.7 rpg) will likely be held out of home game vs. St. John’s Feb. 21. LSU...More bad news for struggling Tigers, who are sliding down the NCAA tourney “bubble” after making it all the way to the Final Four of last year’s Big Dance. Star 6-9, 295 jr. F/C Glen “Big Baby” Davis, the SEC’s top rebounder (nearly 11 boards pg) & second-leading scorer (18 ppg), did not make trip to Kentucky for 70-63 loss to the Wildcats Feb. 20. Davis was left home due a lingering leg injury that he first suffered in 71-67 home triumph over Arkansas Feb. 10, LSU’s only win in the last 10 games. Check Davis’ status for this Saturday’s showdown at Baton Rouge against defending national champ Florida.

MINNESOTA...Frustrated interim head coach Jim Molinari (left), whose Golden Gophers’ have lost 10 of last 12, benched his two regular PGs—jr. Limar Wilson and frosh Kevin Payton (combining for only 35% FGs)—for most of last Sunday’s 85-67 loss to powerful Ohio State. Oklahoma transfer & leading scorer jr. G Lawrence McKenzie (16 ppg) looked very comfortable running the offense against the Buckeyes, pouring in 22 points and dishing out 10 assists. Still, Molinari would like to return McKenzie to his more natural shooting-G position if Wilson and/or Payton can step up down the stretch. If not, insiders expect confident frosh G Lawrence Westbrook, who averaged 41 ppg (!) as a high school junior, to start seeing substantially more minutes down the stretch. NEBRASKA...6-11, 270 jr. C Aleks Maric, the Cornhuskers’ leading scorer (18 ppg) & rebounder (7.5 boards pg), is expected to play at Baylor February 21 after he left early in the second half at Kansas following an elbow to the ribs during NU’s humbling 92-39 loss to the Jayhawks last Saturday. NEW MEXICO...Lobo G J.R. Giddens, who’s been in and out of head coach Ritchie McKay’s doghouse much of the campaign, missed the last 2 games—a 74-58 home win over TCU last Saturday, followed by an 81-74 OT loss to San Diego State at Albuquerque on Tuesday—and is suspended indefinitely. Giddens leads the Lobos with 16 ppg, but the touted Kansas transfer’s indiscriminate shot selection and inconsistent effort on defense have frequently incurred the wrath of McKay. PITTSBURGH...Star 7-0 sr. C Aaron Gray (team-leading 15 ppg & 10 rpg, 58% FGs, 1.7 bpg) sat out 71-68 win at Seton Hall Feb. 19 after spraining his ankle during final minute of 65-61 home win over Washington Feb. 17. SAN FRANCISCO...The Dons have won three of their last 4 even though sr. G Armondo Surratt (14 ppg) has been out after hurting his knee late in double-digit loss at Santa Clara Feb. 5. Bay Area scouts say Surratt should be available for at least limited action against Gonzaga this Saturday. ST. BONAVENTURE...G Zarryon Fereti, a juco transfer who was the Bonnies’ second-leading scorer with 12 ppg and one of their top long-distance gunners, did not play in 76-68 home loss to last Saturday because he was dismissed from the squad after a heated locker-room confrontation with head coach Anthony Solomon following 69-62 home setback against Dayton the week before. SMU...The Mustangs were significantly shorthanded in 65-42 home win over last-place East Carolina Feb. 17. Stalwart 6-6 sr. F Devon Pearson (9 ppg & 6 rpg) did not play and is expected to miss Feb. 21 at UTEP due to a knee injury. 6-5 sr. swingman Brian Epps (9 ppg & 3 rpg) also sat out vs. the Pirates and has been kicked off the the team. 7-1 soph C Bamba Fall (7 ppg, 5 rpg, 2.6 bpg) has missed the last 2 games (through Feb. 20) and is expected to be sidelined another week with a broken finger.

STANFORD...Soph G Anthony Goods (left; 13 ppg—second on the team) did not play in last week’s double-digit home wins over Oregon State & Oregon, and scouts say he’ll probably be held out until the Pac-10 tournament due to a high-ankle sprain. UC SANTA BARBARA...Frosh G Justin Joyner (5 ppg, 3 rpg, 3 apg, 1.3 spg in 28 mpg) is questionable at CS Fullerton February 22 after sitting out 1-point Bracket Buster loss at Eastern Washington February 17 with a sore hamstring. UTAH...Star 7-1 soph C Luke Nevill (team-leading 17 ppg on 63% FGs & 7.7 rpg) did not play at Wyoming Feb. 21 due to a hip pointer suffered during practice on Monday. Check Nevill’s status for this Saturday’s clash against rival New Mexico at Salt Lake City. UTEP...6-8 soph Maurice Thomas (9 ppg on 57% FG, 5.7 rpg), the Miners’ top (only?) low-post threat, is not expected to be available Feb. 21 vs. SMU due to an ankle/foot injury. WAKE FOREST...6-6 sr. swingman Michael Drum (8 ppg, 42% treys), one of the Demon Deacons’ most accurate perimeter shooters, played only 9 minutes Saturday at Miami after bruising his knee midway through the first half of Wake’s 74-69 road win over the Hurricanes. WILLIAM & MARY...Frosh G David Schneider (8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1 spg) played only 15 minutes with 0 points during Tribe’s 61-45 Bracket Buster loss at Fairfield last Saturday due to a hip injury. WYOMING...6-9, 260 sr. F/C Daaron Brown (9 ppg on 58% FGs, 7 rpg), a key inside force for the Cowboys, returned to action Feb. 17 vs. San Diego State after missing 3 weeks with a severely sprained ankle. Brown was limited to only 16 minutes against the Aztecs, although he did have 4 points, 7 boards, and 3 steals in Wyo’s 80-71 home win.

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