SoCalHoops College News

USC Loses Derrick Craven
Four To Six Weeks--(Nov. 20, 2001)

Early this past summer, Derrick Craven (6'-2" Fr. G) from Bishop Montgomery was hobbling around on crutches at some of the early recruiting events and tournaments (just as a specatator) having undergone voluntary, elective surgery to correct what we were told was a hairline fracture in his leg.    Either he reinjured himself, or developed yet another fracture because it looks like he's going to miss at least the early season with another fracture.   Ttoday the Trojans issued a press release (as a part of their weekly notes announcing the UCSB game this which is scheduled for this upcoming Monday at 7:30 p.m. at the Sports Arena), and buried deep in that report was the following blurb:

DERRICK CRAVEN OUT

Freshman guard Derrick Craven will be out four to six weeks, recovering from a stress fracture in his right leg. He is expected back in mid-to-late December. He did not see any action in USC's first two games, but played in both exhibition games.

The comment about the fact that he played in both exhibition games means that whether Derrick returns to health or doesn't, this season will count as a "season of competition" -- under NCAA rules, any "outside competition" including scrimmages or exhibitions, counts as part of the season.   Thus if Derrick doesn't return to full strength and decides to redshirt this season (to gain another year of athletic eligibility), he would have to go apply for a hardship waiver (which, in our opinion, he'd likely get under the NCAA's own bylaws governing administrative hardships for medical reasons). Whatever the case, we hope Derrick has a speedy and healthy recovery from the injury.

 

 
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