OSU men's basketball: Lauderdale's goal is to return for opener
Center has cast for broken finger
Friday, October 16, 2009
By Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Chris Russell | Dispatch
Dallas Lauderdale had surgery Wednesday on his right hand in which three screws were inserted to stabilize the fourth metacarpal. He is expected to be out four to six weeks.
P.J. Hill did everything he was coached to do on the play.
The pass was lobbed to Dallas Lauderdale in the post. Hill helped off his man and, when Lauderdale brought the ball down, swiped at it, knocking it from Lauderdale's grasp and stealing it.
"Coach even said, 'Good D,' " Hill said.
Unfortunately, his hand also came down on the ring finger on Lauderdale's right hand.
"I guess he had to hit the exact right spot, too," Lauderdale said.
The 6-foot-8 junior was sporting a fresh cast that extended up most of his forearm yesterday as the Ohio State men's basketball team met the media to preview the start of full-squad practice for the 2009-10 season. The first practice is at 6 tonight.
Lauderdale, the starting center, suffered the injury during a workout Monday morning. He had surgery Wednesday in which three screws were inserted to stabilize the fourth metacarpal. The prognosis is for him to be out four to six weeks.
"I feel so bad," Hill said. "My dad even was yelling at me. 'How'd you break his hand!' I'm like, 'Dad, I didn't do it on purpose. It was an accident.' "
No one knew the severity of the injury until hours later. On the next possession, Lauderdale caught another pass and dunked the ball with his broken hand.
"He came downcourt (after the steal) saying, 'My finger hurts. I jammed my finger,' and I was like, 'Aw, man,' " Hill said. "But then Evan threw him a pass, he dunked it and that was just it. After practice, we thought he just had a jammed finger."
Lauderdale told the team's athletic trainer, Vince O'Brien, his hand was hurting and then went to class.
"Around 5:30, he had his hand all wrapped up and said he was going to go get X-rays," David Lighty said. "He had a big, like, golf-ball lump on his hand."
The prognosis of a four-to-six-week recovery is fluid because bones heal at different rates in people. Lauderdale might have the bone X-rayed again in two weeks. His doctor will have a better idea then whether Lauderdale can come back sooner.
No its really the preseason game against Walsh on November 4th and the 1st regular season game (in one of those regular season tournaments) against Alcorn State.
