Wake Forest's Niki Arinze To Miss Remainder Of Men's Hoops Season
Sophomore forward diagnosed with dislocating tendon near right ankle.
Feb. 9, 2000
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest sophomore forward Niki Arinze, a
starter in 18 games this year, will miss the remainder of the 1999-2000
season after being diagnosed with a dislocating tendon near his right
ankle. School medical officials confirmed the diagnosis of a subluxing
peroneal tendon on Monday evening with a MRI.
The injury limits Arinze's ability to make sharp cuts or jump off
his right ankle. The Wake Forest medical staff will use an initial
conservative treatment of placing Arinze in a walking boot for the next
four to six weeks. At that point his condition will be reevaluated to
determine if other medical procedures will be necessary.
"Niki's loss comes at a crucial point in the season," said Wake
Forest head coach Dave Odom. "It presents yet another obstacle for our
team to overcome.
"This is certainly a difficult blow for us. But as badly as I feel
for the team, I feel that much worse for Niki given that he has been
through so much already in his career. However, he understands
rehabilitation and he is very diligent in that regard, so we expect a full
recovery and look forward to having him back on the court next year."
Arinze, who missed all but five games last year with a dislocated
left shoulder, played in each of the team's first 21 games this season
before suffering the injury. The 6'5 forward was averaging 5.4 points and
3.3 rebounds per game.
