Justin Minaya after latest injury: He’s ‘crushed.’ What’s next after surgery?
Justin Minaya missed Wednesday’s loss to Ole Miss. He’s not going to be around for any South Carolina games in the near future, either.
USC coach Frank Martin said following the 84-70 downer to the Rebels that Minaya is scheduled for surgery on his left thumb at 10 a.m. Thursday. Results from that procedure will dictate how long the Gamecocks (13-9, 5-4 SEC) will be without their starting swingman.
“We’ll have a better idea of the length (of absence) once they go in there and they see the extent of the damage,” Martin said. “The MRIs and all that confirmed that he did need surgery.
“There’s a chance that he could play again. It probably won’t be until March. But I don’t have that answer for you until the doctors do what they have to do [Thursday] morning.”
Minaya, who’s started 56 of his 58 games at USC, took a medical redshirt last year because of a knee injury in November. The 6-foot-5 sophomore was rounding back in good form this season — see nine points, seven rebounds, two assists a game in SEC play — until he collided with Mizzou’s Tray Jackson on Saturday while going after an offensive rebound. He exited the game with 32.6 seconds left in the first half, but returned for 13 second half minutes with his thumb taped.
The injury, however, was a serious one.
South Carolina has seven games left in February before closing the regular season March 3 at home against Mississippi State and March 7 at Vanderbilt. The SEC Tournament begins March 11 in Nashville.
Without the versatile Minaya on Wednesday, the Gamecocks lost for the first time in four games and allowed their season-high for points.
“Justin’s a very unselfish player, unselfish teammate that’s always giving, trying to help the guy next to him,” Martin said. “And we played really selfish today. We were into our own feelings, our own world.
“But then again, Ole Miss made us play that way. They went at us and it required us to have some strong character and figure out a way to overcome on the road. We never did that.”
Minaya is fifth on USC in scoring (7.8 points per game) and second in rebounds, assists and blocks.
“I feel like Justin helps us in every place,” said senior center Maik Kotsar, who had 19 points and eight boards against the Rebels. “Whether it’s rebounding, scoring, defense, whatever it might be, I feel like Justin does it all. And not having him around hurts us.
“But we got to be better. We got to make up for that.”
Martin said Minaya is “crushed.”
“He’s a great spirit and he’s got tremendous faith,” Martin said. “And we’re going to help him and he’ll be OK. But he sacrificed so much for this team to become good. And he was just starting to really, really play well.
“To deal with another injury kind of threw him awry. But he’s going to be all right.”
NEXT
What: Texas A&M at South Carolina
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Colonial Life Arena
TV: SEC Network
Radio: 107.5 The Game in Columbia area
