D.J. White leaves game Saturday with knee injury

Talk about adding injury \nto insult. \nJust a few days after the NCAA released a list of five major recruiting violations IU coach Kelvin Sampson and staff allegedly committed, senior forward D.J. White left Saturday’s game against Michigan State with an injury to his left knee.\nIn the first half of IU’s 80-61 victory over the Spartans, White had a shot blocked and awkwardly fell to the ground. He laid on the floor, writhing in pain and clutching the back of his left leg. \nAn MRI on White’s knee was scheduled for early Sunday, but due to medical equipment issues, the procedure took place later than expected, IU Athletics spokesman J.D. Campbell said. IU’s medical team is awaiting “further evaluation” and no determination has been made in regard to White’s status for Tuesday’s game against conference leader Purdue. \nWhite did not practice with the team on Sunday, Campbell said.\n“Dr. (Larry) Rink does not think that it is ligaments,” Sampson said of White’s knee in his postgame press conference. “He thinks the structure is solid.”\nWhite left the game at the 4:55 mark in the first half and headed straight to the Hoosier locker room. He returned after halftime with an ice pack wrapped around his left knee and did not re-enter the game. After the game, White was seen walking the tunnels of Assembly Hall unassisted.\n“I think when a kid gets a knee injury, he is usually a little afraid,” Sampson said. “D.J. was afraid a little bit at halftime. I just went in there and saw him briefly. He said, ‘Coach, it doesn’t feel right.’ The doctors said we should hold him out and I said ‘Absolutely.’ If it doesn’t feel right to him, that kid is too valuable.” \nWhite, IU’s co-captain, is having the best season of his collegiate career. He is leading the conference in field-goal percentage and rebounding and is second in scoring and blocks, solidifying him as a Big Ten Player of the Year candidate. At 17.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, White is averaging a double-doubles and has moved up to the first round in many NBA Draft projections. \nWhite missed most of his sophomore year with a broken left foot. \nHe scored six points, the first six for the Hoosiers, and grabbed two boards in 15 minutes of action before heading to the locker room.\n“I was a little worried because that’s our captain,” said junior forward DeAndre Thomas, who called White the best player in America. “We’re behind him 100 percent. If something happens to him, something happens to all of us.” \nThe junior college transfer said just one thought crossed his mind when he saw White agonizing in pain. \n“Aw man, I’ve gotta play now,” Thomas said.\nThomas didn’t disappoint.\nIU led by three when White left the game. Thomas finished the game with 10 points, four rebounds and three fouls in \n16 minutes. \nWhite leads the Hoosiers in rebounds, and IU was losing the battle of the boards when the forward went down with the knee injury. \nNo IU player pulled down more than five rebounds in the game, but collectively the Hoosiers outrebounded the Spartans 28-26. \nIU’s second leading rebounder, junior forward Jamarcus Ellis, said he tried to make up for White’s absence. \n“It was my job to step up tonight as a player and as a leader,” said Ellis, adding he has tried to assume more of a leadership role since he will be a senior next year. \nFellow junior forward Kyle Taber, a former walk-on, also saw significant playing time with White out.