PHILADELPHIA — IU won against Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but the Hoosiers arrived at the Sweet 16 in Philadelphia a battered team.
Sophomore guard Robert Johnson re-injured his left ankle and missed the second half against Kentucky, freshman forward Juwan Morgan’s shoulder popped out of its socket again, and junior forward Collin Hartman has been battling a wrist injury since the Big Ten Tournament loss against Michigan on March 11.
But ahead of IU’s game against North Carolina on Friday, all three appear relatively healthy.
“If it’s up to me, I’m definitely going to play, but I think it’ll be a game-time decision based on how the coaches and trainers feel,” Johnson said.
Johnson said his ankle felt normal against Kentucky up until the time he reaggravated his ankle sprain. Since then, he’s been rehabilitating his ankle two or three times a day, he said, and he has been a limited participant in IU practices.
In a toned-down practice Thursday that was open to the public, Johnson participated fully while wearing a brace on his left ankle. The practice didn’t include any live action, however, which is the area Johnson has been sitting out as a precautionary measure.
The brace is also new for Johnson. He didn’t wear it in the first two rounds of the tournament or during the week of practice leading up to them.
This week, athletic trainer Tim Garl recommended he try a brace.
“I’ve been wearing it for two or three days now,” Johnson said. “Tim wanted me to try and see how it would feel and if it would help.”
Both Hartman and Morgan also participated in practice, and both are expected to play Friday night. Morgan said he was 100 percent going to play, even with the risk of his shoulder popping out for a fourth time this season.
Morgan said he doesn’t try to let the threat of an injury change how he plays, which may be the reason he can’t keep his shoulder in place.
“I just don’t think about it,” Morgan said. “That’s probably why it comes out so much, because I’m not really conscious of it.”
Hartman once again wore a brace on his right wrist, but unlike in the practice leading up to the first two rounds, he participated in every drill Thursday.
Last week, Hartman was limited to drills that ended in a layup. He still didn’t shoot any 3-pointers during practice Thursday, but he was consistently shooting and making a variety of jump shots from inside the 3-point arc.
He also said his wrist is improving every day because he’s getting treatment every day.
His treatment, combined with Johnson’s two to three rehab sessions a day and Morgan’s treatment, including the stitches he required after cutting his head during practice Tuesday, has kept Garl and the rest of the training staff busy.
It even left Hartman questioning whether Garl and team doctors Steve Ahlfeld and Lawrence Rink have gotten much sleep during the past couple weeks.
“Timmy G. and Dr. Ahlfeld and Dr. Rink have their hands full definitely,” Hartman said. “Those guys do a great job of getting us ready and keeping us in the game.”
