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SIU center Evans to miss four to six weeks

By Todd Hefferman, The Southern

Monday, November 24, 2008 11:47 PM CST

CARBONDALE - Center Nick Evans will miss between four and six weeks after sustaining a broken left wrist Friday night against UCLA at Madison Square Garden in New York.

X-rays Monday gave the Southern Illinois University redshirt freshman the bad news after he was originally diagnosed with a sprain.

The 6-foot-11, 245-pound Evans is averaging 6.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, but seemed to be hitting his stride last week. The Carbondale High School grad was home-schooled through his sophomore year of high school, and has played less than 100 games, combined, at any level of basketball. Evans had four points and a rebound in 14 minutes against fourth-ranked UCLA Friday. Thursday night against 10th-ranked Duke, Evans had nine points and two rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench. He is shooting 50 percent from the field (11 of 22) this season.

"It was most disappointing that I was getting more comfortable on defense," Evans said. "I was finally getting my rotations down and my offense was starting to come."

If Evans misses the full six weeks, he'll be due to return Dec. 29, the day after SIU's Missouri Valley Conference opener at Bradley.

Evans' injury opens the door for freshman forward Anthony Booker and junior forward Christian Cornelius to play more minutes. Both played in all four games this season, but neither are averaging more than four rebounds or points a game.

"Obviously, he's disappointed because he's started to come around and play better, but injuries are part of our sport, and, really, any sport," SIU coach Chris Lowery said. "He's got to continue to get healthy, and we've got to grow and use his loss as a gain by having other guys step up."

The Salukis did gain two players the same day one went down. Sophomore walk-on Brandon Allen was cleared to practice Monday and freshman guard Torres Roundtree fully participated in practice. Allen is attempting to return after having a bone spur removed from his knee, while Roundtree missed Friday's game against the Bruins as he continued to recover from a bruised knee suffered against Massachusetts on Nov. 12.

Roundtree is expected to come off the bench Wednesday night when the Salukis (2-2) return to the court against Western Kentucky (1-2).

Tipoff at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green is set for 7 p.m.

todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com / 351-5087