Gophers Basketball: Could Joey King return to play against Syracuse?
By Frank Bi
Nov 8, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Gophers Forward Joey King (24) guarded by Lehigh Mountain Hawks guard Austin Price (5) in the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports
Sophomore forward Joey King cracked his jaw on Andre Hollins’ head on Tuesday, had surgery on said jaw on Wednesday and sat out of Minnesota’s game against Wofford on Thursday. But if the Eastview native and Drake transfer can suit up and help the Gophers against Syracuse next Monday, he’ll flat out win the title of toughest dude on the roster.
Pitino: Joey (King) is such a tough kid, he's holding an ice pack to his cheek and say he's feeling great, he doesn't look great. #Gophers
— Nadine Babu (@NadineBabu) November 22, 2013
Jaw injuries are nasty — think Kanye West “Through the Wire” (okay, maybe not as bad as a broken jaw via car accident). Nevertheless, bones injuries to the face are not only a nuisance to one’s daily activities, but also extremely painful, which really goes without saying.
Head coach Richard Pitino said on Thursday that he and King will evaluate things on Saturday before the Gophers fly off to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational, but I’d be surprised if he’s able to return and play significant minutes against a bigger and faster Syracuse squad.