Race Thompson didn’t have to sit out the first time he got popped in the nose, but the second time might cost him Saturday’s game at Purdue.
The Indiana redshirt junior forward was injured before the Hoosiers’ Feb. 24 loss at Rutgers and has been wearing a mask in games since. He took another shot to the nose on Tuesday night against Michigan State and that apparently did enough damage that it required a procedure, according to IU coach Archie Miller on his radio show on Thursday night.
“Poor guy fractured his facial area around his nose before the Rutgers game,” Miller said. “He’s playing with the mask. He gets hacked really good in the Michigan State game. He probably aggravated the break. He had to get a procedure yesterday, very minor procedure to get things straightened back out. He’s going to be out for a few days.”
When asked to clarify his status for Saturday’s 2 p.m. game at Purdue, he said Thompson does have a chance to play in that game but will likely not practice Friday. He said his status will be a game-time decision.
Miller said sophomore guard Armaan Franklin could also be a game-time decision, but that the Hoosiers would still expect not to have him. He has not played since the Hoosiers’ loss to Rutgers on Feb. 24 because of a right lower leg injury suffered in that game. Miller said he is “day-to-day.”
“Out of the Michigan State game Franklin was able to do some rehab on the floor for the first time,” Miller said. “I thought he moved pretty well yesterday. Didn’t do anything in practice other than some shooting and some warm-up stuff.”
Thompson has been one of the Hoosiers’ best two-way players, averaging 9.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, ranking second on the team with 32 blocks and tied with Franklin with the lead in steals with 26. Franklin is the team’s second-leading scorer with 11.6 points per game.
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