| | BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Khalid El-Amin started Connecticut's
second-round game Sunday despite a sprained right ankle.
Coach Jim Calhoun had worried the star guard would not be able
to play against Tennessee after hurting himself Friday against Utah
State in the first round of the South Regional.
|  | | Khalid El-Amin sits in the locker room with UConn teammate Kevin Freeman, waiting for his injured ankle to receive treatment. |
"He was struggling in this morning's shootaround," Calhoun
said. "He didn't have good motion or movement, so it will be a
game-time decision."
El-Amin came out with his ankle wrapped as the defending
national champion Huskies (25-9) took on fourth-seeded Tennessee
(25-6).
El-Amin has played in all 107 games of his career, starting 105
of them. He leads the Huskies in scoring at 16.5 points a game.
Late in Friday's game, El-Amin was driving through the lane when
he said he "heard something pop." He had his ankle taped and
returned to the court, only to leave the game a minute later with a
considerable limp.
El-Amin hurt himself during a drive -- he was not hit on the play
-- with 3:57 left in Friday night's 75-67 win over Utah State. He
returned a minute later with the ankle taped, but was forced to
leave moments later.
"If Khalid cannot play, the game plan will be different,"
Calhoun said shortly after the victory. "The plan is going to be
predicated on Khalid."
X-rays were negative, and he spent the night getting ice and
ultrasound treatment.
"It'll give him discomfort for several weeks," team Dr.
Jeffrey Anderson said. "It's definitely going to hurt him, but
it's unlikely to harm him.
"If things go well and we're fortunate enough to move on to
Austin, he'll still feel it."
| |
 |
