Head coach Craig Neal said junior college transfer Jordan Goodman will not play against Idaho State. Neal also said guard Cullen Neal may not play due to a heel injury that has been nagging at him recently.
Both of them participated in practice on Wednesday and looked to be healthy. Goodman has been recovering from a knee surgery that he went through in June and has still not fully healed. Wednesday was his third straight practice for the Lobos.
Goodman being ruled out in the season opener wasn’t a huge surprise, but Craig Neal said he might see some minutes in their game against Cal State Fullerton on Sunday.
“He’s made strides, he’s worked at it,” he said. “Hopefully he can get through these next two practices without any issues. He’s worked really hard to get back.”
Sophomore guard Cullen Neal is 50-50 for Friday’s game, Craig Neal said. He said after the issues with his appendix last season, he doesn’t tell the coaches about minor injuries that affect him.
“He just doesn’t talk about it because of what he went through last year,” Craig Neal said. “I think as much pain as he went through last year with being sick, I think anything that’s nagging or anything he thinks he can play with, he doesn’t really talk about, but he couldn’t practice (on Tuesday).”
Neal said if Cullen plays, the starting five will be the same as it was during the exhibition games with Neal, Hugh Greenwood, Deshawn Delaney, Devon Williams and Obij Aget. If Cullen is ruled out, junior guard Arthur Edwards will step into the starting role.
The Lobos will finally get to showcase all of their offensive and defensive schemes that they have not shown in their first two exhibition games.
“It’s live now. It’ll be everything we have,” Neal said. “Whatever we have to do to win, whatever what we have to do defensively to win, whatever what we have to do offensively to win; we’ve got most of it in.”
Lobos make noise off the court
The Lobos received news that they will be joined next fall by three Class of 2015 recruits who had given their verbal commitment quite some time ago. On Wednesday the recruits signed their National Letters of Intent.
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Joining the Lobos will be 6-foot-7 Dane Kuiper of Arizona, 5-11 Jordan Hunter of Texas and 6-2 Anthony Mathis of Oregon.
“I’m really excited about these three guys,” Neal said. “They’re not only good players, but I think they’re really good people, and that’s what I think this program is about.”
Kyle Tomasi is a sports writer for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @KyTo22.
