Anyone who spends time in Bozeman, Montana during the winter is bound to encounter some slippery ice. But for the lead scorer for the Idaho men’s basketball team, an encounter with ice can be even more detrimental.
During the team’s road trip to Montana State last weekend, sophomore Victor Sanders slipped on ice and caught himself with his right hand. The guard was unable to play that night against the Bobcats and the Vandals fell 70-68 in a tough road match.
Initially the team stated that Sanders was absent from the lineup due to a wrist injury, but Idaho head coach Don Verlin made the announcement to reporters Tuesday that the injury was more severe.
Doctors determined that Sanders would be out for three to seven weeks with a broken right hand.
The sophomore has averaged 16.4 points per game this season for the Vandals, with a career-high 33 points against Northern Arizona on Jan. 14.
Sanders was responsible for 89 total points in his last three games for the Vandals.
“I’ve been a part of a team where we’ve had guys go down in a season, but not like that,” senior guard Chris Sarbaugh said in Tuesday’s press conference.
Sanders’ injury comes two weeks after another impactful injury to the Vandals. Junior point guard Perrion Callandret suffered a foot injury during the team’s 74-60 loss against Eastern Washington on Jan. 9.
Callandret has missed the last four games for Idaho and was forced to wear a medical boot, but Verlin announced that the guard is making a lot of progress and should return within the next couple of weeks.
As a freshman for Idaho, Sanders played in 30 games and averaged 3.8 points.
Sanders first burst on to the scene for the Vandals during the team’s matchup against Linfield on Nov. 21. The sophomore scored 23 points and notched three steals to lead Idaho to an 85-59 win.
Sanders also shot at 50 percent from 3-point range against Southern Utah on Jan. 16 and led Idaho with 29 points against the Big Sky Conference opponent.
Despite multiple guards out for an extended period of time with injuries, Verlin said that he is staying positive.
“You can’t worry about the things you can’t control,” he said. “We can control our effort, our preparation, our attitude.”
Verlin said that he is excited to develop the bench players during Big Sky Conference play in the coming weeks.
Freshman small forward Nick Blair and junior Pat Ingram stepped into new roles in the team’s game against Montana State. Junior forward Ty Egbert led Idaho with 18 points and seven rebounds.
“I’m getting a chance to see some guys play some quality minutes who haven’t had the chance,” Verlin said. “Pat has stepped up and played some really good minutes. I’m really happy with how he’s progressing.”
Ingram is a transfer from Trinity Valley Junior College and took the previous season off.
Verlin said he is happy with Blair’s development throughout the season.
“We knew Nick was going to be a good player,” Verlin said. “He was a little slow starting but I think he’s done a good job staying with it. I like what I’ve seen from him.”
Blair is a small forward, but Verlin said he will be taking guard responsibilities on the perimeter for the time being.
Meanwhile, Sarbaugh has replaced Callandret as the point guard.
“It gives us a good opportunity for the younger guys and the people who haven’t played as much,” Sarbaugh said. “Then they’ve had that experience, they’re confident in their abilities and their teammates are confident in them.”
Sarbaugh feels secure in the team’s defensive strategy, but it is the offensive side he is concerned about.
“Vic and Perrion can score so many different ways were not going to be able to replace them,” Sarbaugh said. “We’ve got to figure how to play well as a team so that we all get our own shots.”
As point guard, Sarbaugh said that he wants to give everyone shots they are comfortable with while still pushing the bench players to grow.
“I want them to play their own role,” he said. “But that means maybe making a play for someone else, not necessarily shooting.”
Verlin said that Big Sky opponents will not give the Vandals any leeway in the coming weeks.
“When you have injuries, nobody’s going to feel sorry for you,” Verlin said. “You feel awful for the players because they work so hard.”
Verlin said that the Vandals are not the only team battling through injuries, citing Sacramento State’s injury-riddled lineup.
“They’re having to play without one of their better players,” Verlin said.
Sacramento State senior Cody Demps missed the match-up against Montana State last week, while junior Nick Hornsby sat out against Portland State due to injury.
“We can’t control injuries, but we can control how we play, Verlin said. “No one’s going to feel sorry for your basketball team.”
Tess Fox can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @tesstakesphotos