SYRACUSE — In the wake of West Virginia’s starting point guard Darryl “Truck” Bryant’s season-ending foot injury, the Mountaineers — including Bryant — were remarkably upbeat yesterday as they prepared to play Washington in tonight’s East Region semifinal at the Carrier Dome.
“It’s tough,” Bryant, the all-time leading scorer at St. Raymond’s in The Bronx, said. “Of course I want to play. Lights [are] on, big time of the year. I just wanted to be a part of it. I believe in my team and I know they’ll get it done.”
Bryant said he felt the injury in the NCAA Tournament game against Missouri last week, but “didn’t take it seriously.”
COMPLETE MARCH MADNESS COVERAGE
In practice on Tuesday, though, he “felt a pop and knew it was serious.” An X-ray showed he broke his fifth metatarsal bone.
He’ll be replaced in the starting lineup by Joe Mazzulla, who was sharing time with him anyway.
“It’ll be very difficult,” Mazzulla said. “I’ve never been in the Sweet 16 before [and] don’t really know what to expect. My role doesn’t really change. Obviously I have to play a little bit smarter to try to stay out of foul trouble.”
Asked why everyone was so upbeat and not letting the injury affect the team’s psyche, West Virginia’s Da’Sean Butler said, “We’re just that comfortable with each other. I know he has enough faith in us that we can win the game. So I don’t see where the whole panic about everything will be. I think we’ll be fine.”
When asked about his upbeat team, West Virginia coach Bob Huggins deadpanned that it comes from “being around my effervescent personality all the time.”
Washington guard Isaiah Thomas, who knows Bryant, said the loss could affect West Virginia.
“His name explains it — ‘Truck’ — he was just a strong guard from New York City who handled the ball and he played hard,” Thomas said. “I’m sad that what happened to him happened. I know he wants to be out there playing with his team. I prayed for him last night. I hope he’s in high spirits.”
*
Cornell senior forward Mark Coury, who started 29 games for Kentucky in his sophomore year, will be playing against his former team today. Coury transferred to Cornell and is actually a backup for the Big Red.
“It’s going to be great playing my old team,” Coury said. “It can’t be more ironic. It shows how life works. You never know what’s going to come your way.”
Asked about the biggest differences between the two schools, Coury said, “They have libraries all over the place at Cornell.”
Coury said he’s met actress Ashley Judd, one of Kentucky’s high-profile fans, “several times.”
Asked whom the Ashley Judd for Cornell would be, Coury said, “I don’t know. There are a lot of Nobel Prize winners in the stands, but I don’t know if I can pick them out of the crowd.”