Junior point guard Lorin Dixon is making progress as she continues to deal with a strained left hamstring. However, it’s not enough progress that will allow her to play Friday when the top-ranked Huskies host Hofstra in the WBCA Classic at Gampel Pavilion.
Dixon suffered the injury in UConn’s exhibition finale against Vanguard Nov. 9. She will miss her fourth straight regular season game.
“I’m feeling a lot better,’’ Dixon said. “I’m just trying to see how soon I can get back out here, but we’re making a lot of progress.’’
Dixon took part in some individual drills prior to practice today. She also ran “for a while’’ before she began to feel pain. Dixon still has yet to take part in nay team-related activities at practice.
While Dixon will definitively not play against Hofstra, the possibility remains that she could see some time against either Richmond Saturday or Clemson Sunday. Huskies coach Geno Auriemma was non-committal on when she might be able to return.
Auriemma said a potential return against Vermont Dec. 3 might be the most realistic scenario.
“I think her conditioning and her timing and all that you really can’t maintain that if you’re not playing,’’ Auriemma said. “So I would venture say that when she’s ready to go she’ll practice a little bit. She’ll play a little bit and then as time goes on she’ll practice more and play more. But a lot’s going to be determined by how she reacts to being put under that kind of stress now with her leg. If she reacts positively then we’ll just keep adding to her workload.
“I don’t know that she’s going to play this weekend. If she hasn’t practiced (today) she’s not going to practice tomorrow so that puts her out for Friday. And beyond that I don’t know, but for certain she’s not playing Friday. Since we don’t have practice any more days I don’t know where that puts her. So maybe she can get a couple minutes or maybe she gets nothing. So, hopefully, the Vermont game.’’
Caroline Doty, who has 17 assists and three turnovers in 83 minutes this season, played the point today in practice when her and Tiffany Hayes were in the backcourt together. Hayes has started the first three games at the point, but she has eight assists and a team-high 13 turnovers in 68 minutes.
Seniors Kalana Greene (1,000 points) and Tina Charles (1,000 rebounds) will be honored for their accomplishments prior to Friday’s game against Hofstra.
Bonnie Samuelson, a 6-foot-2 junior forward from Huntington Beach, Calif. (Edison High), was making an unofficial visit today. She was on hand for practice at Gampel Pavilion. She participated in the USA Basketball U-16 Trials in May and played for Russ Davis’ AAU team (Cal Swish).
The UConn Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will conduct a Toy Drive at the Vermont game at Gampel Pavilion.
Rich
