Possible Short-Term Solution to Injury(s) Problem

In all honesty, I can (as Mike put it) see both sides of the coin on the whole "blame Rick for the injuries" debate. I don't think Rick intentionally puts the kids in positions where they will get hurt, and I believe he is genuinely surprised and upset when one of them does suffer an injury.

The problem I see with the situation is that there seems to be a higher frequency of injuries in this program than most others. Of course, we've all said the same about the football program, but there are hardly statistics showing such a glaring trend of injuries like there is with this basketball program.

Again, I don't think Rick is directly at fault for the injuries, but I do think he needs to take a look at what he can do to prevent them from happening. Again, it's okay to not feel at fault, but as the head coach and leader of the program, you have to hold yourself accountable and take responsibility upon yourself to protect your players' health and well-being.

To have as many players shelved with ailments, some of which being serious/long-term and/or career-threatening, is completely unheard of and, honestly, unacceptable. Whatever has to happen to reverse this trend should be the #1 priority of the program. At the end of the day, a few extra points aren't worth the risk of re-injury.

I do have a short-term solution to the injury woes (hear me out):

I know it's a bit extreme, but Josh Chichester has no more eligibility for football and was clearly serviceable the last time Rick turned to him. Why not bring in a 6'8" athlete that can at least provide some depth? Devante Parker isn't a bad basketball player either from what I hear, and I had the pleasure of watching Aaron Nance torch a few teams when he played for Seneca's basketball team (both are 6'3").

The NCAA does allow a maximum of 2 players from an outside team at the same member institution (i.e. 2 football players can also play basketball and not count against the roster/scholarship limitations) per. 2011/2012 NCAA Division I Manual.

I'm not saying they could contribute on the court (then again, who's to say they definitely wouldn't?), but they certainly could in practice, if nothing else for the scouting; side note: there is no limitation on bringing in practice players from other teams as long as the practice is closed to the public and doesn't interrupt class time.

As long as we're staring in the face of a list of injuries like the one we currently have, I'd say it's a better option than rushing recovery from injuries and risking the long-term well-being of not just the players, but the program as a whole.