Monday, Georgia Tech regained one, lost one and surgically repaired one.
Tech sophomore guard Solomon Poole was dismissed from the team, ending a 35-game career that both began and concluded earlier than expected. Coach Brian Gregory also disclosed that forward Robert Carter could return from a torn meniscus as early as Tuesday’s game against Clemson (8 p.m., WATL).
Gregory also gave an update that forward Jason Morris’ surgery to repair his broken foot Monday was successful, and that he’ll likely miss the rest of his senior season. Morris is a versatile player with tremendous leaping ability, but multiple foot injuries in the past two seasons have limited his playing time.
Gregory also said that guard and leading scorer Trae Golden will probably play against Clemson after leaving the Wake Forest game Saturday with a groin injury.
So continues a season that has been marked by a slew of injuries as the Yellow Jackets have tried to navigate the ACC schedule with a depleted roster. The fact that Tech has not defeated Clemson in the past seven games would seem almost a minor concern.
Poole will stay in school until the end of the semester and will transfer. Gregory said he was removing him from the team for reasons of conduct and accountability. Poole had not played or been on the bench since the Duke game Jan. 7, a seven-game absence. Gregory explained at first that Poole had a migraine and then was having medical issues related to the migraine. Gregory said Monday that the dismissal was “definitely” not related to the migraine.
“Stuff like this, it’s always disappointing,” Gregory said. “On both sides.”
Poole was a four-star recruit out of Jacksonville, Fla., who chose to graduate from high school early and enrolled at Tech in Dec. 2012 midway through last season. He selected Tech in part to realize a childhood aspiration to play college basketball with his older brother Stacey, who was on the team after transferring from Kentucky. Stacey, a junior, remains with the team.
Solomon Poole played 35 games, starting five, and averaged 3.6 points and 12.4 minutes per game. He had scoring ability and showed good vision on the court, but was also prone to taking unnecessary risks.
Carter was described by Gregory as “very doubtful” to play this season after his Jan. 7 surgery to repair the torn meniscus in his left knee. However, Carter said Monday that he was told that recovery time would depend on how much work he put into rehabilitating his knee.
Carter said he put in “extra work, extra rehab” with trainer Richard Stewart to heal his knee and strengthen his leg muscles.
“It’s been tougher than you would think,” Carter said.
He took part in about half of the team’s practice Friday and then was put through a strenuous pre-game workout Saturday at Wake Forest. He was expected to take part in Monday’s practice and then evaluate his recovery on Tuesday. Gregory called him possible for Clemson and probable for Tech’s Saturday game vs. Virginia.
It would obviously be a big boost for the Jackets, who have been maxing out center Daniel Miller’s minutes and also struggled defensively and in rebounding without Carter. At the time of his injury, he led the ACC in rebounds at 9.3 per game and was scoring 10.3 points per game.
“It’d be great to have him back as soon as possible,” Miller said.
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