WBB opened their season with a 104-43 exhibition win vs D3 Ripon College. 6 players scored in double figures-so that’s the good news. Now for the bad…Chelby Koker had knee surgery at some point this preseason. Was it the same knee she had prior surgery on? Was it a serious injury or more minor? How long will she be out? I do not know the answer to those questions so don’t want to say one way or another. Hopefully she is back in action relatively soon.

I should add redshirt freshman F Brooke Blumenfeld is also injured and using a walking boot so that doesn’t appear to be as serious as Koker’s injury.

(11-04-2023 08:16 PM)Huskies 08 Wrote:  WBB opened their season with a 104-43 exhibition win vs D3 Ripon College. 6 players scored in double figures-so that’s the good news. Now for the bad…Chelby Koker had knee surgery at some point this preseason. Was it the same knee she had prior surgery on? Was it a serious injury or more minor? How long will she be out? I do not know the answer to those questions so don’t want to say one way or another. Hopefully she is back in action relatively soon.

It was posted on Facebook that Koker is done for the season, not sure if she'll come back next year or what, but that's a blow to the team.

(11-04-2023 09:25 PM)UnknownScout Wrote:  

(11-04-2023 08:16 PM)Huskies 08 Wrote:  WBB opened their season with a 104-43 exhibition win vs D3 Ripon College. 6 players scored in double figures-so that’s the good news. Now for the bad…Chelby Koker had knee surgery at some point this preseason. Was it the same knee she had prior surgery on? Was it a serious injury or more minor? How long will she be out? I do not know the answer to those questions so don’t want to say one way or another. Hopefully she is back in action relatively soon.

It was posted on Facebook that Koker is done for the season, not sure if she'll come back next year or what, but that's a blow to the team.

I highly suspected that but wasn’t 100% sure so I didn’t want to say. I know the coaches have been pretty tight lipped about it. I feel for Chelby-she was a real competitor.

I don’t get why coaches would try and hide a season ending injury everyone will know shortly and now that you can gamble on these games we must know players status for the integrity of gambling.

This is my own speculation, totally, but ... those injuries had to be sustained in practice, since until Ripon there obviously were no games. Carlsen said with the graduation departure of A'Jah Davis they were going back to the more-or-less original run-and-shoot high-speed game. That was the practice and play style Carlsen brought in, and the one believed to have been a major contributor to a string of injuries that piled up over several years. It was why NIU hired a much-ballyhooed outside exercise consultant to help deal with it (plenty of threads, posts on this board in the past about it).

With the loss of NIU's star player and maybe a playing time delay for a promising prospect as well, the Huskies could well be headed to another 15-15 season at best. I don't know what the answer is, but if there really is a concern for these student-athletes, some kind of something needs to be considered. I don't know what (but, no, I am not re-launching anyone's past bid for a new coach).

(11-04-2023 11:24 PM)CollegeMan33 Wrote:  I don’t get why coaches would try and hide a season ending injury everyone will know shortly and now that you can gamble on these games we must know players status for the integrity of gambling.

Could be a HIPPA/privacy issue--maybe the full extent of injury/recovery time as well as any possible return for next year are not yet fully known/decided.

Ya think anyone really is betting on NIU or any MAC womens' games? It aint like it's Caitlin Clark....if you bet CC, take the OVER

Koker was voted 1st team all MAC by league coaches at the MAC preseason league meeting last week. The injury happened before that so the coaches must not have know unless it doesn’t matter?

I would say the other MAC coaches did not know. I’m sure someone is betting on a NIU women’s game but that’s not the point. The point is people are betting on college games and injuries play a factor in that. I’m pretty sure someone is going to bet on the NIU vs Marquette game and I’m sure they’d like to see or hear about any injuries or guys out. I can’t bet on Illinois schools but it’d be nice to know if Coit or Williams are playing for those that can bet on it

(11-05-2023 12:07 AM)pvk75 Wrote:  This is my own speculation, totally, but ... those injuries had to be sustained in practice, since until Ripon there obviously were no games. Carlsen said with the graduation departure of A'Jah Davis they were going back to the more-or-less original run-and-shoot high-speed game. That was the practice and play style Carlsen brought in, and the one believed to have been a major contributor to a string of injuries that piled up over several years. It was why NIU hired a much-ballyhooed outside exercise consultant to help deal with it (plenty of threads, posts on this board in the past about it).

With the loss of NIU's star player and maybe a playing time delay for a promising prospect as well, the Huskies could well be headed to another 15-15 season at best. I don't know what the answer is, but if there really is a concern for these student-athletes, some kind of something needs to be considered. I don't know what (but, no, I am not re-launching anyone's past bid for a new coach).

I think I know the answer but I don’t have a say.