Getting MASHed Up

HARRISONBURG — Matt Brady foresaw “a dark cloud looming” Wednesday when asked about the status of freshman swingman Charles Cooke, who left that night’s basketball game against North Carolina-Wilmington with a left wrist injury.

 

That cloud has rained another long-term loss on the Dukes.

 

Cooke fractured his wrist and will be out 3-4 weeks according to Brady, who said the rookie will be fitted for a hard cast today.

 

“I just think he’s a really good player. Another good player,” said Brady, who was clearly shaken by the latest of many injury woes JMU has suffered during his tenure.

 

JMU, which hosts Drexel on Saturday, will also be without senior forward Andrey Semenov, who has missed the last two games with a sprained left ankle and could be out for much of this month. Semenov watched Wednesday’s 78-50 win at the Convocation Center with a single, long crutch.

 

The Dukes’ depth is significantly weakened without Cooke and Semenov.

 

Cooke, a Trenton, N.J., native, is averaging 4.9 points and 2.2 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per game. He was beginning to flourish defensively, using his long, 6-foot-6 body to wreak havoc in the press. Cooke had a steal in each of the last five games and totaled five blocks in the last three games.

 

Sophomore guard Arman Marks, who has played almost exclusively at the end of blowouts this season, could see an increased role. The left-hander played 16.1 minutes per game last year as a freshman, averaging 4.6 points per game.

 

Asked about Marks possibly seeing more playing time, Brady was noncommittal.

 

“I don’t know. We’ll see,” he said.

 

Less than five minutes into the second half Wednesday, with the Dukes already leading by 23, UNCW guard Craig Ponder attacked the basket and collided with Cooke. Both players fell hard to the floor, with Cooke landing awkwardly on his left wrist. A media timeout was triggered and he left the game immediately, never returning.

 

If the 3-4 week estimation is accurate, Cooke will miss nearly 10 Colonial Athletic Association games.