North Carolina State University Athletics
Inge's Return Is Imminent
12/16/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
It may be an exaggeration to suggest that Kenny Inge is about to pull off a modern-day medical miracle, but NC State's junior forward certainly has surprised doctors, coaches and teammates with his faster than expected recovery from a partially torn MCL in his left knee.
"I'm pleasantly surprised and very excited," said Pack coach Herb Sendek. "Yesterday (Wednesday) in practice, he went after a loose ball with a lot of passion and energy. He wasn't at all timid. I think our medical staff and doctors, together with Charlie Rozanski (Director of Sports Medicine), deserve a lot of praise for expediting his comeback."
When Inge was injured in a game against Old Dominion on November 23rd, it was projected that he wouldn't be able to return until around the first of January. But on Thursday, Sendek hinted that the Virginia Beach, Virginia native could see limited action in Friday night's game against Liberty at the Entertainment and Sports Arena.
"He'll definitely be in uniform," Sendek said. "If he feels good, I'll probably put him in the game."
Since returning to practice on Tuesday, Inge has gone hard for three consecutive days.
"Kenny's one of those guys who leaves it all out there on the floor in practice and in the games," said freshman forward Damien Wilkins. "It doesn't look like he's missed much of a beat. He's still running the floor well and he's still rebounding well. His step may be a little slower now, but that will progress as time goes along."
Inge's return comes at a time when senior forward Tim Wells is also ready to comeback from knee problems that sidelined him throughout the pre-season. Not only does their return provide NC State with added depth, it also creates a lot more competition in practice.
"Even before Kenny came back, simply having Tim back made a noticeable difference," said Sendek. "There's nothing like having ten capable bodies at practice for competition and quality of practice. When we have Ken as well, that only moves us further in that direction. Coaches tend to love practice, and to be able to have the best practices possible is important."
Before he was hurt, Inge had averaged eight points and 5.5 rebounds in about a game and a half. Wells has not seen action in a game this season.
