Lehigh guard Corey Schaefer (#15) defends Lafayette guard Tony Johnson (#3) as he moves the ball during a game Feb. 18 at Stabler Arena.
Fran O'Hanlon has begun this season the same way last season ended — without a healthy point guard.
The veteran Lafayette College men's basketball coach confirmed that senior point guard Tony Johnson was out indefinitely with a foot injury. It's the opposite foot that Johnson broke that caused him to miss the latter part of last season.
“We’re hoping it’s not too extensive,” said O’Hanlon, who’s beginning his 18th season on College Hill. “We’ll find out in the next day or two. We’re hopeful that he’s going to be fine.”
The Leopards, 13-18 in 2011-12, begin a new season without career 1,000-point scorers Ryan Willen and Jim Mower, who graduated. Guards Rob Delaney and Nick Petkovich are the other prominent players who used up their eligibility.
“That’s why Tony is so key,” O’Hanlon said. “He’s been there before. He gives us leadership. We desperately need him to be healthy.”
Johnson was a Preseason Patriot League All-Star last season but missed the first couple months with a back injury. He returned for the Patriot League portion of the schedule but was never 100 percent.
“He was never the same player he was (as a sophomore),” O’Hanlon said.
Johnson began practicing with the team this month before sustaining the foot injury several days ago. He currently has his foot placed in a boot.
“Tony practiced for a week and was playing very well,” O’Hanlon said. “He was the old Tony.”
Then came the mishap. Freshmen Zach Rufer and Bryce Scott and junior Les Smith are also getting reps at point guard.
“Les is a combo-guard,” O’Hanlon said. “He’s not really a point guard, and he’s a little under-sized to play the two-(guard).
O’Hanlon said Rufer and Scott may find their way onto the floor along with 6-foot-10 freshman Ben Freeland. Nathaniel Musters, a 6-10 freshman from Padstow, Australia, may also be thrown into action at some point.
“Whether they’re ready or not, we don’t have enough depth to not play them,” O’Hanlon said. “They’re really working hard and trying to pick things up. Nathaniel is a little behind the other three. It usually takes a little longer for the bigger guys to learn the system.”
Sophomore Joey Ptasinski (5.6 points per game), who also missed the latter part of last season with an injury, takes over at the off-guard.
“That’s his natural position,” O’Hanlon said. “He’s not a combo guard. If somebody asked me to rank our players defensively, I’d say Tony and then Joey. Joey’s good offensively and defensively as well.”
Sophomore Seth Hinrichs (8.5 ppg) is the small forward. Senior Levi Giese (3.1 ppg) will technically be the power forward although he’s generally more effective facing the basket. Giese was limited to 22 games last season due to an ankle injury suffered in the season opener at LaSalle.
“We’re a good shooting team,” O’Hanlon said. “Seth, Joey and Levi can stretch the defense a little bit.”
Sophomore Dan Trist (5.7 ppg) is the starting center. Trist will usually play with his back to the basket, although O’Hanlon says he’s comfortable shooting from 15 to 17 feet and can even step out and shoot the 3.
The other injury of note is to sixth man Alan Flannigan. The sophomore forward is out indefinitely with torn ligaments in his thumb.
“We’re hoping to tape it together somehow to stabilize the ligaments,” O’Hanlon said.
Lafayette faces a challenging non-league schedule that includes a trip to Lexington to face defending national champion Kentucky on Nov. 16. The Leopards also have road games at Maryland, Minnesota and Stanford and a home date with Princeton on Nov. 24.
“I’m so tired of losing the recruiting battle to Kentucky, that I decided to schedule them and beat them on the court,” O’Hanlon joked.