Blows to Bulls’ roster before season-opener — Yetna out for season, Kiir out indefinitely
A day before the season opener against Arkansas Pine Bluff, it was revealed USF men’s basketball redshirt sophomore forward Alexis Yetna will be out for the season with a knee injury, coach Brian Gregory announced Monday.
Yetna suffered an injury to his left knee during practice Friday.
“It’s hard for a guy who cares about his kids, but more importantly it’s hard for [Yetna] and his teammates to see,” Gregory said, “because everybody knows who he is and what he’s all about.”
There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary about how Yetna injured his knee. Gregory called it “just one of those normal type basketball plays.”
While the type of injury wasn’t disclosed, Gregory said Yetna twisted his knee while making a pass. Gregory also added that, while the injury occurred on the same knee that kept Yetna out of the Bulls’ exhibition against Saint Leo last week, the two injuries were unrelated.
The 6-foot-8-inch Yetna was AAC Freshman of the Year last season and was one of 20 players named to the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award watch list. He played in 36 games last season and averaged 9.6 rebounds and 12.3 points.
“We’re going to have to probably experiment a little bit because the difficult part of coaching is when you plan, plan, plan … you can plan all you want,” Gregory said. “There are things out there you cannot control and then when those things happen, you need to respond the right way.”
It’s a blow to the team in terms of talent, but also a personal blow, according to Gregory.
“You know, the guy works his tail off,” Gregory said. “When you see a kid that’s going through what he’s going through over the last couple days, it’s hard.
“It’s the hardest thing to go through … as a coach that cares deeply about his individual players.”
Gregory also announced junior forward Mayan Kiir, who played in all 38 games last season, will be out indefinitely due to personal reasons.
“We’re helping Mayan work through some private personal issues that need to be addressed before we concern ourselves with any basketball competition,” Gregory said.
Gregory said this has been the case with Kiir “for a while” and will offer updates as they come.
“He’s an active member of our team on a daily basis, but until we enter the next phase with him … I’ll let you know.”
More Stories
USF’s Mindy McCord builds culture of “family and love” into lacrosse
At 23 years old, a career in coaching was not what Mindy McCord had envisioned. After a stint playing for one of the top field hockey teams in Australia following a successful college playing career, she returned to America. McCord was on track to earn a master’s degree in counseling at Virginia Tech while coaching […]
USF campus ministers offer perspective on stadium development: ‘Exciting benefit of exposure.’
Take a tranquil stroll down Sycamore Drive. It’s a quieter part of campus, hidden away from the usual hustle and bustle of USF. It’s home to an area colloquially known as “Religious Row,” a collection of on-campus religious organizations. In just a few years – with the construction of an on-campus football stadium – the […]
Here’s why these USF softball players chose their jersey numbers
For athletes, the number they wear is more than the added fabric on the back of their jersey. It often tells a deeper story about the players — who they are and where they come from. Here’s why these three USF softball players chose their respective jersey numbers. Related: USF softball is gaining momentum during […]
USF football head coach Alex Golesh: The man behind the process
Football coach Alex Golesh said USF has been on his mind since his own days as a college student when the program was top five in the country. “I distinctly remember sitting there watching it and thinking ‘What is S Florida and what are they doing in the top five in the country?’” Golesh said. […]
USF baseball matches last season’s wins at midseason
USF baseball has reached its midseason, powering through a turnaround year. Despite losing to Florida Gulf Coast on Tuesday 7-5, It has already won 21 games, matching the same total from last season with a road victory against Tulane on Sunday. The Bulls (21-16, 7-5 AAC) stand third out of 10 teams in the conference. […]
USF men’s basketball was gutted by the transfer portal. Here’s who remains on the roster.
Things move pretty quickly in this new world of college basketball thanks in large part to the explosion of the transfer portal. Less than a month removed from a second round exit in the National Invitation Tournament, USF men’s basketball looks a lot different than it did in mid-March. In the span of a […]