NORMAN ? Oklahoma basketball coach Jeff Capel was meandering through a local grocery store a couple of days before his team's Labor Day trip to Canada when he received a rather frightening phone call.OU's starting guard, sophomore Tony Crocker, needed surgery on his leg. Immediately.
The surgery to relieve compartment syndrome initially called for four to six weeks of rehabilitation, but Crocker was back in three. There are no ill effects from the incision that took a combination of 49 stitches and staples to close.
That's a good thing for the Sooners, who will need Crocker's scoring ability in a bad way. OU opens the regular season tonight at 7 against San Francisco in the first round of the Coaches vs. Cancer regional tournament at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Other than the foot-long scar on his left calf, no one can tell anything different about Crocker, which is a surprise considering the drama that unfolded on Aug. 29.
On two occasions during practice that day, Crocker's leg collided with another player's knee. He took himself out of the final minutes of practice and went to the training room to get it checked out.
Head trainer Alex Brown diagnosed the injury and contacted OU's Dr. Brock Schnebel, who performed the operation that night.
"There was a little bit of swelling after practice,? Capel said. "A couple hours later I get a call that he's getting ready to go have surgery. It was like, wait a minute, where's this coming from? I had never even heard of compartment syndrome.?
The operation released blood which had gathered in a confined area. If untreated, the condition can impair blood supply and lead to muscle death.
Crocker has seen the photographs of his leg during the surgery, calling it "kind of cool.?
Capel had a different take.
"It looked like you gutted a fish,? he said.
The injury caused Crocker to miss the four-game trip to Canada, which ultimately might have been a blessing.
"Things happen for a reason,? Capel said. "He was able to get a little bit of rest and he's been good since he's been back.?
The Sooners are unproven on the perimeter, as far as scoring is concerned, and Crocker will likely be option No. 1, though he sees it more as a group effort.
"Me just being a guy who scores points, I don't see it like that,? he said. "We have a lot of people who can score. That's gonna help out a lot.?
For much of last season, Crocker averaged more than 10 points per game. He fell off late and finished at 8.6.
"We need to score, period,? Capel said. "It doesn't matter to me where it comes from. Tony's a guy that definitely has a chance to do that. Early last year, I thought Tony was playing better than anyone on our team.
"Hopefully he can become a guy who can be consistent for us. Last year we didn't have a guy like that.?
The surgery to relieve compartment syndrome initially called for four to six weeks of rehabilitation, but Crocker was back in three. There are no ill effects from the incision that took a combination of 49 stitches and staples to close.
That's a good thing for the Sooners, who will need Crocker's scoring ability in a bad way. OU opens the regular season tonight at 7 against San Francisco in the first round of the Coaches vs. Cancer regional tournament at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Other than the foot-long scar on his left calf, no one can tell anything different about Crocker, which is a surprise considering the drama that unfolded on Aug. 29.
On two occasions during practice that day, Crocker's leg collided with another player's knee. He took himself out of the final minutes of practice and went to the training room to get it checked out.
Head trainer Alex Brown diagnosed the injury and contacted OU's Dr. Brock Schnebel, who performed the operation that night.
"There was a little bit of swelling after practice,? Capel said. "A couple hours later I get a call that he's getting ready to go have surgery. It was like, wait a minute, where's this coming from? I had never even heard of compartment syndrome.?
The operation released blood which had gathered in a confined area. If untreated, the condition can impair blood supply and lead to muscle death.
Crocker has seen the photographs of his leg during the surgery, calling it "kind of cool.?
Capel had a different take.
"It looked like you gutted a fish,? he said.
The injury caused Crocker to miss the four-game trip to Canada, which ultimately might have been a blessing.
"Things happen for a reason,? Capel said. "He was able to get a little bit of rest and he's been good since he's been back.?
The Sooners are unproven on the perimeter, as far as scoring is concerned, and Crocker will likely be option No. 1, though he sees it more as a group effort.
"Me just being a guy who scores points, I don't see it like that,? he said. "We have a lot of people who can score. That's gonna help out a lot.?
For much of last season, Crocker averaged more than 10 points per game. He fell off late and finished at 8.6.
"We need to score, period,? Capel said. "It doesn't matter to me where it comes from. Tony's a guy that definitely has a chance to do that. Early last year, I thought Tony was playing better than anyone on our team.
"Hopefully he can become a guy who can be consistent for us. Last year we didn't have a guy like that.?
