■ SPORTS EXTRA BASKETBALL
JORDY
Continued From Page 11
scorer and No 2 rebounder
through seven games, but that's
where lord vs luck ran out
Just five minutes into the
eighth game of the season against
Missouri. Lvden stepfxxl on Tiger
center Jevon Crudup’s foot and
went down In tremendous pain
The diagnosis, sprained Inter
tarsal ligaments in his right foot.
The prognosis: out 4-6 weeks.
The Ultimate Reality almost two
years cut from Jordy l.yden's Ivis
ketball career.
But don't go looking for ev< us
es from this scrappy forward It
was the frustration of not being
nhle to help his struggling team
that hurl Lyden.
"Knowing 1 couldn't play
hurt.” I.yden said, "not lasing able
to help our team was a big thin.:
for me. I couldn't get it out of
mind for a while "
Lyden ended up missing tie
remainder of the 1992 season and
yvas fon:ed to redshirt the 1992
1993 season ns he used the year
to rehabilitate his right foot, lie
n-turn to the court in iti'i.i l'l i*
was a touch-and-go situation ns
Lyden admitted that the injury
yvas always in the hat k of his
mind and probably held him
back.
‘*1 lost a stop," Lyden said I
maybe wasn't as quit k because
of my foot. In the beginning of
the season. I struggled with my
confidence. I was worried men
tally about (the injury)."
Who would have thought, for
Oregon's eight seniors, their final
home weekend of their t nreers
would bo so important? For most
of the Duck seniors. Into-season
games were nothing more than a
springboard for. hopefully, a Ix-t
ter season to come in the next
campaign.
Not only do the seniors have
to sort through the emotions of
playing their last game as a Duck
in Mac Court, they have to do so
when all the hard yvork they've
put in at (lie school could be
rewarded with an unheard of trip
to the NCAA Tournament. But
Lyden and the rest of the Du< k-,
knoyv that there will lx? no time
for saucy farewells in this — u
must-win weekend
“It’s going to be more of a ner
vous pressure," l.ytien said, try
ing to sort through his feeling*
on this weekend s games against
California and Stanford
Win or lose though. I.yden is
grateful that his career will end
on such a high note as far as the
team aspect goes Lyden tuffered
through some pretty lean years,
in uniform and out. and said that
these final four games will be
rewarding to say the least
"It s a privilege, because you
couldn't ask to go out in a tat
ter wav — to have yourself in this
kind of position where you can
■ on! ml what \ our future hoick.*1
I.yden said
I.yden's role on the team has
linen one of a reserve player and
a steadying influence in his final
two sears After starting only sev -
on games last season, I.yden has
yet to start a game in 1094 1005
and has just lately brought up his
minutes played to around i"
minutes a game Considering the
long road to recovery he has trav
tiled, though. t,vdeads bitter-sweet
memories of his career at Oregon
still reign supreme.
Tve had a lot of gomi memo
ries here." said I.yden, who is
averaging 4 f> points a game this
season. "I wish it wouldn't end.
but unfortunately it has to.”
So just w hat does the future
hold for I.yden?
True to form. I.yden keeps his
goals set right w here they were
when he entered Oregon a
continued playing career,
I.yden w ill graduate this term
with an economic s major and a
business minor, hut as far as he
is concerned, those interests i an
wait just a little hit longei a -
I.yden hopes to keep < basing his
dream of playing professional
basketball.
"I thought that 1 would have
a chance after having such a great
freshman season and having pro
ductive numbers in my sopho
more year of hopefully making
the league |NBA| or play pro
somewhere,” I.yden said. ”1 feel
like my chances have been hurt
to do that, hut it's been my life
long goal to play in the NBA or
play professional basketball."
It's not a wise liet to put it jwst
him. Nothing's impossible in this
season of dreams.
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