University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sophomore Dante Harvey will miss at least the next four weeks of basketball practice because of a torn knee ligament.
The 6-foot-6 forward tore the MCL of his right knee Sunday during a closed scrimmage at Auburn.
"It could be from anywhere from four to eight weeks," UTC coach John Shulman said. "Somebody is going to have to step up and be a 3-man. Jeff Smith is going to have to step up. Ridge (McKeither) is going to have to step up at the 4, and everybody is going to have to do their part."
UTC will play an exhibition game Saturday in McKenzie Arena against Tennessee Wesleyan. Harvey will not play. Neither will Chris Early or Troy Cage, and point guard Keegan Bell is day-to-day.
Sophomore Ricky Taylor and junior Smith, who are used to playing the 2-guard position, will have to pick up minutes at Harvey's small forward spot.
"There's no stopping the season," Shulman said. "We're fine emotionally. If this happened at the end of the season, we'd be freaked out.
"Hey, we've got Jeff, Ricky and Josh Odem to play there. None of them are big rebounders, but if you can box out you can rebound."
David Uchiyama is a sports writer at the Chattanooga Times Free Press who began his tenure here in May 2001. His primary beats are UTC athletics — specifically men’s basketball and athletic department administration — and golf, which includes coverage from the PGA Tour to youth events. He also covers other high school sports, outdoor adventures, and contributes to other sections of the newspaper when necessary. David grew up in Salinas, Calif., and began working ...
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