In tonight’s Big East Championsip quarterfinal, Pitt’s Carl Krauser and Villanova’s Allen Ray (above) collided going after a loose ball just after intermission ; Ray suffered an eye injury, the extent of which is unknown. ESPN has reported that a) Ray might’ve lost his right eyeball and later, b) he “seems to be alright”.
At the moment, it’s hard to speculate and impossible, regardless of who you’re rooting for, not to hope the damage wasn’t nearly as bad as it looked on television.
The Wildcats were well on their way to losing before Ray was led from the floor ; without him, they’re unlikely to go far in the NCAA Tournament.
(12:52 pm addendum : ESPN’s College Game Night is reporting that Ray has regained vision and there’s no lasting damage. His status for next week is still unclear, however)
Winning the SEC Tournament is South Carolina’s only hope of making the field of 65, and they’re two wins away from doing so, after beating heavily favored Tennesee 79-71 on Friday. Junior G Tre Kelly (above) scored 25 points, setting up a semi-final clash with Kentucky tomorrow.