McNeese MBB’s Trae English likely out for the season

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - Trae English has been one of the most important players for the Cowboys this season as he holds averages of 10.8 points, 3.6 assists, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, and is the third-leading scorer for the Cowboys, but now, English is likely going to miss McNeese’s final three regular season games, and any potential postseason games as well.

“It looks like Trae English will be done, probably for the year, we’re not sure on that but, he’ll be evaluated, got hurt late in practice yesterday, so he’s definitely out this week, and I would be shocked if we get him back some point in time. Obviously praying for him and his family, just for our team really, it drops us down to seven guys, scholarship guys, and so I can’t get into too many details from a legal standpoint, but it is an injury and something that we’re currently getting evaluated” said Cowboys head coach John Aiken on Wednesday.

It has been a difficult season for McNeese not only from a playing standpoint as they lost nine consecutive games between January and February, and have been last, or close to it in the Southland Conference standings all season, but from an injury standpoint as well. As coach Aiken said, McNeese is now down to just seven scholarship players, and because of it, it has been difficult to hold quality and competitive practices.

“Now we typically only practice one day a week, we’ve gotten to a point where now we can only practice on Tuesdays, we walk through on Wednesdays and Fridays, but Tuesdays have been our kind of competitive day.”

With just three games remaining, the Cowboys sit in a tie for seventh in the Southland Conference standings, which makes the final three games that much more important, and coach Aiken added that if nothing else, English’s injury might give the Cowboys some added motivation to do it for one of the leaders on this McNeese team.

“We’ve had a bunch of injuries obviously, but yesterday, because of what Trae means to this team, and how likable he is, he’s very popular on the team, guys love him, and yesterday I saw more guys in the training room checking on another player, one of their teammates, than I’d seen before this season. So I do think that there will be a rallying cry, I think that our guys will really pull together for him.”

When asked who would fill the role on the court left behind by English, Aiken said it would likely be between Johnathan Massie and Donovan Oday.

McNeese’s game against Houston Christian tips off at 7:00 on Thursday night.

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