New Hampshire sophomore Jacoby Armstrong fights for positioning against Boston College on Friday night. OBW Photo / Sam Perkins
Jacoby Armstrong seemed to have to turn sideways in order to fit his massive shoulders through the doorway at Conte Forum Friday night – at just 19 years old, the 6-foot-6-inch, 230 pound forward is already built like a grown man.
Entering the season, expectations were sky high for Armstrong, arguably the Wildcats best and brightest talent, who averaged 7.7 points and five rebounds per game last season as one of the youngest freshmen in the league. But following New Hampshire’s 58-50 loss to Boston College, Armstrong struggled to make it to the bus. His steps devoid of the spring he had swaggered with for much of last season as the Sachse, Texas native, now walked with a slow, gingerly gate, limping from one foot to the next, his white and blue Nike’s untied and loose around his feet.
“It’s been quite a long recovery for him,” said New Hampshire head coach Bill Herrion of Armstrong, who played much of the second half of last season with a bad case of turf toe, and had surgery to clean out bone chips and other “junk” from both of his big toes in July.
“Longer than we thought, and that’s been a bit of an issue up front. He just started practicing full two weeks ago – didn’t play in the Quinnipiac scrimmage, played a little bit against Merrimack last Saturday. We’ve got to get him back in shape because he’s a good player,” said Herrion. “It was supposed to be like a six to eight week recovery and it’s turned into two to three months.”
After averaging 24.4 minutes in 28 games last year and making 21 starts, Armstrong came off the bench and was limited to just 16 minutes, scoring five points on 1-of-4 shooting and pulling down five rebounds while committing four fouls. He appeared physically hobbled, limping up and down the court throughout the game while wearing a pair of black and red Jordan’s as opposed to his teammates blue and white Nikes. Armstrong played hard and fought for every inch against the Eagles far taller front court, but he appeared to be laboring throughout the game.
According to Herrion, the nagging pain is something that Armstrong will have to play through as he recovers, but it isn’t expected to be a long-term issue.
“His feet are fine,” said Herrion, “We’re trying to convince him to [play through it].”
With the graduation of 6’10” center Chris Pelcher, Armstrong’s importance and growth to the Wildcats has become greatly magnified, as Herrion wants – or, perhaps more accurately, needs – to establish front court scoring, and would like to play Armstrong alongside talented freshman forward Tanner Leissner, who erupted for 17 points in his college debut.
“At our level, you put him and Leissner together and you’ve got a pretty good combination up front,” said Herrion.
Armstrong wasn’t the only Wildcat dealing with an injury as red-shirt sophomore Joe Bramanti, who sat out last year as a transfer from Wright State and is expected to anchor the Wildcats defense, spent the game in sweats on the sideline.
“He strained his oblique muscle a week ago, and we couldn’t risk playing him and then he’s out three weeks,” explained Herrion.
According to Herrion, Bramanti’s injury is not serious and the physically imposing 6-foot-2-inch 215 pounder should return to the lineup next week.
The Wildcats were also without the services of red-shirt senior Matt Miller, a 6-foot-4-inch shooting guard with a rumored NBA range and a hair-trigger from downtown. After sitting out as a transfer two years ago, Miller missed all of last season after tearing his ACL in practice, but did not miss Friday’s game due to injury.
“It’s a three game suspension. It’s our decision,” said Herrion, who expects Miller to make his Wildcats debut after the team plays Bryant next Thursday.
“He’ll be back after the Bryant game.”
New Hampshire hasn’t had a true, consistent long range marksman during Herrion’s tenure, and Herrion sees Miller playing an important role for the team even if he will be working off two years worth of rust.
“He can really shoot it – score on the court,” said Herrion.
Joe Bramanti (left) missed the game with a strained oblique, while Matt Miller (right) was serving the first of a three game suspension. OBW Photo / Sam perkins
Follow One-Bid Wonders Editor-in-Chief Sam Perkins on Twitter at @onebidwonders.
Tags: Bill Herrion, Jacoby Armstrong, Joe Bramanti, Matt Miller, New Hampshire, UNH, Wildcats
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