5
Tuesday, December 3,1996
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
As Vaughn continues his rehabilitation, another question looms overhead:
What happens now, Jacque?
Continued from Page 1
But looming over Vaughn's decision to stay at Kansas are the "what if's."
What if he hits a shooting slump and his NBA stock drops? Or what if what occurred on Sept. 10 in Allen Field House turns out worse than what anyone wants to think about?
Shut out
Cairns, Kansas trainer, said he was in his office about 5:30 p.m. that Tuesday when Vaughn entered the training room holding his wrist and doubled over in pain.
By a lucky coincidence, Cairns had an orthopedic surgeon showing up at 5:30 that afternoon.
Cairns strapped an ice pack to Vaughn's wrist and sent him to Watkins Memorial Health Center for X-rays. When Vaughn returned, orthopedic surgeon Stephen Munns put Vaughn's arm into a cast.
He was diagnosed with a scapholunate disassociation in his right wrist.
Cairns said the scaphoid bone rotated 90 degrees and the lunate
Kansas senior point guard guard Vaughn controls the ball during the second round of the NCAA tournament last season.
rotated 40 degrees. Six orthopedic surgeons saw either Vaughn or his X-rays before surgeon Bruce Toby performed surgery Sept. 13 at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo.
"What he has is the world's worst injury for a right-handed basketball player," Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams said.
"If he would have
The surgery realigned the two bones, and surgeons inserted two pins to hold them in place, Cairns said. Vaughn was fortunate that he saw a doctor within an hour of the injury and lucky to have surgery within three days of the injury.
waited, the chance of getting arthritis in that thing is very high." Cairns said. "Anytime you do joint surgery you run the chance of having arthritis form in that joint."
Even though Vaughn is expected to fully recover, there's an outside chance he won't. Cairns said some people with Vaughn's injury scar more than others. That makes it difficult to recover the full range of motion.
"The biggest fear is when the cast comes off, having it so stiff that we're not able to get the range of motion back fast enough and then having additional problems," he said. "That's not very likely but that's always in the back of your head."
The keys to recovery
Vaughn had the cast removed Nov. 18. He has spent the past two weeks trying to regain his full range of motion through stretching, joint mobilization, and heat and ice. His task now is building up his
"He'll probably be living in here (training room), on the court, in the weight room, and that will be his life for awhile," Caims said.
forearm muscle.
Williams said recently that he was optimistic Vaughn could return by the end of this month. However, he had said before that it was more likely Vaughn would return by January.
Vaughn's range of motion, Williams said, was a little bit better going one direction than the other, but he didn't elaborate.
"If it's early, it's not going to be much earlier," he said. "If it's later, I hope it isn't going to be much later."
Williams knows the loss of Vaughn, a preseason All-American, will be tough for the team, but he also understands that Vaughn can't play five positions by himself.
"Let's be honest, you don't make up for losing Jacque Vaughn," Williams said. "As much as I think of Jacque Vaughn, it doesn't say Jacque Vaughn on the Jersey; it says Kansas."
Vaughn had never missed a game at Kansas in his first three years.
"This wrist injury is the most severe injury he's ever had," Cairns said. "Since he's been here, his health overall has been very good. There was a while last year that we were touch-and-go on an ankle, but he's always come through and played."
In fact, Vaughn has never missed a game due to injury.
"Never missed a game in my life," Vaughn said. "When I was little I played when I had colds, ankle sprains, finger sprains. This time I don't think I'm going to find some way to get out there."
How's somebody who has never missed a game because of injury doing?
"For the first couple days after my surgery it was emotionally trying for me, but I've accepted it," Vaughn said. "I try not to ever include disappointments in my life. I try to turn those negatives into positives."
Williams said Vaughn's handling the injury better than he would.
"I would either be crying or beating my head against a wall," William said.
Nevertheless, Vaughn is without regrets.
"Ive always said I had no regrets being here at the University of Kansas, and I still have none," Vaughn said. "This could be a blessing in disguise."
So how is Jacque doing?
Even if Vaughn is unable to regain his old form or doesn't make a full recovery, he will still have two forms of insurance, a policy and a degree.
Williams discussed with Vaughn the possibility of being injured during his senior season.
"That's the reason we took out the insurance policy." Williams said. "It's an insurance policy to protect him in case he has a career-ending injury that would prevent him from playing in the NBA."
The policy was taken out last summer. Williams would not say how much it was worth.
As far as playing in the NBA, Marty Blake, director of scouting for the NBA, said Vaughn would get an opportunity to play.
"We will make sure he has every opportunity to play in the NBA even if it takes awhile for him to fully recover." Blake said.
Blake said Vaughn would be invited to the NBA Draft camp in Chicago and the Desert Classic in Phoenix. Both events are designed to give NBA scouts the opportunity to watch collegiate players who are eligible for the draft.
"I think that Jacque Vaughn made the right decision in staying in school." Blake said, "He wasn't ready to play."
Vaughn's teammates still think they can win without him, but they are looking forward to his return.
"He'll be a ball of fire," Pollard said. "He'll be fresh and hungry all over. That will be a tremendous boost to our team morale-wise."
Going to the Final Four, winning a national championship and a good education are things Vaughn wants with a passion, said backcourt teammate Jerod Haase.
"His education is extremely important to him," Haase said. "I think he's smart enough that if he doesn't make a bunch of money this year, he's probably going to have money in the future whether he plays basketball or not. I think he'll be successful in whatever he does."
So how's Jacque doing?
Williams summed it up best:
"People still think that Jacque's superman, and he's going to be ready to play tomorrow," he said. "Jacque was a very level-headed youngster to begin with and knew that basketball was not the be all, end all. He's had a major setback, but it's something that's not going to change his life. And he understands that, but he's handled it unbelievably well.
"He's just the most unique young man I've ever been around in my life."
Injury Timeline
September13
Post Operation
After the surgery, Vaughn was fitted with a cast that immobilized his right wrist. He wore the cast for 10 weeks. It was finally removed Nov. 18 and replaced with a removeable splint.
Your last CHANCE
Apartment & Sublease Guide
The deadline is Dec. 6 at 4:00 pm
Place your ad in the apartment & sublease guide and get results fast.
MOVING? Need to find a roommate?
It's only $7/ col. inch,
or $6/ col. inch with current KUID.
It runs Tuesday, December 10, 1996
Stop by 119 Stauffer-Flint or call 864-4358.
NATURAL WAY
• 820-822 MASS. • 841-0100
NATURAL BODY CARE
NATURALWAY
• NATURAL FIBER CLOTHING
• *820-822 MASS* • *B41-0100*
"One Nation Under Whose God?"
7:00 to 9:00 pm, Tuesday, 12/3 Jayhawk Room, KS Union
Panelists: Carol Matthews, Dr. Ed Canda.
Darcie Callahan, Lata Murti, Abdul Hadi Allhassani
Moderator: Dr. Bob Minor
Religions represented:
STUDENT
THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
SENATE
Zen Buddhism,
NeoPaganism,
Islam,
Christianity
Part of the Diversity Dialogue
Series for Students, Faculty, and Staff.
Please join us to challenge and discover.
Sponsored by the KU Coalition of the Lawrence Alliance and the
Multicultural Resource Center, 864-4350 Learning Through
DIVEROITY
Multicultural Resource Center
1
15