The University of Louisville's already thin frontcourt just took another hit.
6-8 senior forward Otis George, the Cardinals top frontcourt reserve, will be out of action for the next 3-5 weeks with a pre-stress fracture in his right foot.
George, who missed Tuesday nights exhibition game against Lindsey Wilson, joins freshman forward Brian Johnson on the injured list. Johnson had knee surgery November 19 and will miss the entire 2004-05 season.
"We hope to have Otis back by the start of our conference play," U of L head coach Rick Pitino said. "This puts a lot of stress on an already undermanned frontcourt."
George will miss two of U of L's biggest games of the young season because of the injury, at Florida this Saturday and against rival Kentucky next Saturday. Pitino said his team will have no other choice but to go small and hope for the best.
"With no proven frontcourt substites, we now have no choice but to play four or five guards on occasion," Pitino said. We hope to become the best 6-5 and under team in college basketballat certain times. We'll make the best of it."
George, who sustained the injury in practice on Nov. 28, was Louisville's second leading rebounder and was also averaging 8.0 points off the Cardinals bench.
U of L Sports Information Director Kenny Klein said the foot is not broken but explained that it was important give the injury time to heal.
"He's got fluid in the bone but it is not broken," Klein said. "However, [his foot] could break with continued action."
George averaged 23 minutes of action in U of L's first four games.