Should MiKyle McIntosh Be Playing?

(St. Louis, MO) – So much is on the line Saturday in both the Missouri Valley and Ohio Valley Conferences, but the biggest question on my mind is ‘Should MiKyle McIntosh be playing?’

The 6’7 junior is a shadow of his pre-injured knee self. When the surgery was conducted the prognostication was that MAYBE he could be back in time for Saturday’s game with Northern Iowa. Instead Saturday’s contest will be his fourth, as he came back almost two weeks early.

I am not a world-class athlete, but as a veteran of my own previous meniscus problem, I can tell you this is no picnic. When I watch him play (he’s averaging over 22 minutes per game), I keep expecting him to crumble on the floor.

Should he or shouldn’t he?

NO!

This is a team with serious post-season and NCAA Tournament hopes. If he is healthy, which perhaps he would be if he hadn’t already been playing for the past ten days, then the Redbirds are a dangerous team with legitimate second weekend chances. Without him, and without him healthy, they don’t have a very rosey March Madness expectation.

While he was out the Redbirds went 4-1, with their only loss coming at Wichita State. In their four wins, three came by at least ten points, and they were only threatened by UNI.

Since he’s been back and limping along the side-lines, they are 3-0, but by a grand total of seven points. They haven’t looked good in doing it. McIntosh is a gamer and he can accelerate when going to the basket, but when he cuts side-to-side, he looks unstable and dangerously close to popping the ligament in that fragile joint.

 

YES!

This is a team that has set their sites on the “NCAA Tournament or Bust!” Without the three wins they just picked up and at least a run to the Arch Madness finals, they won’t even get into the field of 68.

So, if he gets injured and they don’t go far in the ‘Big Dance’ at least they achieved their goal of participating in the most elite of championships. Head coach Dan Muller says they wouldn’t have won at Missouri State without him, and maybe that would have ended any ‘at-large’ hopes they have.

His 13 points against Loyola were huge. While he was a non-factor Wednesday against Southern Illinois (zero points, three rebounds and two assists), perhaps the threat of him on the floor gave more operating room to his teammates.

This has been a calculated risk by Muller and McIntosh. As a Valley apologist, I hope it works out for the best!

Do Good