Injury keeps Canadian off the court

As March Madness kicks off, Robert Sacre can only cheer for Gonzaga teammates

Robert Sacre, seen here playing for the Gonzaga Bulldogs in 2007, will be unable to play in the NCAA Tournament.

Canadian content
If you follow March Madness, a number of Canadian names may come across your screen. Here’s a look at some.

• TYLER KEPKAY, Utah (24-9): The senior guard from Vancouver and high-school teammate of Robert Sacre averages 30.4 minutes and 10.1 points per game.

• ANDY RAUTINS, Syracuse (23-8): Rautins, a six-foot-five junior and the son of national-team head coach Leo Rautins, is fourth in Syracuse scoring with 10.5 points per game.

• SHAMAR COOMBS, Texas A&M (18-15): Coombs is a six-foot-one junior guard from Toronto who has produced 8.1 points per game while averaging 24.7 minutes of floor time.

• WILLIE GALICK, Cal State Northridge (17-13): One of the more productive Canadians in the NCAA, the six-foot-eight junior from Nanaimo, B.C., averages 9.2 points and 5.4 rebounds.

• DEVOE JOSEPH, Minnesota (22-10): The Ajax, Ont., native is a six-foot-three freshman who averages 16.8 minutes and 5.1 points per game off the Golden Gophers bench.

• OTHERS TO WATCH FOR: Ifeanyi Ehirim, Robert Morris (Calgary); Tyrell Mara, Portland St. (White Rock, B.C.); Alex Hill, Cornell (Toronto); Ryan Wright, Oklahoma (Mississauga, Ont.)

Published: March 18, 2009 12:10 a.m.

Last modified: March 18, 2009 12:14 a.m.

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It’s the most exciting time of the year in NCAA basketball — and Robert Sacre is on the outside looking in.

Sacre, a seven-footer from North Vancouver and one of Canada’s top basketball prospects, has been ruled out for the rest of Gonzaga’s season with a broken foot, ending a nightmarish sophomore campaign that lasted just five games.

Instead of being in the heat of the action, Sacre will be in plainclothes while the nationally 12th-ranked Bulldogs (26-5) face the Akron Zips (23-12) tomorrow.

“It’s very frustrating, but you just have to accept it and deal with it,” said Sacre, who will gain a season of eligibility because of medical redshirt rules. “I’ll cheer as much as I possibly (can) on the sidelines. That’s all I can do, so why not?”

Sacre actually broke his foot twice this season. He suffered the initial break before the season started and didn’t get back into the lineup until late November, then landed awkwardly on the healed foot five games into his comeback on Dec. 10. He called it a “freak accident.”

“It was really hard for me,” Sacre said. “Especially because when I came down the second time, I just knew it was a break. That was the hardest part. But you just have to accept it. Things happen, and you can’t blame anyone for it.”

Sacre, who was a starter in last year’s opening-round loss to Davidson in the NCAA Tournament, remains one of the most highly-touted big men to come out of Canada in years and will look to get his career back on track in the fall.

He averaged 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds as a freshman.

“I need to work on my inside game, my rebounding and my defence,” he said. “I know what I need to work on and I’ll just focus on that and perfect those skills.”

With Sacre on the sidelines, Gonzaga is still considered a threat to do damage at the NCAA Tournament. They’ve struggled in recent years, advancing beyond the first weekend just once in the past seven seasons. Sacre has high hopes.

“We’ve had our ups and downs, but we’re looking good,” Sacre said. “You just have to play as hard as you can and see what happens.”