No. 15 Indiana doesn’t have starting backcourt in win over Wildcats

 

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) -Eric Gordon and Armon Bassett, the starting guards for No. 15 Indiana, did not play in Saturday’s 70-51 victory over Kentucky.
Gordon, a freshman, entered the week as the nation’s second-leading scorer although his scoring average dropped to 24.3 points after a hard fall forced him out of Monday night’s win over Tennessee State in the first half. He was diagnosed with a bruised lower back.
As recently as Thursday, Hoosiers coach Kelvin Sampson had said Gordon would play. But that changed Saturday when Sampson said it was obvious he wasn’t completely healthy.
“He felt better Tuesday and Wednesday, but by Thursday afternoon, you could tell he was not getting any better,” Sampson said. “That’s when I realized he probably wasn’t going to play. But you never know.”
It’s still not certain whether Gordon will be ready for Indiana’s next game.
The Hoosiers don’t play again until next Saturday when Western Carolina visits, and Sampson said he’s asking Gordon to make sure he’s ready before returning.
“There is no game more important than a young man’s health,” Sampson said. “It’s not about if he’s going to play or not. It is whether or not he’s going to be healthy enough to play.”
Team officials announced just before the game that Bassett, a sophomore who averages 11.3 points for the Hoosiers (8-1), had been suspended.
Sampson said Bassett had violated team rules but would not say if he would miss any additional games.
“I haven’t decided that yet,” he said.