Knee Surgery Ends Southern Illinois' Josh Swan's Career

Southern Illinois coach Barry Hinson faced terrible news yesterday. Junior guard Josh Swan was forced to undergo knee surgery due to an injury he suffered against Illinois State the previous season. The surgery was unfortunately career ending.

Swan missed the final month of last season due to the injury, ending a year in which he produced consistently in conference play. He also scored a season high 11 points against Benedictine University; the Pace Academy product also poured in 10 against Drake. After starting nine games his freshman year, Swan only started four times his sophomore season.

In addition to contributing on the boards for the Salukis, the "guard" shot a consistent 44.9% from the field, and an even better 51% in Missouri Valley play.

Hinson has expressed that he wants to keep Swan involved in the basketball program in some form. In a statement from SIU Hinson said:

We were really counting on Josh for this season, based upon his improvement last year. He was the epitome of a guy doing more than you expect. Just because they can't play, we're not going to leave them behind. They will still be involved with our team on a day-to-day basis.