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Nevada’s NCAA Tournament hopes took a huge hit on Wednesday, and it wasn’t the Wolf Pack’s 86-78 home loss to UNLV.
Forward Caleb Martin is out indefinitely with a Lisfranc sprain in his left foot, according to a release from the university.
Martin did not play against UNLV and after the game, head coach Eric Musselman told reporters the injury was “not good.”
Muss said Caleb Martin has a ligament injury in his foot. Out indefinitely. "Not good," Musselman said of prognosis. He said team's goal is to get first-round bye in MW Tournament. "We're in a fight for our lives just to get decent seeding now."
— Chris Murray (@MurrayRGJ) February 8, 2018
A report from KOLO in Nevada suggests that similar injuries require between six to eight weeks in a walking boot, though timeframes vary based on severity. If that is Martin’s window, however, that likely puts an end to his season. The NCAA Tournament tips off six weeks from today.
This hit can’t be understated for the Wolf Pack. Even with the UNLV loss, Nevada is 20-5 and ranked in the KenPom top 20. It owns a win over a ranked Rhode Island and is a half-game out of first in an improved Mountain West. But Nevada has now lost two of its last four games and the Wolf Pack are now down their leading scorer.
Martin was averaging 19.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and was shooting 47 percent from three. That’s a lot of production to try and make up in February.
Nevada’s next game is Saturday at home against San Diego State — a team that’s probably better than its record indicates. The Wolf Pack need to find a way to win or our conversation will soon shift from tournament seeding to making it at all.