Injury hurts second big man on team

WEST LAFAYETTE -- Since Dec. 1, four of IU's big men have had to sit out games, some due to injury and some for academic reasons. For one forward, it meant the rest of the season, for an IU center it was a month, for yet another forward it only meant one game.\nBut for sophomore forward Sean Kline, his playing future this season is uncertain after Saturday's 71-56 loss to Purdue.\nIt was 10 minutes into the second half when sophomore guard Marshall Strickland attempted a long pass to Kline. As Kline went for the ball, his right knee gave out, sending him crashing to the ground.\nHe did not stand up.\nIU coach Mike Davis ran over to Kline.\n"He was in a lot of pain," Davis said. "A lot of pain."\nAfter a few minutes, Kline was taken off the court in a rolling stretcher.\n"It's hard to lose a teammate like that," junior guard Ryan Tapak said. "Me and Sean have been friends since we've been 12. So, I know how much it means, this game, and our team means to him. I just feel bad for him if he's going to have to lose any time." \nKline was not available for comment after the game.\nDavis said he only knew that Kline's right knee injury would be evaluated Saturday night when the team got back to Bloomington.\nKline's mother, Sarah Wall, said it was horrible to watch.\n"You know, you go your whole athletic career without a serious injury," Wall said. "You have to be really thankful for that. God willing, this will work itself out. He's a tough kid. He ain't going to give up."\nDavis said he felt bad for Kline, especially after struggling in the first half and then stepping up in the second half with a shot and a couple of good rebounds.\nIf Kline is out for the season, Davis said he will wait and see who will take Kline's spot, junior forward Mike Roberts or freshman Pat Ewing Jr.\n"(Roberts) played well," Davis said. "He made some good plays and two big shots for us. You want to go with Mike and Pat. We already play Moye at that position at 6-foot-2."\nSophomore guard Bracey Wright, who is no stranger to injury himself, having suffered a back injury last season, said Kline being injured is a huge loss for the Hoosiers, especially when the team is already so thin up front.\n"It's just going to kill us if we don't have him," Wright said. "It didn't look too good, but I hope he's going to be back. But from me having an experience with injury, I don't want him to rush back thinking that he has to come back because we'll miss him. He has to take his time because that's his life. That's his knee, and he needs that. So I hope it isn't too bad for him."\n-- Contact staff writer Natalie A. Trout at