The first question Marquette men's head basketball coach Tom Crean answered at the team's Oct. 26 media day was about a 6-foot-7 inch freshman forward who was supposed to help solidify the biggest area of concern heading into the 2007-'08 season.
Coach, what have you thought of Trevor Mbakwe so far?
He's a quick learner, the gathering of reporters were told. Attributes like strength and tenacity also were offered up about the first year player out of St. Paul, Minn. "We expect him to be a, I don't want to say major, but I want to say a serious contributor early on," Crean said. "And there's no question he's going to play for us."
Crean also mentioned a slight injury that had kept Mbakwe out of four practices the previous week, but he made assurances it was nothing serious.
All of this made Friday's news more noteworthy. Mbakwe will redshirt this season while recovering from surgery to repair an isolated fibular collateral ligament sprain to his left knee.
The fact that Mbakwe will miss the year is troubling without question. The team's post play has been the object of ridicule in recent years, and this certainly will not help matters.
Crean mentioned rebounding as his No. 1 concern in terms of how far the team can go this season, and with Mbakwe out, the coach has one less possible solution to assuage his distress.
Later on at the media day, Mbakwe said he would like to average double figures in rebounding and he thought that was a realistic goal for someone of his skill set.
Mbakwe participated in the team's open workout that same night, as well as in the closed practice session the following day against Kansas State.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Mbakwe practiced as late as Oct. 30 and did not appear to be limited in any way. Swelling in the knee persisted, and Mbakwe underwent an MRI Thursday that revealed the extent of the damage.
Mbakwe will have surgery sometime in the next few weeks, an operation that also will help correct a pre-existing problem in the knee that dates back to his high school days.
Senior forward Ousmane Barro was always going to be the focal point of the team's post play. However, with Mbakwe out of the equation, a greater responsibility now will fall on the shoulders of players like Dan Fitzgerald, Lazar Hayward, Dwight Burke and freshman Patrick Hazel.
Fitzgerald, Hayward and Burke averaged a combined 9.3 rebounds per game last season, a number that certainly will need to increase this year in order to address Crean's central concern.
Will that trio, combined with the efforts of Barro and Hazel, be enough to establish a solid foundation in the frontcourt? I have my doubts.
There were nights last season when Barro was simply dominant on the boards. There also were nights when he appeared simply lost. Consistency will be the key for him.
Fitzgerald is used in a variety of roles, which will make maintaining a concerted effort to rebound a challenge. Hayward's strength and athleticism make him the most suitable candidate to support Barro. Burke does not play enough minutes to provide meaningful help on the boards.
Hazel, like Mbakwe would have been, is an unknown. He might turn out to be the answer to the team's front-court issues. He might turn out to be a minor role player off the bench.
For Marquette fans, that might be the worst part of this whole matter. If the post play holds the team back this season, they will be left to wonder what might have been.