Nick Williams Injures Foot

Nick Williams, the talented 6-4 combo guard from Chipola J.C. in Marianna, Fla., broke his foot last Friday and is out for 4-6 weeks.

Rivalshoops.com confirmed the injury with Chipola Head Coach Ryan Cross. Williams committed to Cincinnati earlier this fall.

"On Monday, they put a screw in his foot, and they expect him back in four to six weeks," Cross said. "In the worst case scenario, he will be back to play January 3rd when we come back from the Christmas break."

Williams was injured in a victory over Jefferson Davis on Friday night. He was averaging 16.4 points per contest in the Indians' first four games, all victories. Chipola managed to win on Saturday without Williams to improve to 5-0 this fall.

"It was just kind of a freak thing," Cross explained. "He was running down the floor and stepped on a guy's foot, breaking his fifth metatarsal bone."

Cross said that doctors have told him that the screw inserted into Williams' foot won't be removed until the season's end [sometime in March], at the earliest. It could even be left in permanently, as it is not expected to affect Nick adversely in any way.

Chipola plays in one of the top junior college basketball leagues in the country, the Panhandle Conference. It's a five team league featuring two-year schools from Northern Florida. Cross is in his fourth year at Chipola, and he is seeking his first trip to the NJCAA Tournament this winter as the Indians' head coach.

Just before he took the Chipola job, Cross led Barton County C.C. of Kansas to a runner-up finish at the 1999 NJCAA Tournament. With Williams and a cast of other talented players this winter, it appears that the Indians have many of the ingredients necessary to make a run at the Region VIII crown.

Unfortunately, it looks as if Chipola will have to tackle the bulk of its remaining non-conference games without the services of Williams, who played last year at Kansas State.

"If something like that had to happen, you want it to happen before conference play starts," Cross said. "That's the most important part of our season."

Cross has spoken with the Cincinnati coaching staff regarding Williams' injury.

"I gave them the information from the doctor, and they've talked to him," he said. "The doctor's exact words after the surgery were that it's nothing that should affect Nick in the future."

Rivalshoops.com plans on catching Chipola in action later this winter, and if Williams is fully recovered and in action, we'll provide you with an update on him at that time.