The Buffs are minus one.
Thursday morning practice ended in disappointment for the CU men’s basketball team. Sophomore forward/center Shane Harris-Tunks, a projected key defensive player for the upcoming season, injured his left knee within the first half hour of practice. CU coach Tad Boyle announced Friday morning that Harris-Tunks will sit the 2010-11 season out with a torn anterior ligament (ACL).
Boyle expressed his disappointment in a statement after Friday morning practice.
“He has worked so hard putting himself in the position to be a positive contributor on this team,” Boyle said. “He gained 25 pounds in the offseason and without a doubt was the team’s best ball-screen defender.”
Harris-Tunks, an Australia native, played in 28 games in the 2009-10 season, starting in three. He averaged 1.8 points, 1.6 rebounds and 11.7 minutes per game his freshman year. He led the team as a freshman in blocked shots and his 61.1 percent shooting from the field, led the team once again.
Despite his injury, Harris-Tunks expressed optimism about his future on the team, noting the nature of sports injuries.
“This stuff happens,” Harris-Tunks said. “It’s sports.”
Harris-Tunks has three years remaining as a Buff.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Mackenzie Carroll at carrolma@colorado.edu.
