Texas Basketball: Matt Coleman Injured, but Expected to Play vs. TCU
Texas got a bit of a scare when Matt Coleman III went down with a heel injury against Iowa State, but head coach Shaka Smart now expects his junior guard to play against TCU on Wednesday.
"He will not practice today," Smart said. "But he's feeling better today than he did yesterday, which is a good sign. It's just a bruise. We were a little bit worried coming home because he was in a lot of pain and he's a tough kid."
The injury wasn't apparent watching the game live, which Smart attributes to Coleman's toughness.
" Looking at a tape, he went to the basket, he came down and he just kinda like it, just kind of jarred him," Smart said. "I would say of all the guys that I've coached, he's in the top three or four in terms of physical toughness, in terms of just being able to play through getting hurt."
The Longhorns will need Coleman if he is able to go. They are already without star Jericho Sims and are coming off a lopsided 81-52 road loss to Iowa State, the team's fourth in a row.
Smart is hoping to see his younger players step up at home against TCU.
You know, we'll see on Wednesday, if those guys can be better, if they can step forward," Smart said. "We're definitely gonna do everything we can as a coaching staff to support them and that and really simplify for them hey, here, the two (or) three things. We need you guys to go do but with Jericho out, that's just a necessity for our team. Those guys can do it. They recruited to play at this level, they have it in them and now it's better going into it."