Ohio State junior guard Evan Turner thankfully will be OK after suffering a transverse process fracture on his second and third lumbar vertebrae when he fell after dunking against Eastern Michigan Saturday, according to a university press release.
Turner fell hard onto his back after slam-dunking during the Buckeyes’ 111-60 romp against Eastern Michigan. He will miss almost two months while recovering.
The injury derails the promising season of a potential Big Ten player of the year. Turner averages 18.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game while shooting better than 60 percent from the field. Based on the doctors’ prediction for recovery, Turner will be due back roughly halfway through the conference schedule.
Ohio State faces some major questions without Turner. Who will step up to replace his production? When he returns, how effective will he be? If Ohio State remains near the top of the Big Ten during the next eight weeks, could his return mess with the team’s chemistry?
