M. Hoops' King out for six weeks after surgery

Penn men's basketball guard Duane King will miss at least six weeks of action after undergoing surgery on his foot last Thursday. The 6'5" sophomore, who was in the running for a starting spot in the Penn backcourt, has a crack in his fifth metatarsal, a bone on the outside of his right foot. A surgeon inserted screws to repair the fracture, forcing King to rely on crutches to make his way around campus. "He was doing a real good job before he got hurt. It's unfortunate," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said at practice yesterday. King claimed that he had been playing on the injured foot for roughly five weeks. Near the beginning of the semester, King suffered what he thought was a twisted ankle in a pickup game. Ignoring the mishap, King kept working out, favoring the outside of his foot and putting pressure on the bone. After over a month of pain, it was discovered that the Louisville, Ky., native would need to go under the knife. According to King, he will be out at least six weeks -- and maybe more, depending on the rate of his recovery. "I hope he's back and ready to go in six weeks," Dunphy said. The loss of All-Ivy guards Michael Jordan and Matt Langel to graduation leaves something of a question mark at the guard positions for the 2000 Quakers. David Klatsky looks to have the inside track to the point guard spot, but King is one of at least four or five Penn guards with a shot to join the starting lineup. King thinks that senior guard Lamar Plummer will be key. "I think it's his turn to step up," King said. Dunphy, however, feels that King's injury doesn't pave anyone's path into the top five. "It's still very much a wait-and-see thing," Dunphy said. "Thankfully, we have a number of weeks to make those decisions."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.