Khaliq Gant, the Cornell basketball player who was injured at practice just over a week ago, will likely never play again, according to a report by The Ithaca Journal.
Gant, a sophomore guard for the Big Red, suffered two dislocated vertebrae on Jan. 24 while diving for a loose ball during practice.
Gant was stabilized at Cornell's Newman Arena, and was airlifted to Arnot Ogden Medical Center in Elmira, N.Y.
On Friday, surgeons performed a seven-hour operation on Gant.
Bone was taken from his hip to fuse together the dislocated vertebrae. The bones were then stabilized by screws and plates.
Dean Gant, Khaliq's father, told the Journal that his son's basketball career is likely over.
The bigger question at this point is whether Gant will even be able to walk again.
So far, Gant has been unable to move any of his limbs. Doctors are optimistic that after rehabilitation, Khaliq could regain his ability to walk.
In a Cornell press release, Dean stated it could be up to two years before a full recovery.
"We have to keep our expectations realistic," Dean said throughout the press release.
Dean went on to say that sometime this week Khaliq will be brought to a rehabilitation clinic in Atlanta.
Gant's teammates rallied around the tragedy to rout Columbia 81-59 on Saturday, during which all of the players wore a patch embroidered with Gant's No. 21 on their jerseys.
-- Matt Conrad
