If you ask me, it's really a shame that we won't be seeing Kenny George take the floor with his size-26 sneakers this season.
No, we won't be seeing George the Giant dominate Big South competition after guiding UNC Asheville to a school-record 23 wins and a postseason berth in the NIT.
And before you start saying "so what?" about reaching the NIT, let's not forget that some quality teams (cough, cough, Syracuse) have been left playing in that tournament the past two years after missing out on the one that really counts (a.k.a. the Big Dance).
But the fact that George won't be playing this year is an early disappointment for the upcoming college basketball season.
The senior, after all, was one of the many great storylines that surfaced last season, capturing national attention back in January from his showdown with North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough at the Dean Dome.
I mean, if you were 7-foot-7 and could dunk standing flat-footed, you'd probably get noticed by one of us sportswriting types, too.
Now, though, George is sitting in an Iowa hospital after undergoing surgery to amputate part of his right foot, realizing that he'll probably never play basketball again.
"This is a terrible setback for Kenny George that he's not going to be able to play basketball this year," UNC Asheville coach Eddie Biedenbach said. "He's worked so hard from the time he was in high school and earlier to get to the point to do what he did last year."
George, however, has had his fair share of health problems, including two major knee injuries, and that's probably to be expected when you stand seven feet, seven inches above the ground and weigh a hefty 360 pounds.
Yet what will be even harder for George to come to terms with is that his basketball career is suddenly over and his team, picked to finish ninth in the Big South after reaching the conference championship game last season, is in a rebuilding year with its starting backcourt now gone.
"There's more to Kenny George than basketball," Biedenbach added. "The students at this school think the world of Kenny George outside of basketball. We're looking forward to him coming back second semester — that's what he wants to do — and complete his degree. At that point, we'd still like him to be a part of our basketball program and part of this school."
With that said, the Bulldogs will miss his presence on the court no doubt, especially in going up against North Carolina and Tennessee on the road in a matter of three days this fall (Nov. 30 and Dec. 3).
But maybe there's still a glimmer of hope for George's teammates this season without his 12.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.3 blocks from 2007-08.
