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The players race up and down The Convo floor at full speed as Zach Nagtzaam tries to keep pace on his gimpy left knee. He can't hide his limp, though he tries. The fans at the game notice; it's easy to see he's running tentatively. For them, this is just mop-up time. They're enjoying a blow-out win over Bucknell on Jan. 3 as the clock counts down to the end. For Nagtzaam, who's recovering from a knee injury, it's playing time. The center's willing to take any he can get. It's been tough Nagtzaam said. It's been good to be in practice for a couple of months. Before that it was really tough. Nagtzaam redshirted last season because an injury to his left knee needed surgery. The injury, which he blames on wear and tear occurred in 2007 when he played for the under-19 Canadian national team. While he has practiced with the Bobcats this season, Nagtzaam said the knee still bothers him. The effects run deeper than the three scars on his left knee from the surgery. He has only played five minutes this season. Right now it's just trying to get into game shape he said. I just keep working hard. Nagtzaam remembers the first time he was ready to play in a game. It came Dec. 3 during a 75-63 win over Tulsa. It seemed like as soon as I got on the court I couldn't feel it at all Nagtzaam said. I kind of blocked it out. But he admitted the past two years of rehabilitation have been difficult to forget. Nagtzaam has worked tirelessly since arriving at Ohio to strengthen the knee. Now, he is building endurance to get into playing shape. It was harder at the start he said of the rehabilitation. I don't really mind it now. The Bobcats certainly wouldn't mind having Nagtzaam healthy. They have just four frontcourt players. At 6-11, Nagtzaam is the tallest player on the team. How much he can help is uncertain because, despite his rigorous rehabilitation routine, Nagtzaam isn't pain-free. He still experiences tightness in the knee from tendonitis, especially after sitting for a while. With the injury not fully healed, he knows the chances that he could reinjure the knee remain a possibility. It's always in the back of my head he said. I try to not let it bother me because it will just make things worse. Worst of all, the injury hampers Nagtzaam's mobility in the post. Unable to run last season, he couldn't work on his jump shot or on his post play. His inability to practice hasn't helped either, and it's worn on Nagtzaam mentally. He said watching practices and games from the sidelines over the past two seasons has been difficult. Nagtzaam turned to his family during his difficulties. He said his brother helped him through the injury. For moral support, his parents have made the trek from Canada to Athens to watch his games, and they attended the Ohio game at Buffalo on Jan. 17. His teammates also have encouraged him and told him to remain positive about the injury. I've learned to keep trying no matter how hard it gets he said. You have to keep with it because eventually it will get better. |
