Tag: Nick Ward

Nick Ward is “putting on a brave face,” as Xavier Tillman described it. But he’s irritated by the physical challenges of coming back from injury. None of this has been easy for Ward, including watching his team thrive at times without him. “I know it’s got to be difficult,” said Tillman, Ward’s replacement in the lineup. “Especially being a cornerstone of this program for the last three years and us really depending on him, and (for us) to move on like that had to be tough for him to see.”

Source: Lansing State Journal

Two of the most important roles in Michigan State’s opening NCAA Tournament weekend were played by two Spartans’ players who were too injured to play, according to coach Tom Izzo. Sensing junior forward Nick Ward was struggling with his return to the court from a broken hand, Izzo asked his two other injured players, Joshua Langford and Kyle Ahrens, to both speak to him about the struggles of coming back from injury.

Source: mlive.com

Ward missed five games because of a broken hand before returning during last week’s Big Ten tournament. The conditioning has taken some time to come back but combined with a poor matchup against a smaller Bradley team, the playing time has been hit and miss. That should change against Minnesota.

Source: Detroit News

The 6’8”, 245-pound center has been a key player for the top-ranked Spartans, averaging 14 points and more than six rebounds a game. So to help speed Ward’s return to the team, Nick Richey, MSU men’s basketball athletic trainer, reached out to MSU’s College of Engineering.

Source: MSUToday

There’s an adjustment period for Nick Ward as Michigan State basketball heads into the NCAA tournament. To playing with a padded brace on his surgically repaired left hand. To coming off the bench. To rebuilding his stamina. “It feels good,” Ward said Wednesday before the Spartans’ practice at Wells Fargo Arena. “I just gotta get used to playing with it, really, just getting my touch with it. … It’s a little weak, but it’s fine, though.”

Source: eEtroit Free Press

No one within Michigan State’s basketball program is suggesting the Spartans are better off without Nick Ward’s immense presence.“ But it’s delicate,” MSU assistant coach Dane Fife said Tuesday, with Ward back practicing for the first time since suffering a hairline fracture in his left (shooting) hand on Feb. 17. “We’ve found something pretty effective as he’s been out that he can help us with. He’s got to buy in and, more importantly, he’s got to understand.”

Source: Lansing State Journal

With one week left in the regular season, Tom Izzo joked about closing things out with a regular-season championship then taking a pass on the conference tournament. Of course, there’s no pass when it comes to playing in the Big Ten tournament, though there have been times in the past when Michigan State fans have wondered how much the Spartans coach cared about the traditional end to the season.

Source: DEtroit News

If everything goes to plan, Nick Ward will be back on the floor Friday when Michigan State plays its first game in the Big Ten Tournament, MSU head coach Tom Izzo said. Ward has been sidelined since fracturing his left hand in the Feb. 17 win over Ohio State.

Source: Spartan Tailgate

When Nick Ward took a seat on Michigan State‘s bench at the beginning of the second half in the Spartans‘ game against the Ohio State Buckeyes a green bandage adorned his left hand. At first, it didn‘t seem that serious. He tried to play through the then unknown injury, yet it proved to no avail. At least somewhere in the heart of the green and white faithful there probably grew an underlying fear that people may have seen the last of Ward in a Spartan jersey. That this could be the end of his college career.

Source: The Only Colors

Ward’s injury will prevent him from playing. But unlike an ankle or knee injury, it should not prevent him from conditioning. Whenever the hand heals, he should be ready to get back on the floor.

Source: Detroit Free Press

Ward underwent surgery on Sunday night. The next day, he addressed the media following Michigan State’s practice — one he watched with his left arm in a sling — and expressed hope that the injury won’t mean the end of his junior season. “I’ll be fine,” Ward said. “I’m a quick healer so I’ll be back.”

Source: mlive.com

It took less than 30 seconds for Tom Izzo to be clear about the situation Michigan State finds itself in less than 24 hours after Nick Ward had surgery to repair a fracture in his left hand. “I hope everybody here feels bad for Nick, but to be honest with you I don’t want anybody to feel bad for us,” Izzo said.

Source: Detroit News

Nick Ward and his Michigan State teammates discuss Ward’s injured left hand, and the impact it will have on the 10th-ranked Spartans

Source: Detroit Free Press