Rodney Hood Injured

Feb 11, 2012; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Rodney Hood (4) takes a free shot from the line during the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at the Humphreys Coliseum. The Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs in overtime with a score of 70-68. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

The PJ Hairston curse appears to have been passed on to the man who replaced him at the tryout for the World University Games. According to USA Today, Rodney Hood, a Duke transfer, had to pull out of the tryouts after injuring his Achilles heel. He had replaced Hairston on the potential 16 man roster when Hairston injured himself a few days ago.

No word yet on how bad the injury and what the time table is for his recovery. Achilles injuries are usually quite painful and it is possible that he may require surgery which would leave him sidelined for quite a bit of time.

Hood did not play for Duke last year as he transferred over from Mississippi State after his freshman season. He currently has sophomore status even though this will be his third year in school.

“I feel so sorry for Rodney,” USA head coach and Davidson coach Bob McKillop said in a statement. “He committed himself fully to be a part of this team, and we will miss him. He would have been a valuable team member for USA Basketball.

With Hood’s injury, there will be 15 players competing for the 12 available spots on team USA’s roster. The team will be chosen on July 1st.