Notre Dame Basketball: Bonzie Colson to miss the next 8 weeks

Notre Dame basketball received some disastrous news recently in the form of a left foot fracture to their best player, senior Bonzie Colson.

This has not been an easy season for Notre Dame basketball. For starters, they have not lived up to the expectations that were set out for them in the preseason. Many people across the country (including me) thought that the Fighting Irish under head coach Mike Brey was a top-25 team that was poised for a big run at potentially winning the ACC this season.

However, that has not been the case so far. In my Bracketology update heading into conference play, the Fighting Irish were on the outside-looking-in as the sixth team out of the tournament. Even though Notre Dame has a great win over Wichita State this season, they have also suffered disastrous losses to Ball State and Indiana. With this being said, there is plenty of work for the team to do in order to get back into the projected field.

Well, that work just got a lot harder. On Jan. 2, it was announced that star senior Bonzie Colson will miss the next eight weeks with a left foot fracture. This is incredibly difficult news for the team as Colson is not only their best player but one of the best players in the nation. Now in his last season with the program, Colson averaged 21.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game in Notre Dame’s first 14 games this season.

In addition, this injury is coming at a very difficult time for the Irish. ACC play is just getting underway and the upcoming schedule is an absolute gauntlet. For the next eight weeks, Notre Dame is going to need to heavily rely on Temple Gibbs and Matt Farrell, the only other double-digit scorers so far this season.

The problem with losing Colson is that he brings so much to the table. He is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder while being an underrated passer from anywhere on the court. He is the clear MVP of this team when on the floor and the team will be desperate to get him back.

If Notre Dame is to deal with this adversity and make a trip to the NCAA Tournament, Mike Brey is going to need not just one player to step up but a bunch. The first player I look at as someone who could step up in his absence is freshman D.J. Harvey. Although he is a very different player compared to Colson, he will receive a major boost in his minutes. He is currently averaging 5.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in 15.6 minutes per game this season. Seeing him shoot over 20 minutes in the upcoming weeks would not be a surprise.

Next: ACC Power Rankings entering conference play

Let’s not sugarcoat this, though. Notre Dame is in big trouble after this injury and this is a crushing blow to the Irish’s NCAA Tournament hopes. In addition, this is heartbreak city for Bonzie Colson, one of the best seniors in college hoops.

I am wishing the best of luck to Colson in his recovery. College basketball is looking forward to having you back.