Kelden Pruitt (34) scored nine rebounds in the Comets’ first game of the season against Redlands University in Redlands, California. Photo by Roshan Khichi | Mercury Staff
The men’s basketball team had a rocky start to their season
with a loss to UT-Arlington followed by a player collapsing on the court during
a game. The team, which has a 2-1 overall record, is still recovering from the
loss.
Junior guard Curtis Allen was injured ten minutes into the
team’s game against Redlands University on Nov. 8. Allen had to be
hospitalized, men’s basketball head coach Terry Butterfield said.
“I think that weighed heavily on our team. I’m not sure how
to quantify his loss and the effect that it had on the team,” Butterfield said.
“He’s probably never going to be able to play again, so that’s difficult. We’ll
be missing him for the rest of the season and then the adjustments are that
when you lose a key person, somebody who’s waiting in the wings has to step up
and has to show themselves worthy of taking over those minutes in that
position.”
Senior guard Xavier Ferrell said Allen collapsed on the
court during the game against Redlands due to heart problems which resulted in
cardiac arrest.
“At first it was kind of hard because Curtis is my best
friend on and off the court,” Ferrell said. “It was very emotional and sad to
see him go down like that. But at the same time, it helped our team come
together. We all want to perform and succeed and do well for him. So looking
forward, we’re going to try and dedicate the season to him and use this
situation as motivation.”
Allen, who has been with the team since his freshman year,
made an online statement after the event. In the statement, Allen said that
without an automated external defibrillator, he would’ve had a 9% chance of
survival. He said he will be undergoing a procedure to place a defibrillator by
his heart.
“This past weekend during the first game of my senior year,
I almost lost my life. I went into ventricular fibrillation, which is a life-threatening
heart rhythm that resulted in me going into cardiac arrest on the court during
the game,” the statement reads. “Heartbreaking to say that I will not be able
to finish out my career at UTD and I don’t know when I can play basketball
again. Something I’ve poured my heart and soul into over the years. It’s not
going to be easy to put the ball down, however this will only make me stronger
and I’m blessed to even be able to write this message to y’all.”
Allen scored 51 points and played 755 minutes for the Comets
in his career. Last season, he hit a season high at a Feb. 7 game against the
Ozarks, scoring 20 points and seven field goals in the same game.
The team won the game against Redlands after Allen’s
collapse 74-71 in overtime and later won their Homecoming game against Trinity
78-62. The Comets have 2 losses so far this season, 84-50 against UT-Arlington
in an exhibition match and 91-86 against Whittier.
Butterfield said he is counting on senior Hans Burwitz,
Weber and Ferrell to lead the team this season.
“I am counting on them heavily for high quality leadership
and if they can give us the sort of guidance and direction that we need from
them, we can move forward,” Butterfield said. “They happen to be three of our
best players.”