The men’s basketball team suffered its worst loss on December 18, despite not playing an opponent that day. In a season filled with bad luck for the Beacons, it was the day A.J. Titus literally had a bad break.
A.J. broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot in a freak injury during that fateful practice, an injury that ended his senior season. “I went up for a rebound, and when I came down, a teammate landed on my foot,” he said.
However, the injury that sent the starting point guard to the sidelines has allowed him to become more of a leader than he ever was for the young Beacon squad. “I’ve had to be a little more vocal than I usually am,” the senior said. “I’m more of a type of person that likes to lead by example, but now I’ve got to direct traffic and make sure everybody knows what they need to be doing.”
A.J. isn’t the only one who realizes his role has changed for the Beacons, as teammates and Head Coach Charlie Titus have noticed a new assistant coach on the sidelines. “What he’s doing now is providing leadership,” Charlie said. “He’s doing a lot of talking to the guys about decision making.”
The uninjured Beacons aren’t the only ones making decisions, however. The NCAA has a decision to make regarding A.J.’s medical redshirt appeal. Because the injury happened after playing in only 9 games, A.J. is looking to finish his career on the court, not in a cast. “I’m hoping I get that redshirt,” A.J. said. “I’m waiting to hear from them now.”
Interestingly enough, A.J. didn’t immediately realize the severity of his injury. “I thought it was just a sprain, so I finished practice,” A.J. said. “After two days of resting it, I saw the trainer, who said I should get x-rays.”
Those x-rays ended up showing the fracture in the fifth metatarsal, a bone that runs the length of the foot leading to the small toe. The injury hasn’t been painful, but watching from the bench has been. “I treat all my teammates like family, and it’s hard watching your family struggle,” A.J. said.
The adjustment of going from starting for the conference champions two years ago to watching a young team struggle has been difficult for A.J., but hearing good news from the NCAA could brighten what has been a dark season. After all, he may have gotten a bad break, but he has an awful lot to play for.