As the University of Washington basketball team prepares to open another season, the Huskies deal with multiple delicate health situations, such as a player wearing a pacemaker, one taking medicine to regulate blood clots, another recovering from a concussion and yet another continuously having fluid drained from his knee.
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After having his freshman season end abruptly this past January after experiencing two different episodes of accelerated heartbeat, second-year forward Jasir Rencher now plays with a pacemaker to regulate his heart rhythm.
Found to be suffering from blood clots, fourth-year guard Wesley Yates III was held out of the past four months of workouts and practices, and he only recently joined the team.
USF transfer guard Ryan Beasley, who represented the UW at Big Ten Media Day in the Chicago area, missed this past Saturday night's exhibition game at Boise State and a number of practices after he went into concussion protocol. He should be cleared to return soon.
And after missing all of last season because of a foot tendon tear and ensuing surgery, returning 6-foot-11 big man Mady Traore has been dealing with constant swelling in his left knee and missing practice time accordingly.
Fourteen months ago, the 6-foot-5 Rencher was taking part in a team walk-through before facing Indiana on the road when he felt his heart monitor go off and his heartbeat began racing. The timing was off for multiple reasons.
"We talked about giving him a lot more minutes before the Indiana game because he was playing a lot better than the guy ahead of him," coach Danny Sprinkle said.
Rencher now confers daily with a team trainer who monitors him while he tries to play as hard as anyone on the floor.
"I imagine if that thing goes off again, his career is probably over," Sprinkle said.
The 6-foot-3 Yates broke his wrist in the 11th game last December, was rushed to a local hospital, missed six games and watched his scoring average dip from 18 to 12.7 points per game once he returned.
While dealing with that medical issue, he was determined to have blood cuts and his basketball playing and practicing went on hold through the summer and into the fall.
"He's back now," Sprinkle said. "We think he has the medication to keep his blood levels under control."
One by one, these designated UW players for the most part have been able to practice, though Traore, who previously played for Maryland, New Mexico State and a Texas junior college, stands to go two practices on and one off in order to be able to play for the Huskies.
"His knee sort of swells up," Sprinkle said. "Who knows how often it will swell up?"
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