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Tough break: PCA loses Julius Randle for three months to a fractured foot
BY Matt Welch, mwelch@starlocalnews.com
In its preseason preview, TexasHoops.com said it would take the bus breaking down or a miracle of some sort to derail the Prestonwood Christian Academy boys basketball team this season.
Consider the bus teetering on empty as the Lions will soldier through the next three months without arguably the top high school hoopster in the nation.
USA Today reports that senior Julius Randle suffered a fractured right foot Saturday against Duncanville and, as a result, will miss approximately three months. Randle is among the top prospects in the nation, ranked No. 2 by Rivals and No. 4 by ESPN.
He underwent surgery on his foot Tuesday afternoon.
The three-month timetable would leave room for a possible postseason return, a task that becomes tougher than anticipated for a Prestonwood team that also lost highly-touted sophomore Mickey Mitchell for the season due to an ACL injury sustained on Nov. 2 while quarterbacking the Lions' football team.
ESPN ranked Mitchell as the No. 5 player in the nation for the Class of 2015.
That means the reins will be turned over to senior Marquan Botley, now the Lions' lone returning starter from last season's TAPPS Division I State Championship squad. Entering his fourth season at Prestonwood, Botley averaged 7.0 points and 2.9 assists as a junior and contributed 17 points and four assists in the win over Madison.
Senior long-range specialist Chas Taylor presumably slides into Prestonwood's No. 2 scoring role while the Lions' newcomers already tasked with filling Mitchell's void -- freshmen Evan Peters, Buddy Kennedy and sophomore Shane Missimo -- will be called upon to contribute even more in the coming months.
Prestonwood, 1-1 on the year, next hosts Woodrow Wilson at 8 p.m. Friday.
Peters leaving Jayhawks
Prestonwood alum Zach Peters has decided to leave the Kansas men's basketball program, citing health reasons.
After a shoulder injury and a pair of concussions sidelined Peters for most of the fall, Kansas head coach Bill Self announced Peters' decision Monday to leave the Jayhawks following the fall semester.
"Zach and I met today after he went home to meet with his family and he has informed us that he will be leaving the basketball program," Self said in a statement. "Zach has labored with health issues since he has been here. His shoulder has improved, but he's also been dealing with multiple concussions that have become a big source of frustration and concern for him."
The 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward was a highly-ranked prospect since eighth grade.
Peters was a four-time TAPPS all-state first team selection and helped guide Prestonwood to a pair of TAPPS Division I State Championships. He also contributed as a wide receiver with the football team, catching 82 balls for 1,095 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior.
Self added that doctors noted Peters sustained four concussions since his senior year at Prestonwood, including two in his brief time with the Jayhawks.
"This is unfortunate for Zach and our team," he said. "I personally thought Zach had a chance to be a very good player at the University of Kansas. It's a shame that these health issues have kept him from doing so. While the shoulder has improved, he's still not 100 percent."
Peters contributed during the team's trip to Switzerland and Paris over the summer, averaging 5.0 points and 6.3 rebounds.
"I hate that this is happening. I have really enjoyed my time at KU," Peters said. "I was looking forward to having a great college experience here but with all the injuries, including the concussions, that I have dealt with lately, I feel like in order for me to move on and be able to get over all this I need to go home and basically heal."
For continued news and coverage on the local sports scene, follow @MWelchSCN on Twitter.
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