Indiana Basketball Loses Its Star Player Before Season Even Begins

According to the Indianapolis Star, for the third time in 22 months, Indiana shooting guard Maurice Creek will miss some considerable time this season, if not the whole season.

Creek tore his Achilles tendon in his left leg over the weekend and had surgery today.

This is Creek's third major injury in which he broke both of his patellas in separate seasons.

He broke his left patella in 2009 before the conference season and his right patella last year in the start of the conference season in January.

Creek has played in a total of 30 games for Indiana University and averages a career total of 11.5 points per game. 

Creek looked like he was on his way to a possible NBA career in his freshman season, averaging 16.4 points per game, including a 31-point outburst against rival Kentucky on the Assembly Hall floor.

Creek was due to be a huge part of an Indiana team that was expected to make it back to the NCAA Tournament this season after a disappointing absence.

The Hoosiers return everyone except Jeremiah Rivers from last year's team and adds Indiana Mr. Basketball Cody Zeller to this year's squad.

Indiana opens up the season this Saturday at 8:00 p.m. at Assembly Hall for Hoosier Hysteria.