Luke Almodovar stayed motionless on the court for nearly a minute after a dangerous fall during Memphis’s 105-81 loss to No. 22 Vanderbilt on Tuesday night in Nashville. The Memphis guard attempted a dunk in the second half but lost his grip on the rim, landing awkwardly on the back of his head. The crowd at Memorial Gym was stunned into silence as medical staff quickly attended to him.
Almodovar eventually was helped to his feet and left the court for the locker room. He returned to the bench later in the game but did not re-enter. The senior guard’s injury caused serious concern, but he confirmed afterward that he was conscious and stable. “I’ll be alright, [I was] a little woozy after,” Almodovar told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I mean, [the trainer] told me I was down for about 45 seconds, which I don’t remember. But I should be alright … A lot worse things have happened to kids who kind of lose their control like that. I just thank God for keeping me safe.”
Memphis coach Penny Hardaway described the fall as “nasty” and stressed the importance of holding onto the rim during dunks. “You’ve got to hold on to the rim. You can’t let that rim go,” he said. “Just the way he jumped, a lot of momentum going forward. You’ve got to keep the rim. Fell and then kind of hit the back of his head. Ugly fall but just good to see him come back out on the court.” Hardaway added that the injury could have sidelined Almodovar for an extended period if the impact had been worse. “That wasn’t a good look, obviously. Because we just didn’t want him to be hurt. That’s an injury that could keep you out for a while. He’s a super athlete. Tough guy. [I was] just hoping that he didn’t land hard enough on his neck that it was going to put him in any kind of bad situation.”
Almodovar finished with a team-high 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting in the defeat. The senior transferred to Memphis after last season at Southeast Missouri State. His athleticism was evident during the game, drawing praise from fans on social media who remembered his highlights from his Missouri Valley Conference days.
Vanderbilt’s Ace Glass accounted for all 23 of his points in the second half and helped spark a 23-7 run that widened the Commodores’ lead. The win improved Vanderbilt’s record to 3-0 and marked their second consecutive victory over Memphis. The Tigers fell to 2-1 after opening the season with a four-point victory over Iowa State.
Memphis will face No. 10 Louisville on Sunday as they seek to rebound from the loss and the scare involving Almodovar’s injury. The guard’s status beyond Tuesday night remains under observation, but his ability to return to the bench suggests no serious damage was done in the fall.
According to Yahoo Sports.
