Wichita State’s Austin Reaves receives good news on shoulder injury

An examination revealed no additional damage to the right shoulder of Wichita State guard Austin Reaves, coach Gregg Marshall said Tuesday.

He will not play in Tuesday’s game against NCAA Division II Southern Nazarene. His availability for Saturday’s game at Colorado State depends on his pain tolerance.

Reaves dislocated his shooting shoulder late in Friday’s game against Michigan State. Trainers popped the shoulder back in place and he returned to the bench for the final minutes.

“When he’s pain-free, they’ll let him come back,” Marshall said. “It depends on him. There’s no structural damage, nothing additional.”

Reaves participated in Tuesday afternoon’s shoot-around, using both hands during shooting drills.

Reaves averages 13.3 minutes, seven points and 2.6 rebounds for WSU. He has developed into an important player off the bench for his shooting and passing abilities. His absence for an extended time would hurt WSU’s guard depth.

Shoulder injuries have long been an issue.

Reaves, a freshman from Newark, Ark., had surgery to repair the labrums in both shoulders in the past four years. In March, he underwent surgery on the left shoulder. He had his right repaired late in his sophomore year in high school. The right shoulder dislocated for the first time, his father said, during his sophomore season when an opponent landed on him during a chase for a loose ball.

The right one dislocated earlier this fall, sidelining him and limiting his practice work for around a week.

This story was originally published November 29, 2016 at 2:19 PM with the headline "Wichita State’s Austin Reaves receives good news on shoulder injury."