Spencer Laurie Out

According to the News-Leader's Lyndal Scranton, Bears sixth-year senior guard Spencer Laurie is out at least two weeks with a broken hand he suffered during the first half of last night's loss at Evansville. While the loss of Laurie means the Bears will be without their captain and second-leading scorer until the end of January at the earliest, his absence will not be devastating.

Due to an early-season injury to junior point guard Justin Fuehrmeyer, Laurie was forced to play the majority of the team's minutes at the one instead of the two, which he is better suited for as a three-point specialist. However, Fuehrmeyer returned to the lineup one month ago and has proven capable of handling the point, as his 2.7-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio attests.*

*In this sense, Fuehrmeyer is the Bears best bet at the point. In his first two seasons, he posted assist-to-turnover ratios of 3.4- and 2.2-to-1, both times leading the Valley in the category. In a league where the average ratio is about 1-to-1, Fuehry stands out even more. Looking at it simply, the Bears pick up more than two baskets for every turnover when the offense runs through him. For a team that has struggled with scoring, that kind of production cannot be overlooked.

However, the Bears do not have the shooting guard position covered as well, especially if freshman guard Cardell McFarland does not quickly recover from an ankle sprain. In fact, McFarland is the key. While the product of Evansville, Ind. has been careless with the ball so far (30 turnovers in only 14 games), he has shot 41.1 percent from the floor, trailing posts Wade Knapp and Isaiah Rhine and forward Ryan Jehle. In other words, as guards go, McFarland is the most accurate shooter the Bears have on the roster.

Despite the production, McFarland has seen his minutes drastically cut by coach Cuonzo Martin as the graph below indicates:

Stats by StatSheet.com

While some of McFarland's drop in minutes can be attributed to upperclassmen finally getting healthy, there is really no good excuse for Martin's refusal to allow his talented guard to play. Assuming McFarland's ankle heals quickly, he should see more time on the floor while Laurie is on the shelf. If he takes advantage of the opportunity, the Bears will be better for it.