RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- California Baptist University Men's Basketball Head Coach Tim Collins has announced that senior Davey Hopkins will sit out the remainder 2010-11 season.
Hopkins played the first four games this season, averaging 5.0 points and 2.5 rebounds, well below his career averages, but has missed the past six after being diagnosed with diabetes. He will likely apply for a medical hardship, allowing him to play the 2011-12 season.
"Of course, losing Davey is a huge blow," said Collins, "but first and foremost we're more concerned about his health and making sure he takes care of himself and gets this managed, which he is doing. However, with a good portion of the season done, he's decided to sit out and come back next year when he can have the entire season. From a team standpoint, this is a potential all-conference player and one who has been with this program longer than any other player on this team. He knows our stuff and knows what we're trying to accomplish.
"From that standpoint, it's a big loss this year. We were planning on Davey having a big year and being a key leader on this team that has nine new players. The good news is, though, we'll get one more year with him next year as we transition to NCAA Division II."
Hopkins has played 98 games the past three-plus seasons, starting 72 of them. Averaging 9.9 points for his career, he is just 29 points away from becoming the program's 27th 1,000-point scorer. He also has 32 career blocks, placing him 10th on the program's career list. As a 2008 freshman, he led the GSAC shooting 48.5 percent (33-for-68) from the 3-point line, the third-highest single-season mark in program history.
The Lancers, currently 6-4 overall, 1-3 GSAC, have dropped three of the past four and travel to Cal State Stanislaus Dec. 18 before taking on NCAA Division I UC Santa Barbara Dec. 21.
