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Surgery to sideline Tomko

Posted by Debra Worley - email

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - A stress fracture will have UNCW men's basketball player Chad Tomko on the sidelines for several weeks.

According to a press release from UNCW, Tomko will be out 3-6 weeks following surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot.  The junior guard missed the second half of Friday's practice after feeling pain in his foot. 

Tomko has a "Jones Fracture," which is an injury to the fifth metatarsal bone.  He has surgery scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at New Hanover Regional Medical Center and will be out of the action for the beginning of the 2009-10 season.

The Seahawks have seven games during the month of November, including the season opener on Nov. 13 at Appalachian State.

"Obviously, it's never good when a player goes down," said Benny Moss, UNCW's fourth-year coach. "Fortunately we've detected it early enough that we can get him back in a timely fashion."

Moss said Tomko's injury will open opportunities for other players to get meaningful minutes early.  "That will help us when we get into conference play, so it may be a blessing in disguise," Moss added.

Coach is counting on Johnny (Wolf) to step up and be a leader on and off the court.

"We've been playing him a lot at the point guard position anyway," said Moss.  "From a leadership standpoint, he just needs to continue what he's been doing."

Tomko rolled his right ankle last season and was diagnosed with a hairline fracture and was named to the Preseason All-CAA team in October.

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