Ratliff In Sling; Gordon-Led All-Stars Win

Don’t look now, but the injury jinx has hit Indiana guard A.J. Ratliff again.

The senior showed up at Edgewood High School Wednesday night with a sling and a cast on his right arm to watch future teammate Eric Gordon in action with the Indiana All-Stars against the state’s junior all-stars.

Gordon later said that Ratliff had surgery for a broken right wrist and is expected to be out eight to nine weeks. There has been no official word from IU officials.

Ratliff, as you might recall, hurt his left wrist last season. He didn’t have surgery on that as team doctors elected for rehabilitation.

Ratliff also battled a broken thumb as a sophomore.

What will his latest injury mean? He should be back by the time the Hoosiers take their exhibition trip to the Bahamas in August, and certainly will be ready for the season. Still, it hinders him from developing his game and strength in the off-season.

Also watching Gordon was incoming freshman center Eli Holman from California. Holman was in Bloomington just visiting because he has yet to qualify academically. He’s hoping to do that by the fall.

Gordon has already enrolled in summer school and will start classes on Friday. He will juggle school work with his basketball obligations as Mr. Basketball for the Indiana All-Stars. They play their Kentucky counterparts on Saturday in Bowling Green, Ky., and on June 23 at Conseco Fieldhouse. They also have a pair of games with the junior all-stars next week –- Tuesday at Purdue and Thursday at New Castle. Gordon scored 23 points Wednesday night, most on free throws, as the senior all-stars won 114-99.

Finally, former North Side standout Eshaunte Jones had four points. He plans to go to Indiana in 2008 after spending next season at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia.

OK, one more finally. Former South Side standout plays on the girls’ Indiana All-Stars. She had for points Wednesday night as the senior all-stars beat the junior all-stars 83-75 at Edgewood.