Spring Break
The Price of pain
After a career of some ups and too many downs, senior has one last shot to end on high note
Kevin Duffy
Issue date: 11/14/08 Section: Husky Hoopla
"When I was sitting out those two years, that's exactly what I was doing - sitting out," Price said. "My mental state was down. I mean, I wasn't doing what I was supposed to be doing. I wasn't playing basketball."
Instead, Price was back in his hometown working for a contracting company. He didn't work on his game, he didn't workout - he didn't even play recreationally.
When he was reinstated, Price struggled, to say the least. His legs were tired - and it showed. Price shot just 38 percent from the field and 27 percent from 3-point range in UConn's dismal 17-14 2006-2007 campaign.
That's why, when Price was named First Team All-Big East and Second Team All-American for the 24-9 Huskies last year, his torn ACL was that much more crushing.
When that ligament snapped, it seemed like the hopes of resurrecting a collegiate career went with it. Price's four-year run was destined to end with the same misfortune it began with.
But Price wasn't buying it.
From the second after the injury occurred, Price went 100 percent on his rehab. There wasn't a wasted minute in his day. When he couldn't get on the court, he was working on strengthening his knee. He was in the weight room everyday maintaining his upper body strength.
"He kept calling me and asked me to come down from Boston to work out with him," Adrien said. "I was like 'I can't just come down there now, man.'"
Three months after his injury, Price was back on the court. One day, Adrien walked into the gym and saw Price performing the "Mikan Drill." The drill itself - a series of left-handed and right-handed lay-ups - isn't anything astonishing, but the fact that Price was jumping blew Adrien away.
"Chill out, man, you're not supposed to be doing that," Adrien recalls telling him. "But he told me he felt fine. Ever since then, I've had total confidence that he'd be able to come back."
And he has.
According to Adrien, Price is quicker than he was before the injury. He ices his knees after practice and exhibition games, but other than that, he miraculously shows no ill effects from an injury that is notorious for ending careers.
"It's amazing," Adrien said. "He wears a knee sleeve because it just looks cool. He calls it the Kobe. He doesn't even need to wear it."
Price doesn't consider it to be amazing at all. He considers his improbable return to be the product of hard work, the result of buying into a rehab program prescribed by first-class trainers. Now, all healed up and set to start in Friday's opener for the No. 2 Huskies, Price has an opportunity to finish his rollercoaster career on a note that few do, to make everything - all the devastating injuries and the suspensions - worth it.
"I wouldn't change anything that happened," Price said. "Everything happens for a reason, and now I have one more chance to come back and do something special."
Instead, Price was back in his hometown working for a contracting company. He didn't work on his game, he didn't workout - he didn't even play recreationally.
When he was reinstated, Price struggled, to say the least. His legs were tired - and it showed. Price shot just 38 percent from the field and 27 percent from 3-point range in UConn's dismal 17-14 2006-2007 campaign.
That's why, when Price was named First Team All-Big East and Second Team All-American for the 24-9 Huskies last year, his torn ACL was that much more crushing.
When that ligament snapped, it seemed like the hopes of resurrecting a collegiate career went with it. Price's four-year run was destined to end with the same misfortune it began with.
But Price wasn't buying it.
From the second after the injury occurred, Price went 100 percent on his rehab. There wasn't a wasted minute in his day. When he couldn't get on the court, he was working on strengthening his knee. He was in the weight room everyday maintaining his upper body strength.
"He kept calling me and asked me to come down from Boston to work out with him," Adrien said. "I was like 'I can't just come down there now, man.'"
Three months after his injury, Price was back on the court. One day, Adrien walked into the gym and saw Price performing the "Mikan Drill." The drill itself - a series of left-handed and right-handed lay-ups - isn't anything astonishing, but the fact that Price was jumping blew Adrien away.
"Chill out, man, you're not supposed to be doing that," Adrien recalls telling him. "But he told me he felt fine. Ever since then, I've had total confidence that he'd be able to come back."
And he has.
According to Adrien, Price is quicker than he was before the injury. He ices his knees after practice and exhibition games, but other than that, he miraculously shows no ill effects from an injury that is notorious for ending careers.
"It's amazing," Adrien said. "He wears a knee sleeve because it just looks cool. He calls it the Kobe. He doesn't even need to wear it."
Price doesn't consider it to be amazing at all. He considers his improbable return to be the product of hard work, the result of buying into a rehab program prescribed by first-class trainers. Now, all healed up and set to start in Friday's opener for the No. 2 Huskies, Price has an opportunity to finish his rollercoaster career on a note that few do, to make everything - all the devastating injuries and the suspensions - worth it.
"I wouldn't change anything that happened," Price said. "Everything happens for a reason, and now I have one more chance to come back and do something special."
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