Oregon Starting Point Guard Johnathan Loyd Breaks Nose in Practice, May Be Out vs UCLA

Dec 29, 2013; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Johnathan Loyd (10) dribbles the ball against the Morgan State Bears at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

Yesterday was not a good day for the Oregon Basketball program. On the day the Ducks lost a potential player in Arik Armstead who leaves to focus on football Dana Altman’s team was hit with another blow when Starting Point Guard Senior Johnathan Loyd broke his nose on a practice drill.

According to OregonLive.com he was hit with an inadvertant elbow on a rebounding drill Tuesday and his availability for the game vs UCLA on Thursday is unknown.

"If we have one guy who can bounce back to play it’s Johnny. I’ve done this a long time and he’s a tough young man.Oregon Head Coach Dana Altman on Johnathan Loyd’s injury"

Loyd has been the centerpiece of the Ducks for 129 straight games, all coached by Altman. That streak could come to an end on Thursday night against the Bruins. Asked about other options at the position Altman alluded to players who can do it including Joseph Young and Jason Calliste, which would also give a bigger workload to Dominic Artis. Of course this lineup is what next year’s team will likely start with.

For now Loyd could play with the use of a mask, but we will have to wait and see who is in the starting lineup tomorrow. The Ducks host UCLA Thursday night at 6pm PT. The game is also on ESPN2.

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