Knee injury may end Farrer's season

• By GARY LANEY
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Nov 20, 2009 - Page: 1C

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When LSU guard Alex Farrer suffered a dislocated left kneecap Nov. 8, the best-case scenario was the senior would be back after six weeks.

Evidently, the best-case scenario won’t happen. More than likely, the worst-case scenario will happen.

Further examination of the knee has shown the dislocation has caused bone and joint damage that will result in Farrer being out indefinitely, LSU trainer Shawn Eddy said.

“That was very depressing for me,” LSU coach Trent Johnson said of the news of the extent of the injury. “I was hoping, worst-case scenario, that it was a dislocated kneecap, but it’s a lot worse than that.”

Exactly how long “indefinitely” will be is hard to guess. But when asked if he thought that means Farrer would probably be out for the season, Johnson said, “That’s what I’m guessing … but you’ll have to ask Shawn.”

Not having Farrer makes LSU considerably younger. Farrer is one of two fifth-year seniors on the team, along with forward Tasmin Mitchell, and one of the six returning players who saw action last season. He was projected to be the starting shooting guard this year, replacing Southeastern Conference Player of the Year Marcus Thornton.

Farrer suffered the injury early in a scrimmage against Houston. In his place, true freshman Aaron Dotson has been the starter, averaging 2.7 points per game.

The lack of Farrer has led to LSU using more of a lineup that includes both point guards — Bo Spencer and Chris Bass — with Spencer, the team’s best outside shooter sliding to the shooting guard spot instead of his more familiar point guard slot.

The Tigers have also gotten minutes from walk-on sophomore wing Zach Kinsley at the shooting guard, an option that allows them to go with a more conventional lineup, with the 6-foot-2 Spencer at point guard and the 6-5 Kinsley at the second guard spot.

Farrer’s absence has had an adverse affect in LSU’s shooting statistics. The Tigers are off to a 3-0 start heading into the NIT Season Tip-Off Final Four next week with a Wednesday game against No. 12 Connecticut. But they have won despite shooting 19.6 percent from 3-point range. That was a role Farrer was supposed to help with this year. Despite making just 24.7 percent of his career 3-point attempts in limited action, Farrer is considered a potential long-range shooting threat.

Dotson has struggled from long range in his early starts, hitting one of six from 3-point range. Johnson, however, was complimentary at how well Dotson has played with “an attention to detail” even with his shots not falling in his early games. Dotson is recovering from knee surgery that has slowed him down during preseason workouts.

Farrer has played in 73 games in three seasons, including 14 starts, and has averaged 2.1 points per game. He has spent most of the last two seasons behind Thornton, but he did start 14 games in LSU’s injury-riddled 2007-2008 season.

He’s not likely to be a candidate for an injury redshirt because he already had a redshirt season as a true freshman in the 2005-2006 season.