Jan. 10, 2011

By Neal Ruhl
Athletic Communications Contributor

Junior guard Blake Cushingberry may be out for the season due to his torn left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) as far as being on the court is concerned, but that does not mean the man that goes by "Cush" to his teammates won't have have an impact for the Golden Grizzlies this season.

"I stay active as much as I can. A lot of people would think you would be down because you are not playing, but it's not about that. It's about this team. It's about winning," Cushingberry said. "I'm still a part of that and that's what I'm going to be until the end."

Cushingberry also takes the injury as an opportunity not only to be a good teammate, but also as a chance to improve his own game. Blake says being on the sideline offers him a chance to get a unique perspective that he might not normally get.

"It is a good learning experience. You get a chance to see a play develop and see where this person should be or why that happened. Another thing I do is see something someone does and think about how I can incorporate that into my game," Cushingberry said. "I was sitting by the coaches before I had the surgery, but now I have to go to the end of the bench because I don't want to bust my stitches open."

The work in the rehab room has been the most challenging for Cushingberry. Blake spends a lot of time with the Oakland University athletic training staff, in an effort to get back as quickly as possible.

"It's a lot harder than I thought it would be. The muscles deteriorated real quickly so Tom Ford and I are trying to get it back as quick as we can," Cushingberry said. "I hit the gas pedal to try to get the blood flowing, just doing a lot of stretching. We are just trying to get the blood flowing. That's all it really is."

The surgery on Cushingberry's ACL was a deemed a "success", performed at Beaumont Hospital in Troy in late November. However, Cushingberry and Beaumont doctors might have a different definition of success.

"The surgery went well, it went as we planned. The doctor said during the surgery that he broke two of his blade saws trying to cut through the bone," Cushingberry said. "So I guess it's going to be a strong knee."

Of all the stats that define the game of basketball, and all of Blake's accomplishments on the court, he says he may have a new proudest moment as far as basketball is concerned.

"I'm really proud of that. I told the doctor I didn't need it (surgery) done."

-30-