Sparrow And Pioneers Prepare For Postseason
The Harrodsburg Herald/Arpan Dixit
CU-Harrodsburg Head basketball coach Austin Sparrow lead the Pioneers during a timeout talk during the 2019 season.
Samuel Warren
Herald Staff
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On Saturday, Nov. 23, the Campbellsville University-Harrodsburg men’s basketball team picked up a position boosting second win over top-5 ranked NCCAA Division-I standout Ohio Christian University. At the time, the Pioneers were 6-1, coming off of their third win against a top 10 NCCAA opponent and excited about their potential for the rest of the season. Later that night, the campus and community were rocked with the news of a dangerous car accident that stalled the Pioneers return to Harrodsburg.
The team van was heading through a green light off Ohio State Route 56 when another vehicle entered the intersection unexpectedly. Both Head Coach Austin Sparrow and senior point guard Nakyir Joyce were taken to a local hospital with injuries. Sparrow was trapped in the vehicle for over an hour while first responders worked to free his leg. Luckily, Joyce was diagnosed with only a minor concussion. Sparrow on the other hand, suffered three fractures in his left femur. Soon after the accident, the University released a statement via Facebook announcing that both Sparrow and Joyce had received non life threatening injuries.
Today, both player and coach have returned to the court, but the road to recovery has been arduous. Sparrow’s injuries required two surgeries, four screws and a metal rod, but the inability to walk didn’t slow Sparrow down, and he attended practices in a rolling chair.
“Traveling to games that were 3 and 4 hours away has been difficult as well, but my coaching staff and players have done a great job in helping me make it work,” Sparrow said.
Joyce missed only one game, and made his return in a scrimmage with EKU on Friday, Dec. 6. Remarkably, the injury kept Sparrow off his feet for less than a month. After three weeks, Sparrow was able to walk again, and he is steadily working back to full mobility.
“[I] definitely appreciate being able to walk more now than ever,” said Sparrow, “[I] definitely appreciate the first responders and staff at Grant Medical Center, the nurses and doctors were great. The first responders who helped me while I was trapped in the car for an hour and half (while my leg was pinched) did a fantastic job of taking care of me and all of our players,” added Sparrow.
The wreck happened right as the Pioneers entered a crucial part of their season, with an EKU scrimmage, two NCCAA top-5 matchups and a rematch with Alice Lloyd College directly ahead. Sparrow took some inspiration from former players during his recovery.
“Well… I’ve had six players in six seasons tear their ACLs, and each time I’ve thought to myself, these guys are the toughest individuals I know… Basketball gets taken away and your mobility gets taken away and you still find a way to show up and be supportive for your teammates and coaches. I just thought back to how awesome those guys were during their struggles and took some inspiration from them,” said Sparrow, who added that program legends Tyron and Tyrese Duncan, who each tore their ACL while a Pioneer, have reached out numerous times to check in on their former coach. Tyron Duncan and Tyrese Duncan have checked on me a lot over these past few weeks,” said Sparrow.
During the last two months, the Pioneers have lost three games by two points or less; including losses to number three ranked Miami University-Hamilton and number two ranked Champion Christian College by a combined three points. More recently, CUH dropped a regional matchup with Simmons College, 68-55. In the last month of the season, the Pioneers will face two Mideast Region matchups with Welch College and no. 9 ranked Boyce College.
The Pioneers have proved time and time again they can compete with the best teams the NCCAA has to offer, and they’ve led at some point in each of their eight losses this season. Sparrow knows his team is capable of making another run this postseason if they can learn how to execute better in the game’s final moments.
“We just have to finish games and learn to execute down the stretch of games. Our main focus is being ready to put our best performances of the season out on the court at the regional tournament hosted here in Harrodsburg,” said Sparrow.
The NCCAA D-II Mideast Regional tournament will be held at the CU-Harrodsburg Athletic Complex, beginning on Friday, Feb. 28. The Pioneers will be back in action in Harrodsburg on Saturday, Feb. 8, when they face Welch College for the second time this season.
