As a diaper dandy last season, Cal's Leon Powe led the Pac-10 with 9.5 rebounds per game (adding 15.1 ppg).

Nov. 23, 2004
It's early in the season, but already college basketball has been rocked by injuries. A number of these injured players were being counted on to be vital factors for their Division I programs.

Think about the Heartbreak Hotel situation for forward Leon Powe at California. Powe has gone through a lot, as he has bounced back strong a few times already following knee problems. Another knee surgery left him out for this season. Last season, Powe was a diaper dandy and averaged almost a double-double.

UCLA was expecting a big year from Cedric Bozeman, but now he's lost for the season following a knee injury. Bozeman has been UCLA's starting point guard for the past three years. Last season, he started every game and led the Pac-10 in assists.

The game of basketball is physical, and injuries certainly can take their toll.

Here are 14 players who have been hit by early injuries (in alphabetical order by player's last name):

College Hoop Injuries
Player | School | Injury
Cedric Bozeman | UCLA | Knee
Pat Carroll | St. Joseph's | Shoulder
Brandon Cole | Xavier | Knee
Tim Drisdom | Utah | Ankle
Jason Fraser | Villanova | Knee
Brian Johnson | Louisville | Knee
Erroll Knight | Gonzaga | Thumb
David Lucas | Oregon State | Toe Surgery
Jermaine Maybank | St John's | Knee
DeMarcus Nelson | Duke | Thumb
Leon Powe | California | Knee
Brian Randle | Illinois | Broken Hand
Dawan Robinson | Rhode Island | Foot surgery
David Teague | Purdue | Broken Hand

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in December 1979. Send him a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.