Kaba bounces back better than ever
2/11/2019 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Features
Millersville, Pa. - The devastating injury to Millersville forward Amadou Kaba was a devastating blow to the team and it called for a long recovery period for the 6-6 Penn Wood High School product.
Kaba suffered a torn Achilles tendon just before the 2017-18 season causing him to be sidelined for the entire season. This came as a major loss to the Marauders given his success in the prior season.
In his first season at Millersville in 2016, Kaba shot a team best 48 percent from the field and led the team in blocks with 22. He also managed to rank in the top two in rebounds with 130 in the 26 games he played that season. Kaba, ready to begin another season, was stopped in his tracks when he got the news of his injury.
"At first I didn't know what it was," said Kaba. "When I got [to the trainers office] they said, 'what happened.' and I said, 'I feel like something hit the back of my heel.' That's when they told me to stop walking and sit on the table. [The trainer] touched the back of my heel and told me I tore my Achilles and that's when it hit me."
The news of his season ending injury affected Kaba massively.
"It hit me hard," said Kaba. "But I knew I had to keep backing my teammates up and be there for them. But yes, it was hard."
It was an injury that also impacted his teammates. Season-ending injuries aren't all that common, and to witness it firsthand was shocking.
"You just don't think of an injury like that happening to someone," said Millersville senior guard Marcus Adkison. "I was just very shocked because I knew he was going to be out for the season."
This was more than just a physical loss for the Marauders given how highly his fellow teammates speak of his attitude on and off the court. Adkison calls Kaba one of the funniest teammates he has, and one that really wants to make the team better. Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel agreed.
"Yeah I thought it was a big-time loss," Stitzel said. "We only had for returners and when we lost him we were down to three…we had a glaring hole last year at the four man."
After the shock and subsequent surgery, a year-long recovery began.
"It was a long recovery process." said Kaba. "I had to spend a couple months in a cast and using a crutch, so it was a very long process."
While unable to run and jump, Kaba remained a fixture around the team. A player who relied on his bounce and athleticism, Kaba used his new physical limitations to improve other areas of his game--particularly shooting. Confined to a boot, Kaba could still work on his shooting mechanics as well as his range. Never known as an outside shooter, Kaba had attempted only six 3-pointers (and made just one) in his first season with the Marauders. The time spent working on his jump shot certainly prepared him for his return.
After a year away, Kaba is a welcomed return, often the first man off the bench for a much improved team. He can still defend and rebound, but now he is shooting the three at 34.5 percent on 58 attempts. He made four in the season opener.
"Unfortunately, you hear a lot of horror stories when you hear about that injury, and you hear about a lot of guys who don't recover to what they used to be. With Dou, his athleticism is there [to recover]. He's one of those guys who's a little bit of a freak of nature."
Kaba also believes that being sidelined for a calendar year helped him become mentally stronger.
"I understand the game more, and I understand that we have to win as a team," Kaba said. "I've been on the sidelines for the entire season so now I know what I needed to bring to the table for us to be a better team. That's what I took out of this injury."
Physically, Kaba seems to have made a full recovery.
"I feel better every day," said Kaba. "When I first got back, the game felt a little bit faster, but now as I get used to it, the more I play, the better I feel."
It is noticeable, too. And the Marauders, already at 14-9 and pushing for a home game in the PSAC Tournament, are glad to have him back.
Kaba suffered a torn Achilles tendon just before the 2017-18 season causing him to be sidelined for the entire season. This came as a major loss to the Marauders given his success in the prior season.
In his first season at Millersville in 2016, Kaba shot a team best 48 percent from the field and led the team in blocks with 22. He also managed to rank in the top two in rebounds with 130 in the 26 games he played that season. Kaba, ready to begin another season, was stopped in his tracks when he got the news of his injury.
"At first I didn't know what it was," said Kaba. "When I got [to the trainers office] they said, 'what happened.' and I said, 'I feel like something hit the back of my heel.' That's when they told me to stop walking and sit on the table. [The trainer] touched the back of my heel and told me I tore my Achilles and that's when it hit me."
The news of his season ending injury affected Kaba massively.
"It hit me hard," said Kaba. "But I knew I had to keep backing my teammates up and be there for them. But yes, it was hard."
It was an injury that also impacted his teammates. Season-ending injuries aren't all that common, and to witness it firsthand was shocking.
"You just don't think of an injury like that happening to someone," said Millersville senior guard Marcus Adkison. "I was just very shocked because I knew he was going to be out for the season."
This was more than just a physical loss for the Marauders given how highly his fellow teammates speak of his attitude on and off the court. Adkison calls Kaba one of the funniest teammates he has, and one that really wants to make the team better. Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel agreed.
"Yeah I thought it was a big-time loss," Stitzel said. "We only had for returners and when we lost him we were down to three…we had a glaring hole last year at the four man."
After the shock and subsequent surgery, a year-long recovery began.
"It was a long recovery process." said Kaba. "I had to spend a couple months in a cast and using a crutch, so it was a very long process."
While unable to run and jump, Kaba remained a fixture around the team. A player who relied on his bounce and athleticism, Kaba used his new physical limitations to improve other areas of his game--particularly shooting. Confined to a boot, Kaba could still work on his shooting mechanics as well as his range. Never known as an outside shooter, Kaba had attempted only six 3-pointers (and made just one) in his first season with the Marauders. The time spent working on his jump shot certainly prepared him for his return.
After a year away, Kaba is a welcomed return, often the first man off the bench for a much improved team. He can still defend and rebound, but now he is shooting the three at 34.5 percent on 58 attempts. He made four in the season opener.
"Unfortunately, you hear a lot of horror stories when you hear about that injury, and you hear about a lot of guys who don't recover to what they used to be. With Dou, his athleticism is there [to recover]. He's one of those guys who's a little bit of a freak of nature."
Kaba also believes that being sidelined for a calendar year helped him become mentally stronger.
"I understand the game more, and I understand that we have to win as a team," Kaba said. "I've been on the sidelines for the entire season so now I know what I needed to bring to the table for us to be a better team. That's what I took out of this injury."
Physically, Kaba seems to have made a full recovery.
"I feel better every day," said Kaba. "When I first got back, the game felt a little bit faster, but now as I get used to it, the more I play, the better I feel."
It is noticeable, too. And the Marauders, already at 14-9 and pushing for a home game in the PSAC Tournament, are glad to have him back.
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