When the Northern Kentucky University men’s basketball team returns to action Dec. 29 at Purdue-Fort Wayne, the Norse will be without starting guard Sam Vinson.
Vinson, a former first-team all-state standout at Highlands High School, suffered a knee injury in last Thursday’s 92-56 Norse loss at Saint Mary’s in Moraga, California.
It has since been reported Vinson’s injury is a season-ending ACL tear.
Vinson logged 15 minutes in the loss to Saint Mary’s before suffering the injury. The one-time 9th Region Player of the Year shot 1-for-3 from the field, missing a 3-point attempt, and finished with two points. He added three assists, a steal and a rebound.
Vinson ranks second on the Norse with 13.3 points per game. He’s also second in assists (42), rebounds (66) and minutes played per game (33.0). He was one of four NKU players to start all of the first 13 contests. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound junior leads the team with 34 steals.
Last season, Vinson was an all-Horizon League third-team selection and was named to the league All-Defensive Team, becoming the first Norse to earn All-Defensive Team honors since Jalen Tate in 2019-20. Vinson was Newcomer of the Year and named to the All-League Freshman team his first season at NKU.
Vinson last season averaged 11.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.4 steals per game, which led the league and ranked 12th in NCAA Division I. Vinson’s steals average is tied for second all-time in a single season at NKU.
Vinson helped lead Highlands to the 2021 Kentucky Sweet 16 state championship and earned tournament MVP honors with 23.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists in tournament play.
The Norse are currently 7-6 overall and tied for first place in the Horizon League with a 2-0 mark. Their next home game is Jan. 4 vs. Horizon League co-leader Youngstown State, which is riding an eight-game winning streak. Purdue-Fort Wayne is also 2-0 in league play.
NKU earned its fourth bid to the NCAA Tournament in seven years last season after finishing 22-13 under head coach Dan Horn.